apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Painting it a contrasting color was exactly what I thought when I saw it.
great idea!

I did the exact same thing with the ugly intercom in my condo. I made sure the frame had some personality and it looks great!

My intercom is on the smae wall as my elec panel, and while I didn't frame it, I did use that space to hang some old signs and records. Now they kind of blend into the whole grouping.

This reminds me of Friends.
That said I have still been thinking about doing it.

If it's unsightly, why do you want to draw attention to it? In one sense, the idea could work, but it would work a lot better, aside from the idea to paint it a contrasting color, to fix the joints. This frame piece has some yucky gaps that keep it from the goal of making something look nice. I would then match the paint on the frame exactly as possible to the intercom, it would make the ugly intercom look prettier instead of a pretty frame that directs the eye to the still ugly intercom. The white is neither here nor there with a yellowish intercom and beige walls and beige almost everything else. Framing something to cuten it is one thing, but to designate the thing that you're trying to "hide" by making it a focal point is a mistake.

i placed a painted canvas on top of my electric panel. i think using a painted canvas with hinges should work in this instance. the frame just draws more attention to it.

I'm w/ Shoepins - I'd have chosen a painted canvas hung over the intercom using a simple piano hinge to cover the darned thing and still give the place a sense of functional whimsy.

I completely agree kiljoywashere (lol) and I like this idea of making something bland to beautiful with a cheap frame and some paint

Yeah for the Bytowne Theatre!! Glad OC-Transpo's finally back!

I say the intercom is still ugly. Should it have been painted some dark color (dark chocolate or black), it would have been nicer, even without the frame!

I meant: had it been painted dark brown, it would have been nicer even without the frame!

Ah yes, bring more attention to an ugly fixture with an even uglier frame. I suggest to hinge a cover over it or just leave it alone. It serves a function and we all know that these necessities come with the territory.

I have an intercome JUST like that and I've always hated it. I'm framing it!

Me too! And I also have a frame around my peephole... a la Friends. What can I say?