Cream and Gold Picture Frame

This cream and gold picture frame pairs the calm of an ivory-painted face with the cool shimmer of moon gold. A wide, moulded profile with a deep swept cove gives the frame a quiet, gallery-grade presence, while the softly patinated gilding along both edges draws the eye towards the work. It is conceived for oil paintings and works on canvas that deserve a pale, restful surround.

The profile

Read from the artwork side, the profile begins at the rabbet and a gilded inner edge, then opens into a broad swept cove that forms the main field of the moulding. The cove rises gently towards a bold rounded outer edge. Both edges, inner and outer, are gilded, while the wide cove and the outer side stay painted in ivory. The profile is machine-milled; all priming, painting, gilding and burnishing are carried out by hand.

Specification

• Style: gallery, classic-contemporary (transitional)
• Finish: cream face in several shades to choose from (from ivory to a cooler white) with 22-karat moon gold leaf on both edges, satin sheen, hand-patinated
• Moulding width: 52 mm
• Moulding depth: 38 mm
• Rabbet (recess for the artwork): 7 mm wide × 10 or 20 mm deep (two depth versions)
• Material: solid, low-tannin timber of the kind used in museum work and art conservation
• Corner joinery: mitred at 45°, reinforced with wooden splines
• Gilding: genuine 22-karat moon gold leaf, water-gilded over grey bole
• Glass: optional add-on (four classes available – see below)
• Backing: optional add-on (Dibond 3mm panel)
• Matting: optional add-on (acid-free foam board)
• Artwork retention: factory-fitted spring clips as standard; brass plates on request
• Hanging: portrait or landscape, picture wire as standard
• Suitable for: oil paintings, works on canvas, stretchers up to 10 or 20 mm deep, depending on the version

The dimensions given describe the complete frame including the moulding; the rabbet recess is correspondingly smaller. I make each frame to the measurements of your artwork – simply measure the width and height of the work.

Suitable artworks and interiors

A pale, cream surround with a gilded edge is especially flattering to oil paintings and works on canvas in warm or muted palettes: portraits, landscapes, still lifes and contemporary painting. The cool tone of moon gold frames the work without competing with its colour. In an interior the frame sits comfortably in both classic settings and bright, contemporary, gallery-style rooms where white walls meet a soft gold note. It belongs equally among collector and gallery pieces, where a calm, considered presentation matters. You will find it alongside the other gilded and partially painted picture frames in the workshop.

Craftsmanship and finish

I build every frame from scratch. After the moulding is cut, the corners are mitred at 45° and reinforced with wooden splines before any ground is applied. The timber is then primed in several layers of gesso and grey bole, over which I lay genuine 22-karat moon gold leaf – leaf beside leaf, with a slight overlap, forming a single, even layer of gilding along both edges. The gold is gently hand-patinated, so the grey bole shows through the metal and softens its shimmer to a cool, lunar tone. The cove and the outer side are painted by hand in ivory and finished with wax to a satin sheen, and the gilding is sealed in the traditional way. The result is both decorative and able to withstand everyday conditions.

How it differs from a mass-produced frame

A ready-made factory frame is usually a profile wrapped in foil that imitates gold or wood. Here every element is made by hand: the gilding is genuine gold leaf laid over a water-based ground, not a metallised coating; the ivory colour is built up in richly pigmented paint; and the corners are joined with wooden splines rather than stapled or butt-glued. Each frame is made to the measurements of a particular painting, so the proportions of the moulding and recess suit the work rather than a stock size. The same ivory-and-moon-gold finish is also offered as a cream-framed mirror gilded with gold leaf.

Functionality

The frame is supplied without glass, ready to hold a painting on a stretcher, so nothing separates the viewer from the painted surface. The rabbet comes in two depths, 10 or 20 mm: the 10 mm version takes standard stretchers and panels, while the 20 mm version suits deeper gallery stretchers and works that need a deeper recess. The profile can also be made without a rabbet, as a floating (shadow) frame, in which the painting appears to hover within the surround. Mounting and hanging are described in the section below.

Frequently asked questions

Is this frame suitable for an oil painting on canvas?

Yes. The rabbet, available in a 10 or 20 mm depth, and the deep moulding are designed first and foremost for stretchers and painting supports. If you are unsure about width and profile, my notes on gold picture frames may help.

Which gold is the frame gilded with?

Genuine 22-karat moon gold leaf, water-gilded over grey bole and hand-patinated. It is a cooler, paler gold than classic yellow gold.

Can I order the frame without glass, for the stretcher only?

Yes, that is the standard version. Glass, backing and matting are available as optional add-ons (see the section below).

What is the largest artwork you can frame?

The online calculator supports artwork sizes up to 120×80 cm. Larger formats are made to individual order.

Is the frame available in another finish?

Yes. The face is cream and available in several shades, and I paint this profile in other colours too – see my picture frame colour and material guide.

Complete framing – additional options

Every frame I make can be completed with full archival and museum-quality framing: anti-reflective UV-filtering glass (four classes to choose from), acid-free museum mat board, spacers wrapped in acid-free paper and a Dibond backing. This kind of mounting protects the work from light, acids and distortion. I set out the full glass and material specification on a separate page: archival and museum framing for paintings and photographs. All components are available at extra cost, as an individual quote on request.

Mounting and hanging

The frame is supplied without glass, ready to hold a painting on a stretcher. As standard the artwork is secured from the back with spring clips – they rotate aside so a canvas can be fitted or swapped quickly. On request I can fit brass plates with screws instead (supplied loose with screws for self-fitting, a permanent mount).

The frame is prepared for hanging in portrait or landscape orientation – please let me know at the order stage which way the painting will hang. Picture wire is fitted as standard; a single D-ring is available on request.

Made-to-measure ordering

I make each frame to the size of your artwork. Measure the width and height of the work to within 0.1 cm and enter the dimensions in the shop calculator (for example 35 × 30.3 cm). The frame is made with a small technical allowance so the painting slides in easily.

The base price shown on the page is the price per running metre of moulding. The perimeter of the painting alone is not the full length of moulding the frame needs – the 45° mitred corners take up extra length, the more so the wider the moulding. The calculator accounts for the full use of moulding with corners and any options you select.

The online price calculator supports artwork sizes up to 120×80 cm. Larger formats are made to individual order. The lead time is 20–30 working days.