Small pieces for small places
No room or area is too small for artwork!
Can you name all the small places in your home that are a bit bare? Probably not, because there are more than you think. Take look around your home – do you see them now? How many of those small spots could use a touch of art?
- The small wall space by the door
- Open shelving in your office
- On a tabletop
- Above the cabinets in your kitchen
- A windowsill
- … the list goes on and on!
You’ve found a small place that needs art, you’ve got the perfect small piece for that space, and now you need to frame it. Here are a few ideas.
How about that small piece of art you picked up on vacation? It works well in your powder room. It is simply framed, but the contrast between the art and the mat makes your eye go right to the image, creating a noticeable piece.
This cross-stitch says it all, and it’s perfect for your dressing table. The cross stitch itself measures 4” x 4”, but by framing it with the same silver color used on the outside of the cross stitch, it ‘extends’ the size. Using a matching purple fillet makes it stunning.
These small antique images are the kinds of photos you see sitting on a piano, shelving, table or desktop. The framing doesn’t need to be much larger than the photo already is, so forget the mat – just add a wide frame around it so it doesn’t get lost with all the others photos on the piano.
Small places in your home where you could put artwork
How to frame small pieces for small places
The key is to not introduce multiple elements, such as color, size or frills. Because this pocket watch is so small, it could have easily been over-powered. The frame is proportionate to the watch. Only one color of matting was used so that the watch didn’t get visually ‘lost’.
How small is too small to frame?
This tin-type photograph only measures 2” x 3”, but the framing takes your eye in, making the image noticeable. We added a small frame (fillet) around it and kept to one solid color of matting.
Nothing is too small to frame! Let us show you how a small piece can become a noticeable piece.
Paint Colors
Paint colors that make small places feel larger
Go bold, go dark: Dark colors can actually make a space feel larger since they draw in your attention
Make it dynamic: Choose colors that change with lighting, such as Mint or Sage Green or a Pearl Gray
Classic white: White reflects the light and makes the walls recede, which makes a small space feel large and airy.
