White Picture Frames – Handmade, Custom, Museum-Quality Framing
White picture frames are a quiet form of decisiveness. The right tone of white — soft matte, satin, gentle gloss, or a hand-rubbed wax over a chalk base — frames a painting, photograph or print without competing with it, drawing the eye into the artwork while gently structuring the wall around it. Every white picture frame in this category is handmade to measure from solid wood, built to museum-quality standards in my workshop.
A Considered Range of Whites
"White" covers more ground than people often expect. The white picture frames in this collection span the cool, pure end of the spectrum through to warmer creams and chalky ivories — each chosen to match a particular kind of artwork and interior. You will find:
- Matte white frames with a flat, paper-like surface that absorbs light and reduces glare.
- Satin white picture frames with a soft sheen that adds depth without becoming reflective.
- White gloss picture frames for contemporary prints, photography and graphic works.
- Chalk-finish white frames hand-sealed with natural wax, with a softly aged, gallery feel.
- Wide white picture frames with a gilded lip in gold or silver, blending modern and classical languages.
- White and gold picture frames — partly painted, partly water-gilded — for sacred art, portraits and oil paintings that ask for a richer presence.
Solid Wood Construction with Hidden Joinery
Every white frame in the collection is built from solid timber. Mitred corners are joined with internal wooden splines before the gesso, paint and wax are applied, so the joinery is locked into the frame from the inside out. The result is a moulding that stays tight, square and silent over time — no opening seams in the corners, no visible fasteners on the face, no veneers to peel. This kind of construction is what allows a white picture frame to behave like a piece of furniture rather than a disposable accessory.
Made to Measure for Any Format
Every frame on the site can be made to measure from solid wood, in white or in any of the other finishes available in the workshop. Custom sizes are the standard, not the exception:
- Small white frames for photography, drawings and miniatures — for instance 20×30 cm (roughly 8×12") or 24×30 cm (10×12").
- Mid-range formats such as 30×40 cm (12×16") and 40×50 cm (16×20"), useful for prints, watercolours and modest canvas paintings.
- Gallery-scale white picture frames at 50×70 cm (20×28") and larger, well suited to limited-edition prints and posters.
- Oversized custom frames for canvas paintings — including non-standard dimensions defined by the artwork itself rather than a stock size chart.
Whether you are framing an oil painting on stretched canvas, a fine art print, a black-and-white photograph or a hand-pulled lithograph, the frame is built to fit the work — not the other way around.
Glazing, Backing and Mounting Options
Because different media demand different protection, white picture frames in this collection can be configured several ways:
Glass or plexiglass
For works on paper — photographs, prints, drawings, watercolours — frames can be supplied with glass or with plexiglass (acrylic). Glass offers excellent clarity and a familiar, traditional feel; plexiglass is lighter, more impact-resistant and a better choice for very large formats or shipping over long distances.
Rigid backing
The reverse of every frame is closed with a rigid backing panel that protects the artwork from dust, knocks and humidity. For larger and more demanding pieces, a more dimensionally stable backing can be used in place of a standard panel, so the work stays flat and the frame keeps its shape over time. A canvas painting on a stretcher can also be mounted directly inside the frame, without glazing, so the texture and brushwork remain fully visible.
Hanging and display
Each white picture frame is supplied ready to hang, with secure fixings on the reverse. Smaller frames can also be finished with a fold-out support, so they can stand freely on a desk, console or shelf — a useful option for photography, certificates and gifts.
Museum-Quality Framing, in White
"Museum quality" can be an overused phrase, so it is worth being specific about what it means here. In practical terms, it covers three things: materials, construction and finishing. The mouldings are cut from solid wood and reinforced with internal splines. The white finishes are built up in layers — gesso, paint, sealant — using techniques that have been refined on framing and gilded surfaces for centuries. Glazing and backing are chosen with the artwork in mind, so a paper-based work is protected from dust and casual handling, while a canvas painting is mounted in a way that respects its physical character.
The same museum-grade approach is applied whether the frame is a quiet matte white surround for a contemporary photograph or a wide white-and-gold frame designed for an oil painting of a saint. The white may look simple from across the room, but the work behind it is the same as for any gilded picture frame in the workshop.
When a White Frame Is the Right Choice
A white picture frame is rarely a neutral default — it is an aesthetic decision. In a minimalist or Scandinavian interior, a matte white moulding lets the artwork carry the visual weight and keeps the wall reading as a calm field. In a gallery-style hang of mixed prints and photographs, white frames unify a collection without forcing every piece into the same period or style. With strongly coloured paintings, a soft white frame acts as a palette cleanser; with monochrome and black-and-white photography, it sharpens contrast and clarifies the image. Paired with a discreet gilded lip, a white frame can also hold its own next to classical artwork, portraits and religious paintings — bridging modern and traditional rooms without forcing a stylistic compromise.
Bespoke White Picture Frames, Made by Hand
Every white picture frame is made by hand, from raw timber to finished surface, in my workshop. That means you can order any frame profile in the shop in white — whether matte, satin, gloss or chalk with wax — or commission a custom variant with a partial gilded edge, a wider profile, or specific dimensions that match your artwork exactly. There are no production lines and no mass-produced mouldings cut down from imported stock: each frame is built individually, for a specific piece of work and a specific wall.
If you are not sure which white, which finish or which glazing option best suits your artwork, send a message through the contact page with a few details and dimensions — I will help you find a white picture frame that respects the work it surrounds and lasts the way good framing should.
