Following the guidance of my editor, I'm adopting a crafty framing technique to elevate the appearance of wall art and make it seem costlier - a tip I wholeheartedly recommend others to implement as well.
Making Wall Art Look Expensive: The Secret is in the Framing
In the world of interior design, making a statement with wall art is essential. But, what if you want to elevate your art pieces to look more expensive without breaking the bank? Here are some tips from top interior experts that revolve around the use of oversized mounts.
Heather Young, Editor-in-Chief of our platform, has been using this trick for her living room walls and bedroom wall decor. She believes that oversized mounts create breathing space and draw the eye in, making even postcards look like they belong in a gallery.
Sienna Brooks, an interior stylist from Flitch, agrees with the framing trick and suggests keeping the frame simple and neutral to avoid it overshadowing the art. Sienna recommends solid wood or metal frames, and unexpected tones like matte gunmetal, ebonised oak, or deep walnut for a 2025 feel.
Sarah Goodwin's fun, creative photo mounts can give art and photos space to breathe and make them look more interesting. Mango Home's frame design includes a stripe-printed, oversized mount and comes in three different colours.
When it comes to choosing high-quality mats with generous spacing around the artwork, neutral or subtle colors like off-white, cream, or soft gray in thick, acid-free mat boards add sophistication and preserve the art. Balancing scale and proportion carefully is also crucial, as the oversized mount should be large enough to create an elevated "gallery" feel but not so large that it overwhelms the art or the wall.
Creating gallery walls using a mix of oversized mounts with varied art sizes can also add visual interest and a curated, upscale look. Position a largest oversize-mounted piece offset or at a corner, then fill around it with smaller works or different mount sizes.
Using custom or floating mounts where the art appears to “hover” within the mount adds dimension and a modern, high-end look. Pairing oversized mounts with simple, elegant frames also complements the large mounts and keeps the focus on the art and mount rather than an overly ornate frame.
Sara Hesikova, Content Editor at our platform and the our platform Certified Expert in Training on Furniture, suggests that framing wall art with a larger frame or mount can make it appear more expensive and give it space to breathe. The square photo frame from Dunelm comes with an oversized mount and sells for £8 a piece.
Heather's home decor advice is highly regarded by the our platform team, and she plans to update her stairway gallery wall with the same framing trick. Updating a frame by painting it is an easy DIY project that can give your wall art a fresh look.
By following these tips, you can enhance the visual impact of oversized mounts, making framed wall art appear more polished, gallery-quality, and expensive without necessarily increasing the budget.
In the realm of interior design and home-and-garden lifestyle, utilizing oversized mounts for wall art can elevate its appearance, making it look more expensive and gallery-quality. By pairing oversized mounts with simple, neutral frames, one can create an upscale, modern look that prevents the frame from overshadowing the artwork, as suggested by Sienna Brooks and Sarah Goodwin.
