The art of Collage Frames

A while ago I was looking for new ideas to change the looks and the atmosphere of my apartment. I thought of using big prints of photos, but mine weren’t artsy or professional enough and the ones i could buy didn’t seem personal. At that time I made an interview with a graphic designer who invited me to his spacious loft on the outskirts of the city.

Lofts have the high potential of feeling empty and cold, but I sensed something different in his and kept wondering what exactly it was.

Large, blank white walls were covered with collage photo frames, and while glancing at each of them I knew they spoke more about the person than he’d tell me himself or would show me in the photo albums. He didn’t decide to put his works on the walls, nor the artworks of his favourite artists. By using those collage frames he displayed his personal stories, stills from his private life and somehow they did feel like artworks and reflected his taste and personality even stronger.

The space gained a context of a gallery you’d find in a small street that takes you to an unexpected journey. Not mentioning the fact that the collages turned out to work just perfect in terms of the interior design – large ones defined different areas of the space; the material he used for different frames made some spots felt more traditional and cosy, others more contemporary, raw, industrial.

Nice job, I thought. On my way back instead of thinking of the person I met, the interview I just made and the deadlines I kept thinking about the concept of collage picture frames.

After furiously emptying the drawers where i had my old photos, selecting them and searching for the right photo collage frames online I took time to arrange them and hang on the walls

And here are some useful tips I gathered in the process - if you want to use collage photo frames in an artistic, original and playful way and create a lasting effect in your enviroment:

• Be a story teller – the selection of the right photos might be the key, you can use common themes like: the family, landscapes, flowers in my garden, to more original: faces, red photos, those guys I dated in 1988; sometimes an abstract idea behind the composition in a collage could be the one most intruiging and appealing.
• Do the mix – the collage frame give you a chance to go wild while arranging the pictures, because there is not much room for big errors, so don’t be scared to mix old and new photos, those varying in sizes or colours, however bear in mind that it might be better not to blend b&w with colour photos.
• Play with a frame design and colour – again you have a chance to unfold your creativity – you might want to incorporate old family photographs from the beginning of XX century into a modern chic metal collage picture frame or a shiny black one, or be more traditional and match them with a wooden frame.
• Change your scenery – the collage photo frame will now be a part of your interior design. If you are looking for a dramatic change, use those of bigger sizes and a colour that would contrasts with the wall, if you want a more conservative approach go for the ones that would complement with the background and the surroundings, but in either case be consistent with the style of your room. Make sure the predominant colour and the style of a frame will match other decoration and furniture.
• Choose the location wisely – the “my favorite bars” or “summer, beach and fun” themed compositions or more experimental ones with personal touch would work perfectly in the living room or bedroom, but it’s better to think twice before hanging them in your office (unless you are a CEO).

We all love pictures, it’s the era of photography, anyone can be a “guy with a camera” and show off by means of the internet. Yet, it occurred to me there is so much more to achieve in he field of showing your photography - by simply finding a clever way to arrange and display photos and that collage photo frames seemed to be an amazing discovery. What would combine the passion for photography and an original concept for decorating better than this?

All those pics in my drawers…I thought of hanging them somewhere in my apartment, but could never decide which one I should choose, which exact spot on the wall I should pick and which frame of such a wide variety to use. Probably too many possibilities and a risk of making it look like disorganized mess made me keep them hidden and my passion for photography was reflected not in my house, but on the internet. Before meeting Vincent and being inspired by a true artist it had never occurred to me that simple collage frame would do the trick.