Hand Stained & Waxed Frames

Hand stained and waxed frames are a distinctive part of our framing practice. They are a popular option for a handcrafted distinctive framing solution, not commonly available on the high street.

Hand stained and waxed frames enable the quality and expense of the natural materials to shine through. The colour can be chosen and varied to match tones found within your picture. The wax then seals the wood and creates a sheen so that the shapes and patterns within the wood grain can compliment those in your art work.

We provide a range of mouldings in natural oak, ash, obeche, and beech which are hand finished by us. With you, we study the picture and compare alternatives, discussing the pros and cons to help you decide on the frame that is best for you and your picture.

Hand Finished

Stains and waxes allow the quality of the natural materials to shine through. Using classic machined hardwoods, particularly oak which takes the stain very effectively, we make the frame to suit the individual artwork. Then we sand it down by hand carefully to create a very smooth finish and then apply a spirit based wood stain to carry the colour into the grain. Lastly we apply a wax finish to seal and protect the wood. This is rubbed in by hand to reach a beautiful timeless finish.

Stains and Waxes

These beautiful finishes are available in a wide range of tones and colours, both traditional and light modern colours. We also produce stains and waxes for frames in a range of bright colours, such as red, green, blue, purple, yellow, and orange, so that we can make frames of quality whatever colour is required. The style of moulding we use also covers a wide range, so that we can achieve a modern minimalist Scandinavian look of elegant simplicity or more complex traditional profiles.

Texture and Colour

Natural hardwood mouldings have a beautiful texture inherent through the wood grain. The ripples and waves form a texture that can compliment elements in your painting. The wood grain can increase movement or feeling within many pictures.

We can add texture and complexity to the finish of these frames, when it gives the right look for the artwork, by using coloured waxes to fill the grain and contrast or complement the colour of the stain. For example we can produce a limed oak finish by using liming wax, or combining a blue stain with a green wax in the grain to produce a frame which is often suited to scenes with the subject of the sea or in this case a blue bell wood.