Types of Custom Picture Frames

by | Dec 1, 2021

Custom Framing - Two carved picture frames on a Chicago work bench in progress

Our expert hands make a variety of custom picture frames including natural wood gallery frames, lacquer picture frames, and gilded frames.

Let our staff lend their expertise to your custom framing needs by suggesting the picture frame options that best fit your project.

Brown Wood Walnut Custom Finished Picture Frames-Framing-Components of a Fine Art Frame Article

WOOD GALLERY AND COLLECTION FRAMES

Our wood gallery frames are made using locally milled maple, ash, and walnut. Other wood species care is available upon request.  We carry a variety of these classic profiles that can be further modified. These hardwood profiles can be left in their natural state and finished with a clear lacquer or wax, or custom stain.

White on white custom lacquer picture frames in satin and gloss white

LACQUERED PICTURE FRAMES

Whether satin or gloss white, piano black lacquer, soft gray, or even a vibrant color, since our frames are custom-made by hand, we can customize a finish for your piece.  The finish is applied after the frame moulding is joined, the miter at the corner is covered by the finish which results in seamless corners.  These custom lacquered frames are made using our wood gallery frame molding.  Additional profiles can be custom milled.

22k and 23k karat real gilded frames

SILVER LEAF AND GILDED FRAMES

Silver leaf, 22k yellow gold leaf, or 12k white gold leaf and other karats in between, we can create elegant custom gold museum frames using traditional leafing methods. Our gilders carefully apply various colorations of real gold leaf or metal leaf foil to our milled gallery profiles as well as to hand-carved wood frames, or plaster and compo ornamentation.

Hand-carved ornamental gold leaf frames

HAND CARVED-ORNAMENTAL FRAMES

Ornate and even minimal designs, we carve one-of-a-kind frames for fine art, portraits, and mirrors. Antique frame designs can be recreated and missing ornamentation on historic frames can be recreated and restored.

These frames can be custom gilded, stained, or finished in a custom lacquer color. The finishes can then be further customized and aged with toning and degrees of distress.

Welded metal steel frames showing the levels of grinding

WELDED METAL FRAMES

Due to their inherent strength, metal frames allow for narrower frame profiles for larger artwork. Custom frames can be fabricated in steel, stainless steel, bronze, brass, copper, and aluminum. Whether highly polished, ground, patinated, or left to remain raw; metal frames can be customized to achieve a sleek appearance or an industrial aesthetic.

Frames - A Licht Sang artwork housed in a vitrine, also referred to as a Plexiglass or acrylic case

PLEXI-BOXES/VITRINES

Vitrines also referred to as Plexi boxes, plexiglass boxes, or acrylic cases, are a great framing alternative to protect and minimally present art objects and three-dimensional works. Museums and corporate collections with publicly displayed works often use vitrines to protect high-value artwork and antiques.  Rather than traditional shadowboxes, these clear boxes allow for visibility of the sides of a piece while it is on display.

Pre-Finished custom picture frames from antique black to bamboo, art deco, rainbow, antique and ultra modern frames

PRE-FINISHED LENGTH CUSTOM FRAMES

In addition to our hand-crafted frames, we also carry several thousand custom picture frame mouldings in a variety of traditional, contemporary, and gilded finishes.  Whether black, white, color lacquer, gold, silver, etc, length moldings provide a cost-effective, yet a custom option for picture frames.

These are just a sampling of the custom frames that our studio can provide.  These can evolve into a custom round and oval frames, liners, float frames, leather frames.

Our team can work with you and your budget to design the right frame that works with your piece and budget. 

If you have questions or would like to see any of these options in person, please feel welcome to contact us at: frameforum@artmillgroup.com (847) 234-1982

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