The first goal in designing for matting and framing is to satisfy the person you are framing for. That means that if the customer wants the framed piece to blend well with existing room décor you must factor that into your design. Consider color values, the preponderance of cool and warm colors, and the feel or mood of the artwork, as well as its theme. Consider the existing room decor, if necessary. And above all, keep everything in balance.

A color’s value is where it falls on the white to black ladder. When it falls more toward white it’s a tint; when it falls more toward black it’s a shade; in between are tones. The picture of blueberries is comprised largely of shades. In matting it, therefore, shades should dominate.

Clearly the dominant hue is blue. However, using the same blue as the light blue of the blueberries not only runs counter to the dominant value, which is darker, but would tend to overwhelm the viewer with that tone of blue, throwing the presentation out of balance. A better choice would be the darker blue inside the blueberries.

Temperature in color refers to the relative preponderance of cool or warm colors. Cool colors are the colors of spring: blue, light green, violet. Warm colors are the colors of autumn: red, orange, yellow, brown.

In looking at Degas’ Dancer’s in Blue one will immediately detect the dominance of gold in the artwork. Yet gold is secondary in importance to the color blue, as blue is what the artwork is about. This artwork is better framed with blue as the most prevalent color in the framing.

Obviously the artwork’s theme or meaning is open to interpretation. Indeed one of the most important considerations in selecting colors for matting and framing is the question of theme. The client should be asked directly, “Why do you like this particular piece artwork? What is it that communicates to you?”

In looking at Van Gogh’s Café at Night one detects a preponderance of cool colors that would suggest properly matting it in cool colors. But wait. Pause to consider what the artwork is really about. If you conclude that the artwork is primarily about the café and that the street scene is merely incidental, warm colors would more effectively focus the viewer’s eye on the subject matter.

Generally, darker colors in the framing will help enhance a receding perspective in the composition. If an image has a strong element that is receding such as the river sweeping off into the distance in Sisley’s Road to Hampton Court, a darker mat – perhaps one that ties into the dark green of the trees along the bank in the background – helps to enhance it.

Lighter colors in the matting help to “pop” a composition that has bold elements in the foreground, such as Roy Lichtenstein’s Blam, which looks suitably dramatic in a stark white over a black mat.

When you are designing a piece for yourself, you are free to honor the artwork without regard to its surroundings, to, in effect, indulge art for art’s sake. But when you are designing for a client you must involve them in the designing process and respect their desire to have the artwork fit into existing room décor. Keeping everything in balance refers not just to the design of the piece but to the integrity of the framer-client relationship.