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Antique Looking Picture frames

Buy Antique Looking Picture Frames with the perfect size of your painting.

Antique Looking Picture Frames

We specialize in antique looking picture frames since 1905. Our atelier realizes antique looking gold frames customized as you want. Any model can be personalized at your wish in any detail. As we realize a vast range of products we split them into three main categories. They are expensive, affordable, and super cheap frames.

Also, we’ve created categories divided for era and style. So, for example, if you have a 16th-century painting, you can search inside that specific category. That allows you to find the best suitable models for your artwork. 

Innovation is our goal

We are focus on innovation. Thus, we commit ourselves to the never-ending search for sustainable materials. We see innovation and sustainability as the same thing. For this reason, when we create antique looking wooden picture frames we focus on materials with a low impact on the environment.

Besides, at the same time, recycled materials significantly low the price of our antique looking frames. Why? That’s easy to answer. Innovation and recycled materials are always more convenient in the long run.

OUR SECRETS

The main secret of this approach is the focus on the final result. We don’t bother much how traditional masters did before us. We know they were great at their time. However, now, it is time to change. The first thing to make clear is that we believe in antique shapes. Therefore, we never going to change them. What we are focusing on changing are materials and techniques. The final result has to be equal or even better when possible. 

With that clarified, we proceed now to explain what we have changed. First, our decorations, even the big ones, are made of wood pulp. Not always, of course, but often. Indeed, we created a set of molds to realize antique decorations in wood pulp.

WOOD PULP FOR ANTIQUE LOOKING FRAMES

A couple of decades ago we discovered wood pulp. That is a material made 99% of sawdust. The little rest is paint thinner: A solvent. Mixed together these two elements allow to create a soft paste. Of course, the paste remains soft until the solvent vanishes. So, after the evaporation of the thinner, the wood pulp becomes solid as wood. The good news: it has the same properties of wood.

A carver can carve wood pulp much easier than real wood. Why? Because the wood pulp is softer and has no veins. Thus, when you have the dried ornamentation ready to be recarved, one can give it the master touch. See a video on our Youtube channel explaining in detail the process: wood pulp carvings.

traditionAL wood carving

We still maintain a strong attachment to traditional techniques. Not really to do them on a regular basis. Instead, just to be in touch with the roots of our work. In fact, if we would lose the main roots, we could find ourselves in trouble in the very near future. 

Also, there are customers that seek out antique looking wooden picture frames made rigorously with traditional techniques. In any of these cases, we offer our customers what they look for. Of course, they are prone to pay a bigger price to realize those kinds of products.

In other words, to create antique looking picture frames carved as old masters did, we need many working hours. Check out below a couple of videos on our Youtube channel showing the antique methods of carving:

hand wood carving (video 1)
hand wood carving (video 2)
hand wood carving (video 3)

With the above explanations given, it’s now your time to make a decision. Do you want to keep going towards traditions or you prefer innovation? Tradition is fantastic but innovation is even better. Remember, the latter is a way to save money and save the environment at the same time.

THE PATINA OF ANTIQUE LOOKING GOLD FRAMES

Patina is a word that refers to the process of aging antique looking gold frames. It relates to the tone of the final gilding. Patina manifests itself in several ways. We want to describe here the main features of this significant technique.

Firstly, antique looking frames can appear relatively new, medium-aged, or very old. Thus, with that in mind, gilders try to follow their taste to accomplish the best possible patina for any kind of frame. The era and the style of the frame are essential to decide in which way to proceed. For example, it’s very unlikely to find a Renaissance frame with shiny gold. Therefore, when we replicate antique looking wall frames in Renaissance style we age them quite a lot.

Secondly, we need to know the characteristics of the artwork to frame. In fact, we have to choose between two different kinds of patina. The warm tone patina and the cold one. The first has a reddish tone while the latter has a greenish aspect. 

Despite we can select between two different tones, the gold remains yellow. There is no way to change its primary color. Above all, there is no need in changing it. Anyway, the option to modify the gilding from warm to a dark shade, depending on the pigments melted into the shellac, remains a very good option.

OUR BEST SYSTEM

At first glance, from a certain distance, your eyes will see old age on the gilding just by its color itself. But what happens if you step closer to the frame and start focus on details? You will recognize a new gilding surface. Now is when it comes handy an excellent gilding abundantly rubbed, with a few broken parts, especially on the outer corners of the frame. Also, a few fake woodworms along the sides would be helpful.

The tricks described above, even if can seem at a first glance risky, constitute the core of a realistic antique patina. Don’t make the mistake of eliminating one or more of these tricks just because the frame is new, and you want it in perfect conditions. 

If you follow our advice, the structure of antique looking gold frames must be intact and solid, but the gilded surface has to be damaged by wear and friction. In conclusion, you can’t create something with an old looking without having quite a few damages.

innovation or obsolete techniques?

What about durable antique looking wooden picture frames? Durability is a good thing? Yes, it is very important. In fact, a good item have a low impact on the environment when is durable. That is a significant goal for us. We want our products to be resilient and to stay forever.

Even though we use recycled materials we proved them very resistant. They are as much resistant as traditional ones. If Renaissance frames came to us intact, we believe our antique looking frames can last equally.

How can we combine good quality with affordable price? Looking any single day for improvements in our techniques and trying every possible path. We are aware that there are no mistakes but just experience. This approach makes us a leader company in reproducing durable antique looking frames at the best price!

In short, there is no need to waste time focusing on expensive materials and ancient techniques to obtain results. Sometimes, skipping a few passages and inserting new ones could be the solution.

OUR ANTIQUE LOOKING FRAMES are evolving

Since the manufacturing of Gothic Style Frames, which appeared in the 3rd century, artisans have evolved. The first kind of gilding to appear was water gilding. It was terrific, and we still do it when needed, but during the Renaissance era appeared a new technique. 

The new process of gilding was called oil gilding technique. It helped to save a lot of working time. As the final result was as good as if made with water gilding, the new system remained. We still use them both. This is just proof of the evolution of craftsmanship.

In other words, we know that arts are evolving. It is just a matter of knowing the result you look for. If you seek out quality for an affordable price, stay with us. We know the path to follow to get the result.