There are many ways to add interest and life to your home. One way is with the use of accessories. Accessories can be vases, pictures, artwork, lamps, screens, room dividers, plants, shelves, mirrors, and much more. Any of these items will bring something special to your room and should accentuate your color palate.

In this article I would like to focus on pictures, framing and matting. Every style of framed pictures will give you a different feel and create an atmosphere. So choose your print, frames and matting carefully.

The purpose of a frame should be to define the edges of an image and help it stand out from its surroundings. The frame you use to accent your picture will show shape, color, texture, size, and weight. All of these determine the final look. Your frame might be plain, ornate-gilded, untreated, color washed, light or dark stained, pickled, highly polished, very modern, folksy, old world, country or classic.

Gold frames are classic and warm. Sometimes they create a visual neutral break between picture and wall. If you like gold for accessorizing it will be easy to find the frame you want. Gold blends in with many types of décor.

Most silver or aluminum frames are cool and can be placed in a modern décor easily. Pictures that contain pinks, mint greens, and blue, look great in these frames.

Most black frames are informal. These frames are great at setting off black and white photos.

Wood frames add warmth. There are many stains to choose from with a wood frame. It is easy to incorporate these frames into many types of decorating.

Shadow boxes are larger or deeper than the normal frame. They come in all colors and styles. They are used for three dimensional works of art. You can attach anything inside of them from articles representing your loved ones to puppets.

Frames can be used as they are or you can change its look. You can buy frames from frame stores, discount stores, garage sales and many other places. You can buy a picture in a store just because you love the size, texture, and matting. You can then go home and put your own picture into the frame if you don’t like the picture it came with.

You can change the look of your frame by sanding it down and painting it. You can decoupage the frame with fabric or paper that is special to you. You can even cover the frame with faux fur. Customizing your frames can be a fun project to do with your family.

There are many materials you can use to create a textured looking frame. One such material is grout. Coat grout onto a frame and embed the grout with small stones or scraps of glazed tiles. You can stencil or paint your theme design on the frame. Another idea is to use a hot glue gun to attach items to the frame for a different look.

Matting is a wonderful accent to go into a frame. The matting can also be enhanced or left plain. If you choose, mats can be color washed, marbled, stippled, covered with fabric or wallpaper. All of these set off a picture.

Your matting can be cut into different shapes. This adds interest to your picture. The size and cut of a mat can have a huge effect on your picture. Usually you want the mat to be slightly larger than the width of the frame.

The color of the mat can really pull the color out of your picture. Matting is a wonderful way to accent your color palate. Double mats or stepped mats are created by layering one mat on top of the other. The spacing is usually between ¾ to one inch so you can see the under mat.

If your wall has a busy style of wallpaper on it you can still put pictures on your walls. You will need to purchase a print that matches the color and décor of your room. Then buy an over sized mat and plain frame for your picture. The mat will usually help to separate the print from the wall paper.

Oil paintings are wonderful to use too. They do not need matting when you frame them. Do not use glass over the top of the oil painting.

When you hang your pictures, hang them at eye level. The rule used to be to hang them within the middle thirty two inches of the wall. Now many walls are taller than eight feet. Also people have gotten taller so their eye level has gotten higher.

When you are hanging pictures over a piece of furniture the pictures and the furniture become unified and become a team. One accents the other. If you hang the pictures or accessories too high on the wall over the couch, etc. they become separate units. Many times the easiest way to know where to hang pictures in your dining room is to sit on your dining room chair. Now look straight ahead. That visual spot is usually a good place to hang your pictures and accessories. But you must also be practical and hang accessories according to your family’s needs and situation.

Pictures and/or accessories should not be wider than the couch or furniture it is hanging above. But not less than one half the width in size.

If you decide to create a collage of pictures over furniture or up the stairway, use paper patterns first. Trace all the items you plan to use on separate pieces of paper. Take these cut out shapes and tape them on the wall in the order and shape you would like to create. After you are happy with its look then attach the accessories or pictures over the paper in its spot. Remove the paper behind the attached accessory when you finish. Make sure the pictures are not too far apart or you will loose its unity.

Be careful not to display valuable pictures in direct sunlight. It will fade and dry photos. If your picture is especially valuable consider ultra violet proof thermoplastic, also know as museum grade glass. An ultra violet filter on your windows offers the same protection.

Pictures and accessories are a wonderful finishing touch to anyone’s home decorating. You get to choose the right look for you and your family.