Art picture framing tips

To hang or not to hang? Some prefer salon-style, others just need a wall to lean on, but all of our favorite decorators have distinctive, inspiring approaches.

"Use simple modern frames—but always different, to avoid that gallery look." —Allegra Hicks



"Grand old oil paintings often look great out of their frames."
—Allegra Hicks



Rita Konig displays family photos and snapshots on walls (never "on the piano").



According to Miles Redd, you should frame art "however the picture dictates, but I love French mats."



The secret to displaying artwork? "Big mats and snappy but simple modern frames." —David Netto



Leaning art feels effortless and casual. And it makes it easy to rotate pieces in your collection."
—Derek Sanders



Steven Gambrell favors painted frames. Mix and match with unframed but similar art.



Ruthie Sommers swears by generously large linen mats



Derek Sanders's cork wall makes a bold visual statement, and makes rotating in new masterpieces easy



What is the best way to display family photos? "Edit—ruthlessly—and then put both of them in a Lucite block on a table." —David Netto



Do we sense a theme here? "White frames with various profiles and thick mats." —Dara Caponigro



Take a cue from Lili Diallo—mixing framed and unframed inspirations keeps things lively.



"You can get the scale of big artwork with a series of smaller pictures, like these 19th-century prints of Egypt that I treated identically with antique gilt frames and blue French mats."
—Gil Schafer