New York

ROOQ Fine Art and Framing: Found in Manhattan New York ROOQ is a welcoming framing space owned by Jawed Farooqi. Jawed wanted his space to be open and luxurious, so in order to get exactly what he wanted, he built it himself. Not only does he have over 3,000 custom frames to choose from but he also showcases the work of many local artists.

(13 E 4th St, New York, NY 10003)

Chicago

Miss Q’s Framing & Home Decor: When you step into Miss Q’s the options for your framing needs are endless. Whether you are on a budget or want to splurge and buy a high end frame, your options will sure not be limited. Along with selling vases, mirrors and other decorative accessories Miss Q’s is your one stop shop for all your framing needs.

(1950 N Damen Avenue, Unit 1, Chicago, IL 60647)

Dallas

Tom Battles Custom Picture Framing: Run by Battles, a graduate with a degree in commercial art, he had started the business as a hobby. Turns out people loved it and it soon became his life. He graciously helps customers find their perfect frames without breaking the bank and as one can tell from reading yelp reviews, he has nothing but positive results.      

(Oak Cliff at 413 N. Tyler St. Dallas, TX 75208)

Washington

Allen Custom Frame: At this shop they do everything from design and frame to deliver and installation and the pride themselves on being a full service framing shop. With a rich history beginning from 1912, Allen Custom Frame has had years of experience in perfecting the art of framing.

(4620C Wisconsin Ave. N.W. Washington DC 20016)

San Francisco

Framed & Cornered: With thousands of frames to choose from and hundreds of mat color options Framed & Cornered is a go to shop for providing plenty of framing necessities. If you are in a rush this is a great option since they provide same day service when needed. Their main promise is to protect your art pieces to keep them is top notch quality for year to come, with many happy customers it seems that they are pretty good at keeping their promise.

(695 San Jose Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110)

Los Angeles

Ballards Artwork Framing: Ballards is both a framing shop as well as a gallery that hosts events throughout the year. With a staff of passionate and helpful artist a visit to Ballards is guaranteed to be a satisfying experience. Not only can you go there to get your art beautifully framed, but you can stop and stay a while and take in the magnificent art gracing the walls already.

(1568 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026)

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is found on the Western Iberian Peninsula along the Atlantic Ocean.  It is the eleventh most populated urban area in the European Union with about 3 million people living in the metropolis area. Being one of the oldest cities in the world it has an affluent past filled with historical significance. Brimming with museums and beautiful architecture, Lisbon is truly a magnificent place of grandeur.

Some of the elegant architectural styles one can find while walking the streets of Lisbon include: Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Baroque, Modern and Postmodern. There is also the remarkable Belem Tower, the most photographed landmark in the city. It seems that almost anywhere you look you can find an extravagant palace or an old exquisitely constructed church. All of this classic architecture mixed in with contemporary styles makes Lisbon out to be a perfect hybrid of old and new.

Every year Lisbon is also home to many festivals that celebrate art and culture. The Lisbon International Documentary Film Festival, The Festival of the Oceans and the Art Lisboa- Contemporary Art Fair are just a few of the festivities that happen along Lisbons cobbled roads. One of the largest pop rock festivals,the Rock in Rio Lisboa, has also happened in the city. While in the city one can also enjoy Fado, a type of urban folk music that sings about love, desire and the ups and downs of life. Fado is strong in emotion and equally as strong in performance with such an engagement to the crowd that many people say the music has moved them to tears. To fully understand the experience that entails with Fado one can visit the Cafe Luso, which was established in 1927 and is now one of the oldest Fado houses in the city.

Made up of different barrios or neighborhoods, the communities of Lisbon have no definitive boundaries but rather have distinct districts that are common in culture and living standards with each other. Bairro Alto is an area that is known for its fine shopping and entertainment and is also the hub of Portugal nightlife. Parque das Nações is a quaint residential area of the city and also the newest district to be established in Lisbon. Chiado mixes old with new as a popular shopping area filled with museums as well as theaters.

A perfect blend of classic and modern, Lisbon is a place for those wanting to learn about the past along with celebrating the present. Visually stunning with architectural gems and inspirational sights of the sea, even just walking the city is an outstanding experience in itself. Thriving with arts and culture a visit to Lisbon would definitely be a remarkable journey for anyone to partake on.

