A Colorful New Look in Framing

In collaboration with designers Eva Marguerre and Marcel Besau, WhiteWall photo lab has released its Design Edition frames. The designers from Studio Besau-Marguerre in Hamburg, Germany, began their design process by looking into the history of frames and frame making. Today we’re accustomed to frames providing a subtle yet complementary presentation for a photographic image or graphic. But at one time in history, frame makers were considered artists just as painters were. Between the 12th and 15th centuries, frames were often designed first, and the artwork was created to match, making for an interdependent visual relationship.

Marguerre and Besau sought a contemporary context for this visual relationship. After studying colors and combinations, they decided on three color schemes and tested them with various genres of photography. The frames are meant to attract attention and help tell the story of the image.

The Design Edition frames’ yellow, purple (though I would call it raspberry), and green color schemes create an ombre effect with the darker hues on the bottom and left sides and lighter hues on the top and right. They are created using the Hamburg 20mm frame, made of wood with a matte lacquered surface that conceals the wood texture. Product options for framing include prints in a classic matt or a photo print under acrylic glass. The product options can be seen in the WhiteWall configurator feature on the website.  

The Design Edition is a fresh and interesting approach well suited for the currently popular home aesthetic of white walls, clean lines, and abundant light. Standard sizes start at 8x6 inches for $109.95 up to 70x39.4 inches. Custom sizing goes down to 6x6 inches and as large as 70.8x47.2 inches.

Joan Sherwood is a senior editor.