Why Canvas Floating Frames Elevate Your Art & How to Choose the Right One
A canvas on a bare wall can look unfinished. A floating frame finishes it without covering any of it. That's the whole idea, and it's the only kind of frame I build for canvas.
What is a floating frame?
A floating frame holds a canvas from behind instead of pressing a lip over its front edge. There's a small gap between the canvas and the wood, so the painting looks like it's hovering inside the frame. In my frames that gap is 3/16 of an inch, a thin line of shadow all the way around.
Not sure you need one? Here's how it compares to a traditional frame.
Why it works
The whole painting shows. Nothing covers the edges, so you see everything the artist painted.
The edges are protected. Bumps and fingers hit wood instead of paint.
It suits almost any room. A thin hardwood edge reads modern in a modern room and warm in a traditional one.
How to choose one
1. Choose the wood
- Walnut is deep brown with dramatic grain.
- White oak is light and textured, with a modern edge.
- Cherry starts a soft pinkish brown and deepens to a rich red.
- Maple is the lightest and quietest.
Still deciding? The sample set puts all four next to your art for $10.
2. Get the size right
Order by the size of your canvas, not the frame. Measure the canvas itself, since the label is often off by a little. Here's how. The finished frame adds 1 3/8 inches to the width and height. See the size chart.
3. Match the depth
Most canvases are about 3/4 inch deep. Gallery-wrapped canvases are about 1 1/2 inches. Pick the depth that matches yours so the canvas sits right in the frame. How to tell.
4. Look at the finish
I finish every frame with a hand-rubbed hard wax oil. No solvents, no varnish, no VOCs. It brings out the grain without the plastic look of a factory finish.
How I build them
Every frame starts as a rough board of walnut, white oak, cherry, or maple from a Pennsylvania sawmill. I mill it, join it, and finish it by hand in my shop in eastern Pennsylvania, one frame at a time, for one canvas. Most orders ship in about two weeks, and shipping is free anywhere in the US.
Questions about your piece? Email me. I answer every message myself.