Faux framing with paint is chic, simple and economical

If you’ve ever suffered sticker shock from the cost of having an art piece matted and framed… this is for you.

Turns out there’s a simple, inexpensive, and much more creative alternative for showcasing your favorite artwork: “faux framing” with interior paint.

Painting faux picture frames

Faux framing – in which you simply paint borders on the wall around your artwork to create the illusion of matting and a three-dimensional frame – can be every bit as effective in highlighting your art as encasing it in a wood or metal frame.

Like traditional framing, the faux variety draws one’s eye to the artwork and, when done skillfully and creatively, can greatly enhance it. What’s different about faux framing is that it’s totally unexpected. Plus, it very much “involves” you with the art by melding your own creativity with that of the artist. In short, it’s a clever way to make any work more uniquely “your own.”

Once you’re happy with your design, make a trip to the paint store to purchase the colors you need and some painter’s tape. Carefully measure, mark, and tape off the outline of the frame. After painting it in with a brush or roller, allow the faux frame to dry completely, then repeat the process one or more times, depending upon the number of mat borders you have.

It goes without saying that faux framing is a great way to use paint left over from an earlier project, especially if the color was used in the same room where the artwork is displayed. The various elements will harmonize perfectly.

If you are buying new paint for your project, consider selecting hues that appear elsewhere in your décor, perhaps on upholstery or in your accents or furnishings. Using the same tints and shades in your painted frame will do wonders in pulling together your entire interior color scheme.

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