R E T U R N TO P O S T L I S T

Framing an AmericanAntique to SuitSimplistic Danish DesignBy Kirstie Bennett, Industry Expert

With the holiday last week, below you can read about how Kirstie Bennett from TheFramer’s Workshop in Berkeley, CA, used Optium Museum Acrylic® to master apatriotic framing project that presented a variety of challenges, not the least of whichwas its eight-foot-wide size.

The project When one of our long-time clients brought in a Civil War-era American flag forframing, we knew we had an exciting project to handle given the rarity of the item.Measuring at a length of over eight feet, size was another factor that made this anunusual project.

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The design Beyond just the challenge of the size, we were also tasked with creating a framedesign that suited our client’s Danish minimalist home décor. Scandinavian designis an aesthetic marked by minimalism and functionality, and white walls. Framingdesign typically revolves around the object being framed, not the home decor, butfor this, we chose materials that addressed the client’s desire to have the framingpackage fit with its surroundings as well as the overall size of the piece. To help highlight the client’s sense of Lagom, or balance, we choose beautiful butsimple materials for this project. A contemporary white matte Roma moulding witha 3.5-inch face was appropriately sized for the 58”x100” frame and suited the cleanlines of Danish design. The slightly off-white linen fabric mat covering the paddedbacking eases the contrast of the bright white of the moulding and the antiquedtones of the flag. As we have done for other projects involving textiles, we used a pressure mount forthis piece, which involves pressing the piece into a padded backing to create anextremely tight fit. The fabric-covered padded back also keeps the textile secure, asthe textures of the two fabrics grab hold of each other when pressed together sotightly. The customer specifically requested Optium Museum Acrylic®, a glazingwe’ve had great success with for pressure mounts, as well as other types of projects.The tightness of the fit was emphasized in this case by heavy cross-bracing in theback.

Using Optium Museum Acrylic® For a piece of this size, and given the client’s preference for minimalist design,pressure mounting also enabled us to keep the frame design very simple as therewas no need to create space within the frame that other mounting techniqueswould require. Given the weight of a piece this size, acrylic is necessary to keep it as

light as possible. Even with the Optium, this piece weighed at least 50 pounds. We have used Optium Museum Acrylic for several other pressure mounts. It’s 99%UV protection, anti-reflective clarity, and scratch- and shatter-resistance make itideal glazing for this application, especially when the item being framed is asvaluable, large and delicate as this one. Unlike other acrylic glazing, OptiumMuseum Acrylic also is anti-static and very easy to work with. In fact, because ofour location near a fault line, we use Conservation Clear® Acrylic or Optium on anypiece larger than 36 inches square due to its durability. A project like this captures the interest of everyone in our shop, and many peoplegave input on the design. It makes for an impressive statement piece in our client’sentryway and with the protection of Optium Museum Acrylic will be enjoyed forgenerations to come.

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This article is intended for educational purposes only and does not replace independent professional judgment.Statements of fact and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) individually and, unless expressly stated tothe contrary, are not the opinion or position of Tru Vue or its employees. Tru Vue does not endorse or approve,and assumes no responsibility for, the content, accuracy or completeness of the information presented.

About the Author(s):

Kirstie Bennett — Industry Expert

Kirstie Bennett is the owner of The Framer’s Workshop inBerkeley, California. An award-winning custom framer,Kirstie teaches courses on various aspects of marketing forcustomer framers, including social media. You can findseveral articles she has written on these topics at her website,www.framersworkshop.com.

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