Purchasing your family portraits as prints or digitally matted means you’ll also need to buy frames. Today I’ll show you my two favourite sources for frames in Vancouver.

Before I recommend a frame it has to meet 3 main criteria:

1. It has to be good quality.
2. It needs to be well-priced. Why well-priced? If you want a higher end frame, you’re better off going with custom framing. Our custom frames are the best quality, come in more colours and styles than you’ll find in a store and allow us to create your wall gallery with whatever sized portraits best fit your space.
3. It needs to come in a wide range of sizes. This is usually the deal breaker. Most store-bought frames come sized at 5″x7″, 8″x10″ (neither of which are big enough to hang on your wall) and 11’x14″. Ideally I’d like to see at least 4 sizes available 9″x12″ or larger.

With those criteria in mind there are two stores I recommend you visit when looking for picture frames in Vancouver.

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Frames in Vancouver: Opus

The Opus BOD wood frame is a simple, contemporary, quality frame at a great price point. With a variety of sizes ranging up to 18″x24″, these frames work well to fill most wall spaces. I love the look of a white frame against digitally matted portraits but it comes in black as well if that’s more your style.

The BOD frame comes in two profiles – thin and wide. I prefer the thin profile so the frame doesn’t overwhelm your portraits.

As we recommend our clients purchase their family photographs digitally matted, the fact that these frames don’t come with a mat is usually irrelevant. However, if you are ordering your photographs as regular prints, you’ll need to purchase a mat separately. The lower cost of the frames still makes this a worthwhile purchase.

Frames in Vancouver: West Elm

Metal finish frames are harder to find and West Elm makes some beautiful ones, albeit at a slightly higher price point. At any given time they usually have 3 or 4 different metal finishes available in their south Granville store. West Elm changes their finish and size options regularly so I’m not able to recommend any one frame, but if you’re after a metal finish it’s a good idea to visit the store and see what’s available.

Making the matter even more complicated, the sizes available for one finish differ from the sizes available for another finish. For instance, the golf leaf frame comes in 4 sizes ranging from 9″x12″ to 16″x20″ and the polished brass frame comes in 5 sizes from 8-1/2″x10-1/2″ to 15.5″x19.5″.

If you know you want a West Elm frame, let us know which one before we design the wall gallery so we can design using the appropriate sizes. You would then need to buy the frames immediately to ensure they’re still available when it’s time to choose your portraits. Not an ideal situation, for sure, but if you’re looking for a metal-finish frame it’s worth it.

So that’s an insider look at where a photographer sources store-bought picture frames in Vancouver. Regardless of where you buy your frames, keep in mind the mat that comes with the frame likely won’t suit your family photographs. Quite often these mats have a yellow, dingy look to them. If this is the case with the frames you purchase, discard the mat and order yourself new ones in a brighter white.

Are you wondering which one of these frames would best suit your space? We now offer a complimentary design consultation and would love to recommend the perfect frame for your home.