Chalky white picture frame, made to measure
A classical handmade picture frame in a warm chalky off-white — finished by hand from solid low-tannin timber. The 52 × 38 mm profile has a clear classical drawing: quarter-round, deep scotia, narrow frieze and an inner bead at the rabbet. A gentle half-round cove softens the outer side wall....
Closed corner picture frame with rounded corners
A closed corner picture frame with rounded corners, made to measure for your painting. The corners are joined, filled and sanded before any paint goes on, so the radius runs round the frame as one unbroken surface. The face is a flat 22 mm and the rebate is 30 mm deep, which takes a deep stretched canvas or a shallow object....
Custom Picture Frame “Casina 12” – Wide White Frame with 22K Gold Accents
Casina 12 is a wide white picture frame, handcrafted to measure — built around a dominant 120 mm frieze and gilded along the inner edge with genuine 22-karat moon gold leaf. The architectural section, satin white surface and the cool, restrained brilliance of the precious metal produce a setting with a gallery presence, calibrated for contemporary oil and acrylic painting and for fine-art photography....
Deep white box frame for canvas paintings
A white box frame for paintings on stretched canvas, made to measure. The moulding is a plain 50 mm square section and the rebate runs 45 mm back, so it takes a deep gallery stretcher without packing. I mitre and join the corners before any colour goes on, then spray the white in coats until the four sides read as one continuous surface....
DIstressed white picture frame
A distressed white picture frame made to your measurements in my workshop. The moulding is 67 mm wide and carries a reversed profile, hand painted in an off white chalk tone, patinated and waxed to a satin sheen. The rebate is 20 mm deep and takes a standard stretched canvas without glass. Light grey is available as an alternative....
Light Grey Dutch-Style Picture Frame
A light grey picture frame with a Dutch-style reverse profile: the moulding is at its highest beside the painting and slopes down towards the wall. It is 67 mm wide, about 2⅝ inches, painted by hand in layers, patinated and waxed to a satin sheen. I make each frame to measure for paintings on stretchers up to 20 mm (about ¾ inch) thick....
Modern picture frame in white or black, made to measure
A plain modern picture frame in white or black, made to measure for your painting. The moulding is a flat 33 mm face with a 20 mm rebate, deep enough for a stretched canvas or a painting panel. Corners are mitred, splined and sanded before the paint goes on, so the front of the frame reads as one continuous surface....
Shabby Chic Picture Frame, Hand-Painted in Four Colours
An 80 mm moulding with a rounded bead close to the artwork and a broad half-round hollow across the face, hand-painted and patinated in white, grey, blue or pink. The rabbet takes a stretcher up to 20 mm thick. I cut and finish each frame to the size of one particular work....
White and Gold Picture Frame for Canvas Paintings
A white and gold picture frame built as a deep double frame for paintings on stretched canvas. The sides are hand-painted with the texture of the brush left visible, the front face water-gilded with 22-karat moon gold leaf. Also available in black with 23-karat yellow gold....
White and gold picture frame with 23-karat gold leaf
A white picture frame with two hand-laid bands of 23-karat gold leaf running the length of an 80 mm moulding. I paint and gild each one myself, to the measurements of one particular painting, photograph or work on paper. The shade of gold and the colour of the bole beneath it can be changed on request....
White and gold picture frame with gilded sight edge, 70 mm
A white and gold picture frame, made to measure. The 70 mm moulding is hand painted in a satin off-white, and the whole zone beside the artwork is water gilded in 22-karat moon gold leaf over a grey bole ground. Rebate 10 or 20 mm, for oil and acrylic paintings on stretchers as well as panels and prints on rigid supports....
White box picture frame, made to measure in white or black
A plain box picture frame with a 20 mm wide moulding and a 30 mm thick side, made to measure in satin white or black. The corners are mitred, splined and sanded before any paint goes on, so the mitre does not show as a seam across the face. The 20 mm rabbet takes canvas on a stretcher, board or panel....
White gloss picture frame for canvas and oil paintings
A white picture frame finished in high gloss lacquer, sprayed and flatted by hand so the shine runs unbroken along the whole length. The 72 mm moulding carries a rounded crest near the painting and a deep hollow through the centre of the face, and the same section is available in satin white. I cut and join every frame to the measurements of your painting....
White picture frame for canvas paintings, made to measure
A white frame for paintings on stretched canvas, with a reverse profile that carries its highest point next to the picture and falls away towards the wall. The moulding is 67 mm wide and the rebate runs 20 mm deep, so it takes a thick stretcher without packing or alteration. I paint and finish each frame myself, to the measurements of one particular work....
White picture frame with rounded corners for canvas
A white picture frame for paintings on stretched canvas, made to measure. The moulding is 70 mm wide and 40 mm deep, and the rebate goes back 35 mm, so it takes even a very thick stretcher. The form is plain and geometric, the corners are softly rounded, and I spray the white on in coats until the surface reads as one continuous plane with a satin sheen....
White wooden picture frame in high gloss, made to measure
A white wooden picture frame in high gloss, made to measure. A classical 52 mm profile: a narrow bead just beyond the rabbet, a broad half-round hollow rising across the face and a strongly rounded outer edge, in solid timber low in tannin content, finished in ultra white polyurethane at high gloss. The same profile is made in other colours to order. Lead time: 20 to 30 working days....
Wide white picture frame, made to measure
A wide white picture frame, hand built to the size of one painting. The moulding is 100 mm across the face and 50 mm from the face to the back plane, flat throughout and without ornament, hand painted and polished with wax to a satin sheen. The rabbet is cut 45 mm deep and takes a stretched canvas without any packing. Made for large oils, acrylics on stretcher and large format photography....