Get Styling with Vintage Picture Frames

Who says vintage picture frames make for limited styling options? Whether you want something dainty and whimsical, something more luxurious, something relaxed or edgy, vintage picture frames can be an important decorative element. These can add a unique look to your walls, shelves and coffee tables.

Here are some interior decorating styles that work very well with vintage or antique picture frames:

• French farmhouse. How about mimicking the style of a relaxed farmhouse somewhere in the south of France? This combines the French style aesthetic and elegance with their relaxed “hearth and home” lifestyle. In short, this is class without the fuss. The French country farmhouse is marked by the use of cast iron fixtures, bright-colored cotton fabrics (such as curtains and slipcovers), chalky white walls with dark wood beams at the ceiling, and stone fireplaces. The French farmhouse also makes use of whitewashed wood surfaces and blue and white porcelain. The French farmhouse style is also about re-purposing old items such as frames. You can use white picture frames to frame beachscapes and black and white photos.
• Romantic shabby chic. This is about soft pastels, distressed wood, floral accents and romantic vintage picture frames and furniture. This actually provides an interesting combination of the English Victorian style with the effortless elegance of the French Provence style. Decorate the wall with wallpaper with a floral motif and add distressed wood picture frames as accents. The frames can contain photos and landscapes. They can also be empty and layered to add layers of textures to a mantle or console table.
• King Louis XV or King Louis XIV French Chic. This makes use of ultra-elegant King Louis furniture creatively combined with kitschy design elements. This is highlighted with the use of under-decoration – the rest of the design elements are kept simple to highlight the beauty of the furniture and the frames. With this design aesthetic, it makes use of simple fabrics and bare walls. Make use of gold leaf or gold gilt frames. Complete the antique look by adding convex glass to an oval antique frame. You can also add gold leaf embellishments in the cornices, as well as in the ceilings.
• Hollywood Regency. Grandeur and glamour… the Hollywood glitz and grandiosity. This is a no-holds-barred and no-apologies approach to interior design. Some prominent design elements include chandeliers, gold leaf furniture, lacquered surfaces, bold patterns and velvet drapery. The walls are not just painted but bear additional texture and makes use of Art Deco wallpaper, gold filigreed wallpaper or Venetian plaster. Hollywood Regency also makes use of a lot of mirrors – to accent other design elements as well as to add to the glimmer and sparkle. You can make use of silver or black picture frames. Hang framed mirrors in key areas – exercise caution so that the result does not look overdone.
• Beach Cottage Chic. Another variation where you can use vintage picture frames will be the beach cottage chic design that reminds one of the beach. This is a more laidback style and features vintage pieces, distressed furniture, pastel colors and floral fabrics. You can also make use of sea-related décor such as lanterns, shells, pebbles and driftwood. You can use a shadow box frames with vintage moldings to display your collection of seashells.
• Industrial chic. Exposed cement walls and pipes, wood floors and beams vie that is both utilitarian and edgy. The prominent materials also include chrome, wood, iron and steel. This interior aesthetic feature a neutral color palette – that use more of browns, whites and grays, with a few touches of bright color. You can soften the hard lines of industrial chic by incorporating vintage picture frame in your décor. This includes framed mirrors placed behind lamps for a softening effect in the lighting.