Everyone deals with clutter. It can be a pain of a project to take on but fear not, we have some helpful tips about how to easily declutter and still keep your spaces looking and feeling fresh. Because a clutter free space is a stress free space.

1. Organize your nightstand by dividing by it into compartments. The bedside table is always prone to clutter; it’s where you put your things before bed and its where you check to find something when you wake up. Same goes to the infamous kitchen “junk drawer” that seems to eat up everything that you put in it while other things you don’t remember owning magically pop up when you’re looking for a pen. This tip is a great solution to this problem. By adding different compartments you can easily organize and put specific items in definitive slots.
2.  Designate a spot for incoming papers. It always seems that papers are the main culprit of clutter. We always are putting them in different places causing confusion and messiness. By dedicating a tray to all your papers you can keep the overload under control. After a while it will become second nature to put your papers in the tray and you will never have to deal with unnecessary stray papers again.
3. Visualize the room after you have decluttered it. This way you will have a mental picture of what you want and expect your room to look like after you have tackled the decluttering mission. You may even visualize where to put certain things and come up with an anti cluttering notion all by yourself.
4.  Go through all your things (medicine cabinet, drawers, closet etc.) and pull everything out. While doing this use a “maybe” box to put things in that you are unsure of what you want to keep or not. That way when you have finally reached the feat of going through all your things you can go through the box and officially pick what stays and what goes. Yes, this is a big project so you may want to schedule your cleaning time so you are not overwhelmed if you attempt to do it all in one go.
5.  Make it a habit. This may end up being the most important decluttering rule of all. Once you have successfully made you home a clutter free zone do not let yourself fall into the trap again. Teach yourself to pick up the cleaning habits that you acquired so that you never have to deal with the stress of clutter repeatedly.  

Not only is Chicago home to Loose Petals but it also has many other interesting attributes as well.There is never a dull moment in this cities streets, whether you are having drinks at a quaint coffee shop or seeing a grand Broadway performance. The options really are endless for entertainment choices in Chicago.

If art is your thing look no further, Chicago’s art scene is ever flourishing with a plethora of galleries throughout. Not to mention it is home to the Chicago Art Institute, which was recently named the best museum in the world by Trip Advisor. To get a taste of the scene one can visit the Chicago Art District found in the Pilsen neighborhood at 18th and Halsted. There are over 30 artist run galleries in this district that all offer gallery walks the second Friday of every month.

The River North neighborhood has made its mark on the Chicago art scene as well with its vast array of stunning galleries. Brave New Art World is well known for hosting an art crawl and open house on the first Thursday of every month. Other galleries include the The Project Room, The Maya Polsky Gallery, The Zolla / Leiberman Gallery and many more. For breathtaking photography take a visit to the Schnieder Gallery or The Rangefinder Gallery.

The eclectic art scene isn't the only niche in Chicago, it is also a popular destination for comedy theater lovers. Second City, one of the most well known and beloved improv clubs around, is based in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. With alums such as Tina Fey and Amy Pohler, one can prepare to have never ending laughs with a visit to the legendary Second City Theater. Some other notable Chicago comedy clubs include: Zanies, The Laugh Factory and The Annoyance Theater all found on the North side of the city.

To get in the Chicago mood throw on some smooth jazz and blues. With its influential impact on the blues movement many a famous musicians started in Chicago such as the talented Muddy Waters band and the cherished guitar legend, Buddy Guy. The indie music scene in Chicago is impressive as well; acts like Califone, Andrew Bird, Wilco, The Smashing Pumpkins and OK GO are just a few eminent bands that started in this musically inclined city.

As stated before, the options are surely endless in the bustling city of Chicago. From art to comedy to coffee those are only a few of the things that this city has to offer, but one cannot truly. To truly experience this city one must take on the task of exploration and find for themselves the abundance of treasures that make up dynamic of Chicago.

Gallery walls are a great way to create an interesting focal point for any room and an equally great way for one to express themselves and create an inspiring homey feel. You can have an organized sleek gallery wall or a more casual mix and match vibe. Either way you choose to go if you follow these helpful tips your gallery wall will be sure to be amazing.

• If you are hanging multiple pieces of art pick one to be the focal point and main center of the collage.

• The grouping of pictures should be considered one unit.

