Knight Moves: Larson-Juhl

Showing posts with label Larson-Juhl. Show all posts

11/16/2011

My Giraffe Painting Has Been Framed!

The good folks at Larson-Juhl graciously offered to frame my new beloved giraffe painting and wow, they outdid themselves! Quality framing can seriously elevate the overall presentation of a piece of art and LJ demonstrated that concept perfectly. Their in-house designers took my humble painting and gave it a luxe, sophisticated platform upon which to shine. The art was already good but now it looks better and the whole package makes for an exciting addition to my walls. I couldn't be happier about it!

Larson-Juhl came up with some amazing frame designs and beautifully executed two of them. That's right, my one giraffe painting has two different frames in a sense. LJ created a frame made with three different mouldings, one from the L7 collection and two styles from the Cranbrook collection. The L7 collection is comprised of gorgeous, hand water-gilded mouldings that were inspired by Le Corbusier. The Cranbrook mouldings have clean lines and the ones used for my piece have a fabulous, subtle white-washed finish.

My giraffe is showcased on a Cranbrook float frame that lies below the L7. A removable tall cap frame in the same finish can be placed on top of the L7. The removable frame creates versatility...with it, the piece looks a bit more modern and without it, the piece looks more traditional. You can see the two versions here...

This shot shows how the canvas edges are highlighted thanks to the Cranbrook float frame...

Here, the gold L7 is the primary frame...

I also tried the piece out in the entry...

I think the gold works best in here..

Didn't Larson-Juhl do an amazing job?!? I'm really thrilled about how the piece looks and I couldn't be more thankful for their help and expertise. I'm also glad to know about the L7 and Cranbrook collections because I'll be using mouldings from those sets again in the future.

As I mentioned before, great framing is so important and while it can get expensive, I urge you to avoid the pitfall of degrading your artwork by choosing a cheap moulding. Much like giving a pretty girl a stunning dress to wear, the frame around a piece of art can heighten the beauty of the total package. So be sure to seize that opportunity...and do the same for yourself and wear a stunning dress every once and while ;)

10/07/2011

Framing My New Giraffe Painting

As I previously mentioned, I purchased the giraffe painting featured in the mood board shown in this post. I got it from Etsy seller Bohemian Habits and she was a wonderful seller to work with. The artist even told me about the painting's subject, a giraffe named Kulula. She's the star of Animal Planet's Growing Up Giraffe and the artist met her while visiting the sanctuary. Apparently Kulula tried to lick the artist's face and eat her scarf!

Besides that fun little tidbit, I'm pretty excited about my new painting for two more reasons. First, I love it...it makes me smile when I see it. The colors are fantastic and the shape of the canvas is unique. Secondly, it was really affordable. There is nothing that I would like more than to go on a limitless-budget art shopping spree, but that's not my reality. Unfortunately, annoying expenses like painting the exterior of our house and now redoing our pool trump any art investments. So, finding this little beauty brings me the joy of original art at an awesome price.

Now I need to figure out where to hang it and then get it framed accordingly. Right now Kulula's portrait is sitting on my desk...she's watching me work.

As far as framing goes, I have a few ideas. In this mood board, I used one of Larson-Juhl's gold Sonata frames, which I like. The Musee moulding is another great gold one to consider...

If I decide to go with a more casual look, Larson-Juhl's Gallery One moulding is a conender. It's a favorite of mine for canvases because you can float the canvas on top of the bottom of the moulding. L-J's Luxor is another moulding that allows for canvas floating, although I wouldn't use it for this piece. Anyhow, the sides of my painting's canvas are finished so this option wouldn't cover those up.

Ideally I'd like to use a moulding that is a combination of the above two, but I'm not sure that option is available. If it's not, I supposed I could always gold leaf the upper ridge of the Gallery One!

What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you have any favorite frame mouldings? I keep a list of about ten that work for most artwork but I'm always up for hearing about new options!

Have a great weekend!

9/09/2011

Graphic Image Date Book Office Inspiration #2

Per my announcement on 8/26, Graphic Image has graciously offered up a 20% discount on all purchases and a snazzy 2012 date book to giveaway to one lucky reader...enter now if you haven't already!

Graphic Image makes gorgeous and functional date books, which are available in a variety of colors, styles, and sizes. The winner will get to pick their favorite combo and I'm guessing that it will be a tough decision given that there are so many fabulous options!

I'm putting together a few office/study mood boards to showcase some of those options and to show how a Graphic Image planner can serve as both an organizational tool and a piece of decor. Today I have a gorgeous, Blue 2012 Notebook in Crocodile Embossed Leather in the mix...

2012 Notebook in Crocodile Embossed Leather (Blue) - Graphic Image

Cross Townsend Lapis Lazuli Fountain Pen - Montgomery Pens

Beaded Basket Chandelier with Cerulean Blue Beads - Shades of Light

Crystal Coaster in Bargello - Jonathan Adler

A Passion for Blue and White by Carolyne Roehm - Amazon

Found at the Cusp II, oil on canvas by Aaron Collier - Cole Pratt Gallery

Academie (403239) Frame - Larson-Juhl

Rimmed Vase by Match Pewter - Michael C. Fina

Howell Wingback - Anthropologie

Beckett Desk - Serena & Lily

Jaguar Light Rug - Horchow
Claude Dining Chair - Jonathan Adler

Cele Clock in Azure - Rab Labs
Canton Jar Lamp with Crystal Base - Furbish

Belle Meade Camden Lamp Table - Layla Grayce

What do you think of this office board? Blue is a favorite color of mine, so I like everything in the set. The Cerulean bead chandelier, the Beckett desk, and the Belle Meade Camden lamp table are my absolute favorite things though. Oh, and that Lapis Lazuli fountain pen is pretty sweet too! What are your picks?

Have a great weekend everyone!

3/02/2011

Framing Options: Part 3

Here is the last and final frame option that I chose from Larson-Juhl, it's a sleek white style called Gallery One (324941). I paired it with a few quasi-traditional furniture items and some bold rugs. The frame is shown hanging against two super different wall colors, the first is a soft gray by Sherwin-Williams called Front Porch (7651) and the second is a vibrant magenta also by Shewin-Williams called Valentine (6587).

Windsor Smith Regency Occasional Settee

Jayson Home & Garden Oliver Ottoman

Jasyon Home & Garden Eldridge Lamp

High Fashion Home Shi Shi Table

Williams-Sonoma Home Chelsea Wing Chair

Baker Regency Chair

ABC Carpet Color Reform Rug

The white frame looks really fresh with the painting don't you think? Do you like one of these rugs better than the other? What about the wall colors?

In case you missed yesterday's posts about the artwork and the artist, the piece is a huge original mixed media by Diana Delgado via Ugallery. With the help of Larson-Juhl's nifty frame viewer, I played with a few different frames and room scenarios to illustrate how framing can make a huge impact on how artwork is integrated into a space.

3/01/2011

Framing Options - Part 2

As I mentioned earlier, the below painting, Glam and Glammer, by Diana Delgado captured my affection on Ugallery. Years ago I developed an appreciation for great framing after working in the art business, so I love taking a piece of art and playing with different framing looks in Larson-Juhl's Interactive Frame Design tool. Since this piece is abstract, it is perfect for illustrating how frame choice can really affect how artwork is integrated into a room.

Here I've gone with a traditional gold finish, but the style of the frame is simple and straightforward so it complements the contemporary piece. Also, I couldn't help but use two different rugs!