Photo Frames

Photo and picture frames are how images become part of a home rather than a phone roll – a way of giving daily presence to people, places and moments. Our designer photo frame collection covers tabletop, wall-mounted and gallery-style frames in solid timber, brushed brass, antique silver and fabric-wrapped finishes.
  • Simple Photo Frame Silver Simple Photo Frame Silver Medium
  • Simple Photo Frame Matt Black Small Simple Photo Frame Matt Black Small
  • Gallery Frame Oak Gallery Frame Oak 30cm x 40cm
  • Simple Photo Frame Brass Extra Large Simple Photo Frame Brass Small
  • Gallery Frame Black Gallery Frame Black
  • Gallery Frame Walnut Gallery Frame Walnut
  • Gallery Frame Oak with Mount Gallery Frame Oak with Mount 50 x 70cm (Mount 30 x 40cm)
  • Siena Frame Walnut Siena Frame Walnut 30cm x 40cm
  • Gallery Frame Blue Gallery Frame Blue
  • Floating Frame 40 x 50cm Floating Frame 40 x 50cm Oak

    5x7-inch or 6x8-inch frames sit comfortably on bedside tables and shelves – small enough not to dominate, large enough for the image to read at a glance. Larger 8x10 and 10x12 frames work better on sideboards, mantels and dressing tables where they have surface to anchor them.

    A grouping reads as more deliberate when the frames share at least one element – the same metal finish, the same timber tone or the same matt thickness. Identical frames can read as showroom-flat; varied frames in a coherent palette read as collected over time. Aim for visual variety within a tight palette.

    The centre of the gallery composition should sit at around 1.5m to 1.6m from the floor – approximately eye level for a standing adult. Treat the whole wall as a single piece for hanging height rather than averaging individual frames. Above a sofa, the bottom edge should sit 15-20cm above the sofa back.

    A quality frame outlasts the photograph by a factor of three or four – good frames can be re-fitted with different images as memories accumulate. Solid timber, real metal and proper glass (not plastic glazing) all age better than the printed laminates of cheaper alternatives. Buy fewer better frames and rotate the images.

    • How To Create A Picture Wall
      Styling
      How To Create A Picture Wall
      Found in living rooms, offices and cafés across the globe, the picture wall trend shows no signs of stopping. Also known as a gallery wall, this versatile feature is a great way to add personality to your home. The best part is that it’s easy to do yourself. While creating a picture wall can be a daunting prospect, there is plenty of helpful advice out there. We will guide you on how to pick your prints, how to hang a picture frame and what mistakes not to make. Choose with care First of all, select what you would like to display on your wall. Combine art reproductions, original drawings and pressed flowers with photographs and children’s artwork. When picking your frames, don’t be afraid to get crafty. Spruce up an old frame with a lick of paint or recycle leftover DIY materials to create your own personalised design. TOP TIP: A picture wall comes into its own when it looks collected. We recommend taking your time to compile every print and frame you’d like to include, rather than buying them in bulk. Laying it out One way of laying out your picture wall is to plan it round your favourite piece of artwork. This can mean coordinating your colour scheme round it or using it as a central focus for the entire wall. Once you’ve made your selection, use masking tape on the wall to find the perfect placement. Before you get the hammer out, consider whether using nails is the way to go. If you live in a rented property or are likely to reorganise your gallery wall regularly, then picture hanging strips might be a good choice. TOP TIP: Don’t just stick to traditional frames. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not use washi tape to display your prints? This works particularly well when displaying low-cost items like postcards. Now to hang it Once you’ve created a template for the gallery wall, it’s time to start hanging the pictures. At this point, you may choose to enlist a builder or decorator to help. However, for the DIY enthusiasts it’s time to get crafty. For small prints, a simple nail or hook will likely do the trick. Medium-sized prints call for two hooks or nails. This is especially the case if the frame is displayed landscape as it is more likely to stay centred. For heavier frames, opt for a more robust anchor, such as a plastic wall plug, to secure it. If your frame has a wire, remember to take it into account when measuring up. SHOP WALL ART SHOP FRAMES
    • Art Into Industry – The Bauhaus At Heal’s
      Art Into Industry – The Bauhaus At Heal’s
      It’s not hard to see the effect the Bauhaus continues to have on contemporary design. Just take a look at the tubular style furniture within our showrooms. Yet the link between the influential German design school and Heal’s goes far beyond that of recent memory. Founded in 1919, the Bauhaus spearheaded a wave of experimental design that swept across northern Europe throughout the following decade. In contrast, British interiors of the time were very much stuck in the Edwardian or, at worst, stuffy Victorian era with a conservative preference for darkly coloured rooms and highly decorative furnishings. Never afraid of ruffling a few feathers, one man was determined to import this new ‘international style’ into the nation’s homes. Through a series of exhibitions entitled ‘Modern Tendencies’, held within the stores Mansard Gallery, Ambrose Heal set about showcasing what was for many visitors their first taste of modernist tubular furniture. While there may have been hostility from some quarters, upon visiting the exhibition The Spectator magazine (25 September, 1931) declared that it would ‘like to send there all those who gibe at the modern idiom and let them see how far from the operating theatre even steel furniture can be when used with proper discrimination.’ With each exhibition the spirit of innovation became more emboldened. In the midst of the Great Depression, Ambrose continued to champion the economy and efficiency of industrially styled furniture, investing in a nationwide promotional campaign ‘Heal’s Economy Furniture for 1932 and All That’ followed by ‘Economy with a Difference at Heal’s 1933’. Alongside the work of in-house designer-makers Johnson, Greenwood and Shepherd, these glossy catalogues displayed a new line of chrome-plated furnishings from legendary Bauhaus designer Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe. A former head of the school, his tubular steel MR 10 chair perfectly encapsulates the elegant balance of form and function Modernist furniture strove to achieve. Despite the fact that the Bauhaus had been forced to shut its doors in 1933, the floodgates had well and truly been opened, and by 1936 an exhibition entitled ‘Contemporary Furniture by Seven Architects’ featured the work of another former Bauhaus professor Marcel Breuer. Having fled to London to escape the oppressive climate of Nazi Germany, Breuer began designing for progressive British manufacturer Isokon - whose head of design also happened to be the founder of the Bauhaus, Walter Gropius - with a number of these iconic pieces such as his Long Chair sold at Heal’s. The rising political tensions of the time saw a number of talented designers flee Europe for America, with the outbreak of war putting any notion of design for anything other than service of one’s country on hold. Yet, the extraordinary work of the Bauhaus has continued to influence the following generations of designers, not least the furniture and homewares on display at Heal’s. Just think, if it wasn’t for the ground-breaking work of messrs Breuer, Gropius and Van Der Rohe, would we have the designs of modern day pioneers Tom Dixon, Matthew Hilton and Philippe Starck? We think not! So here’s to Ambrose Heal for introducing revolutionary design to a whole generation of British homes – long may his and the Bauhaus’ legacy continue.