• They should all have a similar theme whether it be subject matter or color scheme to build a collected look

• They should play off of each other and create an organic energy and interesting central point for the room

• Test arrangements by laying everything out and comparing which combinations look best.

• To be able to mark the hanging point of your wall, layout the arrangement you want on a piece of wrapping paper like in the picture above. Then trace around each art piece. Now put the wrapping paper up against the wall and mark where the photos should go through the paper onto the wall. This makes it so much easier when it comes time to put the pieces up.

• To avoid putting too much weight on one side of the collage consider imagining a vertical line going right through the middle of it. That way you can have an even amount on each side of said line and avert having an imbalanced group of photos.

• A group of art pieces should not be more than 6” apart

• To help you space your pieces,  place your hand flat with you fingers tight between each photo. This is a good amount of space between the pieces and assures that you measured evenly

• When hanging horizontally an odd number of pieces is more visually pleasing to the eye than an even number

• For a more formal display use matching frames, but if you want a casual look don’t be afraid to get creative and mix and match your frame choices.

• When making a gallery wall you can personalize it to be as eclectic as you desire. You can throw in mirrors, clocks, signs or anything else that you may want to include to attain your perfect look.

Sources:

http://www.howtodecorate.com/2012/02/how-to-hang-wall-decor-101-2/

http://tidbitsandtwine.com/10-tips-for-creating-a-collected-gallery-wall/

http://petapixel.com/2012/05/07/use-wax-paper-to-plan-out-your-picture-frame-layout-on-the-ground/

http://blog.graylivin.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/gallery-wall-vignette.jpg

• Hang the center of the artwork at 57” above the ground.
• Hanging 57” at center is standard in galleries and museums and it represents the average human eye height.  
• “At center” means that the hook will be higher to allow the middle of the art work to be at exactly 57” above the ground.

Steps to Find 57” at Center:

1. To find the center measure the piece of art and divide by two
2. Then measure the space from the hook on the back of the canvas to the top of the artwork and subtract from the number you found in step 1
3. Then add 57” to that number and that is where you should hang your hook on the wall
4. The hook should hang around 1/3 from the top of the canvas/print
5. When your done hanging use a level to ensure that your art is hanging evenly

Example: 

For example if you are hanging a 24x30 canvas

24/2 = 12

The hook is 3 inches from the top of the canvas

12 - 3 = 9 + 57” = 66

Your wall hook should be 66” from the floor.

Over the past few year our city prints from around the world have been celebrated.  To keep the momentum going we just launched our new store just in time for holidays.

Our blog, however is brand new and we opened it to share fun information on cool places we've created for you and offer how to do it ideas that we think you'll enjoy.  If you have any questions

or comments please feel free to keep in touch.  This is a sample of blogs lined up this December.  We hope this helps selecting the perfect frame.
 
Picking the Perfect Frame

Picking the perfect picture frame to compliment your art may seem like a daunting task. What looks best? Do these colors match? How can I choose the best frame to go along with this piece? So many questions. A few tips will help you to skip the confusion and pick out the best frame for you.

* Always remember to measure the size of your picture. Don’t forget to include any borders that may be surrounding your art piece as well.

* Pick out a matting color that you think looks the best with your picture. The matting is the area that surrounds a picture when it is in a frame and it should always be two or three inches larger than the picture itself for basic framing.

* When picking out a color for the mat there are a few things to keep in mind. Focus on the color scheme in the picture instead of trying to match the room itself. The mat should go well with the art that you are trying to display and that is what you should be focusing on. Look at the elements in the    pictures that you want to be most noticeable and pick out a mat that properly executes that. Try to stick to neutral color tones that will not overpower your piece.

* Next, choose the right size frame. Picking a frame that is too thick for the size of your print may end up overpowering it so always be sure to keep scale in mind.

* To get the measurements right when purchasing a frame do not forget to include the mat in your order, our art work are standard sizes.

* Another very important factor to keep in mind is to take your time choosing the right style and effect that you want to achieve. Contemporary prints usually go well with sleek style frames while older pieces can handle strong bold frames and shapes. This is the most important factor to consider while       choosing how you want to stylize the print and your room.

* Try as many samples as you want to double check color and finishes until you are truly happy with how your piece looks.

http://www.howcast.com/videos/218162-How-to-Choose-the-Right-Frame-for-a-Picture http://www.americanframe.com/select-a-picture-frame-for-your-picture.aspx