Colorful Matting

I love using colorful matting with artwork. It's an easy change - you could obviously get new mat board cut, but consider painting out your white mat (I've had great success with those $1 bottles of craft paint), or maybe investing in a $30 mat cutter to experiment on your own. Also, I see vintage and antique artwork with colorful mats at flea markets all the time. Here's a piece my client and I found at a flea market in Pennsylvania (or was it NJ, Sheila?).

One of my favorite colors - that emerald green! I think it's so pretty with the black and gold accents.



I have a big art wall in my dining room. To mix it up a little I've been adding colorful mats to the group. Most of the frames have cream or white mats still, but I'd like to have four or five frames with colorful matting eventually.

I bought this piece at Housing Works for $10:



These pretty pink pictures were spotted at Alt in the ladies room at the Grand America.



Another pretty emerald green mat at a gallery near my house:


on

42 comments:

  1. A RefinariaJanuary 31, 2011 at 5:33 AM

    ohhhh! love the yellow hand towels and the big print wall paper! great post.

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  2. pve designJanuary 31, 2011 at 6:39 AM

    I do love the way colorful matting can add so much to a gallery....I also love a collection of pure white matting too....on black and white photos.
    pve

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  3. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2011 at 6:49 AM

    I love the photo from Lonny Oct. 2010. The large scale wallpaper with all of the artwork looks awesome. (espcially with the colorful matting!)

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  4. angelaJanuary 31, 2011 at 8:44 AM

    I love that room in Kate Spade's house. I thought of it right away when I saw your post title. I've thought before of cutting my own matting. Have you ever done it/how complicated is it?

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  5. UnknownJanuary 31, 2011 at 8:58 AM

    It's funny but I have never thought of doing this but seeing this post has totally inspired me- love how it looks and I agree, the emerald green is amazing!!

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  6. Jenny @ Art, Wine and DesignJanuary 31, 2011 at 8:59 AM

    I did this same project this weekend. I painted the matting black and changed out the picture on a thrift store find! I love the idea of a gallery wall with colored mattering. I also heart the colorful wallpaper from Lonny!

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  7. JenJanuary 31, 2011 at 9:00 AM

    Love this...feels new, fresh...one for the files :)...and the Spade's house...no surprise even their daughter's room is so great...really I'm ready to move in. Enjoy your blog! ~Jen
    http://fineanddandythings.blogspot.com/

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  8. SamanthaJanuary 31, 2011 at 9:01 AM

    I painted a mat from peach to gray last week using spray paint. I was worried it would curl, but it didn't at all! http://yearofhomeandhealth.blogspot.com/2011/01/picture-picture-on-wall.html

    I love the bright colors, I will have to try that.

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  9. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2011 at 9:09 AM

    I love the idea! I am going to try this with some of my new paintings:)

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  10. Brandi@ Flights of WhimsyJanuary 31, 2011 at 9:27 AM

    The Emerald Green is so beautiful! I have a rose picture I got at a flea market with a pink striped matting that I absolutely love too!

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  11. CathleenJanuary 31, 2011 at 9:27 AM

    It has never even dawned on me to change the mat color myself! Thanks, Jenny! I'm going to try this in my daughter's pink and gray nursery. I have a bunch of framed Peter rabbit pictures to hang.
    What flea market did you visit in NJ? The only one I know of and go to is the Saturday morning flea at the meadowlands.

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  12. UnknownJanuary 31, 2011 at 9:55 AM

    The mix of different colored matts is so stunning...I think that one is my favorite! I really think I might try just switching out some matts for an update, thanks for the inspiration!

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  13. autumnJanuary 31, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    what a great collection of photos! and you are correct...the RIGHT mat can make all the difference. it's one of those inexpensive and easy fixes that people often overlook.

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  14. UnknownJanuary 31, 2011 at 11:03 AM

    I have actually painted many colored mats white ( works for my decor). I started with regualar acrylic paint, but found that spray paint is the best. The finish is perfect, doesn't dause the mat to curl up, and is faster than brushed on paint.

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  15. Erika . . . with a KJanuary 31, 2011 at 11:28 AM

    You've definatly inspired me... I love the colorful mat look. The emerald green is amazing!!

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  16. Laurie from Laurie Jones HomeJanuary 31, 2011 at 12:02 PM

    Love this!! The idea is so simple and easy but a total why haven't I done this more in my house type of idea!

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  17. SheilaJanuary 31, 2011 at 12:33 PM

    It was NJ! You know I have yet to see that guy since? He had the BEST stuff. I could really use more books. :)

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  18. JulieJanuary 31, 2011 at 12:54 PM

    Cute ideas!

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  19. KristinJanuary 31, 2011 at 1:15 PM

    Loving those colorful mats! I'm working on artwork for my office re-do and now I'm considering colorful mats intead of white to bring more color into the room.

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  20. KellieJanuary 31, 2011 at 1:38 PM

    Love it! I especially love the first one. Thanks for the idea to paint the mats too, I will have to try that!

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  21. Denise BriantJanuary 31, 2011 at 2:40 PM

    There is a great antique flea market in Lambertville NJ called the Golden Nugget. It is open Sat & Sun and worth a visit. You can check out my post under the Label Flea Markets at Design Savvy of NJ.blogspot.com. Great ideas for the frames, just may have to try it!

