Display Ideas Using Round Picture Frames

Veer away from the usual rectangular picture frames and try decorating your wall space with the uniquely-shaped round picture frames. The lack of corners and symmetrical shape can actually add some visual interest to a wall, softening seemingly rigid lines of the wall and giving an overall relaxed effect to a room.

You can be surprised by how versatile round picture frames are. There are a lot of things you can do with a circular frame:

• Portraits. The challenge of a circular picture frame is its shape – since pictures are taken with a rectangular orientation in mind, you need to choose the right subjects and image ratios to ensure that the image being framed is aesthetically attractive. When displaying portraits in a round picture frame, check that the subject is at the center of the frame, with the focal point not to closely cropped at the corners. Generally, the portrait should not be a close-up. This will only end up to be closely cropped and result in a photo that looks rounder than the subject actually is. Rather, the picture should feature a shot taken from a distance, so the frame provides a sense of depth to the rounded image.
• Pet portraits. Because pets have compact body proportions, the portrait can display the pet’s entire body and still ensure that the portrait is centered in the frame. The portrait can also feature just the face.
• Round mirror. Displayed in the foyer, the living room, the entrance of a long hallway or at the foot of the stairs, a rounded mirror adds a welcoming touch to the environment. The mirror is dual-purpose – to enable a visitor to check his appearance and to also add visual interest to a wall display. The room is also made more airy as the mirror reflects the light in the room. This is ideal for small spaces, where the reflective properties of the mirror make the limited space look more spacious.
• Needlework display. If you or a loved one is fond of doing needlepoint projects, a round frame is the perfect way to display it. You can even make a wall display of your collection of needlepoint work by strategically placing round frames on the wall. This can work for displays with the same size or displays of different-sized round frames.
• Rounded landscape display. This provides a different take to displaying landscape art. The round shape provides another take on landscapes, which are usually displayed with a rectangular frame.
• 3-D bouquet display. With the use of convex glass or an acrylic dome (for items that require more depth), you can display flowers that have sentimental value. This may be your daughter’s corsage during her Junior-Senior prom, your wedding bouquet or a prized cutting from a rare variety of rose you have in your garden.
• A window display of stained glass. If you like the ethereal beauty of light produced by stained glass but do not plan on having an entire set of windows renovated, you can simply get a round frame, remove the backing and mount a stained glass piece. This can be hung in a window to make the most of the light coming into the room.
• A break from a gallery display. Break the straight, angular lines made by rectangular frames by incorporating one or two round frames in a wall display. Various frame shapes and sizes, when strategically placed, can be more visually appealing than a grid-like display of square or rectangular frames.