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Apartment Therapy’s New (Online) Frame Shop Will Help You Frame Your Art Easily and Beautifully

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Maxwell RyanCEO
Maxwell RyanCEO
Maxwell left teaching in 2001 to start Apartment Therapy as a design business helping people to make their homes more beautiful, organized AND healthy. The website started up in 2004 with the help of his brother, Oliver. Since then he has grown ApartmentTherapy.com, added…read more
published Apr 3, 2023
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Credit: Apartment Therapy

Hi, I’m Maxwell, founder of Apartment Therapy, and I’m happy to announce the launch of a brand-new collaboration and the beginning of a new idea: AT Services, which are curated online services to make your life better at home. I invite you to Start Here with us at the Apartment Therapy Frame Shop (online only, the pic above we made up).

Our mission at Apartment Therapy is to help you solve problems at home. While framed art on your wall can be a highlight of any room, framing art has always been a big problem, so much so that many people don’t do it, or, when they do, they’re uncertain about their choices and if it will look good. I’ve struggled with this, too!

Credit: Maxwell Ryan
Everything here is framed the same way! The squiggles are all by me and I mixed up the frames between white and natural.

I’ve always wanted to offer a really simple, really reliable online framing solution. Now, by teaming up with Simply Framed, we’ve gone and done it. Simply Framed is an awesome company started by Dara Deshe in 2014 that offers a wide range of online framing services. Working closely with her, I’ve curated their options to the one that I like best and have used for years.

Credit: Maxwell Ryan
A good closeup of my white frame setup with the 2010 Aardvark Manifesto.

As I’ve framed many photos, prints, drawings and objects over the years, I’ve settled on a favorite framing setup: a clean, classic, square cap gallery style that always looks great and can hang in any room. It’s also perfect for gallery walls.

Here are my choices: 

  • I float my art and shadowbox it
  • I keep it tight, 1” from the frame, and mounted on a 4-Ply white paper mat
  • Digital uploads are dry mounted and mail in art is hinge mounted without a lift
  • I go for 99 percent UV Acrylic which is very protective and lightweight
  • I hang with classic wire most of the time, but switch to corner brackets for large frames

So, when you come to the Apartment Therapy Frame Shop, you’ll only be asked three questions and you’ll be done.

Credit: Maxwell Ryan
The big statement was a DIY project we did for a post, which I then framed (that time, I did do a little more room around the side because it was so big). The small drawings are by my friend, Vincenzo Amato.

Here’s all you need to think about:

  1. Is my art a digital upload or mail in?
  2. What’s the size? 
  3. White, Black or Natural frame? 

This last question might be the most challenging, but I will also recommend that you can safely go with white for all your art, but opt for black if your work is dark or vintage, and natural if your work is sunny, bright, beachy and you want to mix it up. They will all work great together. 

Credit: Maxwell Ryan
My friend's daughter photographed by Jesse Dittmar in a sweet natural frame.

Then, in just a few weeks or less, your art will be at your door and ready to go on your wall. 

Welcome to the beginning of AT Services. Our motto with each of them will always have the same refrain: “If you’ve got something to frame, Start Here!”

Best, Maxwell
Founder, Apartment Therapy

Credit: Maxwell Ryan
A reprint of the the sports page in a 1952 New York Times when my father, Jim Ryan, was written up for starting as quarterback at Yale that weekend. This is a big print, but it's still perfect in this frame setup!
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