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  22. Jenny at LGNJanuary 31, 2011 at 2:50 PM

    Cathleen and Denise - We found this pretty print at the Golden Nugget. I've only been twice, but it was a jackpot both times!

    xx

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  23. Mai-Brit @ thisfulllifeJanuary 31, 2011 at 3:02 PM

    What a genius idea - I love the pop of color it adds. This is being added to my to-do list for sure.

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  24. Sarah JaneJanuary 31, 2011 at 3:12 PM

    I just love picture collages, but never feel like I can pull them off...which seems silly because they're supposed to be kind of random. Any tips that aren't obvious?

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  25. A CharmerJanuary 31, 2011 at 3:16 PM

    Love it! I just came here to ask if there's an inexpensive way to do this. Looks like spray paint is the way to do this. Thanks previous commenters.

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  26. Jenny at LGNJanuary 31, 2011 at 3:17 PM

    Hi Sarah Jane! I think that is SUCH a great question and I do have some thoughts about how to put together a nice gallery/art wall that looks collected and not too contrived. I'll try to do a post on that soon (maybe when I finish my wall and share?)

    xx

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  27. Proper HuntJanuary 31, 2011 at 3:18 PM

    I couldn't agree more! I'm actually working on a diy project that involves giving white mat boards a makeover with some card-stock glued on top (or any type of textured/colored paper), but I'll definitely have to try painting them too. Great tip on jazzing up mat boards!

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  28. Sarah JaneJanuary 31, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    Thanks, Jenny! Can't wait to hear your tips. I've already gotten so many great ideas from you....and so...I've given you an "award" on my blog! I hope you'll check it out! And thanks again!

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  29. ErinJanuary 31, 2011 at 4:08 PM

    I am now racking my brain trying to remember... have you seen/ do you remember an old Grace Kelly (I think) movie that shows a scene in her apartment with a wall full of framed prints all with different color mattes?? The colors remind me of the Spade home picture you posted. I have always loved that wall display in that movie, I just can't remember what movie it was!

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  30. Jenny at LGNJanuary 31, 2011 at 4:13 PM

    Heather from Habitually Chic posted about the frames and movie (it was Ingrid Berman in the movie Indiscreet), here:

    http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/2011/01/colorful-mats.html

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  31. ErinJanuary 31, 2011 at 4:33 PM

    Oh yay, yay! Thanks so much, Jenny :) I've got to watch that movie again.

    I have a four framed floral prints hung symmetrically on a wall (two on each side of our tv), and they need some added interest. With only four prints though, I'm afraid it would look wrong if the mattes were all different colors? Maybe I should make them all the same exciting color.

    Thanks for the inspiration!

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  32. Steph at Modern Parents Messy KidsJanuary 31, 2011 at 7:17 PM

    Ohh - I really love that example in the kids room. I would have thought you'd need a pretty neutral wall to pull off the colored mats but that wall is great.

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  33. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2011 at 8:01 PM

    Try to find one at goodwill or any second hand store. I just brought a brown one for $14 from goodwill. It's a bamboo frame like the one in the first photo it's in my bathroom over my towel rod.

    I have a funny drawing in it right now of my daughter it was a unicorn. Eventually I'm going to change it to flowers.

    http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f22/sunshine2003/Brown.jpg

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  34. The Tiny AbodeJanuary 31, 2011 at 8:56 PM

    I MUST visit the flea market in Lambertville!! Philadelphia has some great flea markets too! Infact there is one this weekend! Can't wait! Great ideas!

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  35. colleen [There comes a yes]February 1, 2011 at 1:59 AM

    I've never thought of this either! So pretty and such a great way to emphasize accent colors in a room that are found in the prints themselves.

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  36. Sarah BradleyFebruary 1, 2011 at 12:04 PM

    Oh you have totally inspired me to do Hermes orange mat.

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  37. Courtney McGFebruary 1, 2011 at 1:21 PM

    I have to try spray painting myself. Also, if you're in a pinch, Michael's does custom mats which can be incredibly reasonable when they're running a 60%+15% off sale on custom framing!

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  38. Naomi@DesignManifestFebruary 1, 2011 at 3:43 PM

    emerald green all the way!

    and where was this PA flea market? Please tell me if was near Philly?

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  39. SaraFebruary 1, 2011 at 5:36 PM

    This post is SO right up my alley. Amazing how a little detail is just not small. I love noticing things like this; you're brilliant! :)

    I hadn't thought of painting the mats, either; what a great way to do this. We just hung another gallery wall grouping in our family room of stuff I've been collecting, and I have been feeling like it needs more color. I was thinking of painting some of the frames, but my husband really prefers the the neutral, simple wood frames we are using. This would be a great way to add the color. Thanks so much!

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  40. The Vintique ObjectFebruary 1, 2011 at 7:22 PM

    At an antiques store, I recently found a pair of pen and ink city scene sketches in small gilded frames. The ink sketches, were pretty, but the mat was covered in a turquoise velvet, and my was it gorgeous! Wish I had bought them, but I think a DIY velvet mat is in order.

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  41. UnknownFebruary 1, 2011 at 7:59 PM

    What a cool idea! I've never thought of that before and yet it seems so easy.

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  42. Nicole @ one half worldMarch 8, 2011 at 8:48 AM

    Thanks for the idea to paint the mats, Jenny! I was literally gathering my mats to take them to the framer's and get new ones made, but instead went to Wal-mart and bought paint to repurpose the existing mats.

    I linked back to this post on my blog, where I showed the final result:
    http://onehalfworld.blogspot.com/2011/03/bela-sziklay-etchings.html

    Thanks again for the tip!

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