Dec 1, 2010

new mat

then you will remember my trip to the framers,
where i dropped off 
this $20 thrift store find:
i will eventually replace the frame as well, but for now 
i just replaced the old paper mat with a warmer, linen mat.
the old mat made the beautiful archival paper of the print 
look dingy, while the new mat not only makes the paper
look so much better, but also 
brings out the warmer tones in the print. 
(ugh---just noticed from this picture that the print is not
 centered! argh! this is going to drive me crazy now! 
when i take it back to the framers to replace the frame, 
i am going to have them fix that...)
i love the texture that a linen,
silk or burlap mat gives to a room. 
it's one of those subtle layers that
can take a room from boring to interesting.
framing an image can be really expensive,
but if you do it in stages,it can be more manageable. 
if you have an unframed image that you love,
you will be surprised at the difference a new mat
can make. mats can also be painted with spray paint,
for a quick and temporary change. 

6 comments:

  1. It is really amazing how the new mat improved the look of the print...beautiful! AND, isn't it amazing what you see in photos that your eye misses? I'm always surprised, it is a great design tool, taking photos of spaces, etc!
    Janell

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  2. so true janell! i have looked at this print dozens of times, and it wasn't until i saw the picture that i realized that it is off-center!

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  3. Linen mats are worth the extra money. I always get so excited with something I'm having framed is finished.

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  4. This looks amazing. What a difference a new mat makes!!

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  5. I love the texture of a linen mat and this one looks so pretty with your print. I've used that painting trick with old mats and it's a great temporary fix!

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