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Interior designer David Kaihoi recommends choosing frames in response to each artwork and its setting, rather than applying one formula to every wall. He favors matching frames for works displayed as a series, mixing styles for collected groupings, and testing frame options in person.
Interior designer David Kaihoi says homeowners should choose frames and arrange art in response to the work, the room and the surrounding furniture rather than follow a fixed gallery-style formula. In advice published by Veranda, the Redd Kaihoi partner discusses testing frame choices, combining styles and arranging artwork in a home.
Kaihoi says a frame should draw the eye while complementing the artwork. A modest raw-wood frame may suit one work, while another could use a more decorative gilt frame. He notes that a black frame can compete with a work in person, and suggests comparing finishes to assess how they look with the art.
The room can also inform the choice. Kaihoi suggests that natural wood might suit a beach setting, while glossy black could work in a city interior seeking a more formal effect. He recommends taking artwork to a frame shop and comparing samples when possible. In his example, an ink drawing that seemed suited to a black frame looked better with a raw wood side and silver-gilt face.
For arrangements, Kaihoi distinguishes between a planned series and a more varied display. Identical frames can be used when works are intended to be installed together, such as family portraits or a related set of prints. For a salon-style wall or art distributed around a home, he recommends mixing frames. He also suggests looking for secondhand frames at auctions, flea markets and antique markets, and says French matting can add a decorative border to classical or some contemporary works.
Choices That Shape a Room
Art displays affect how a room’s walls, furnishings and individual works are perceived. Kaihoi’s advice describes framing decisions that do not rely on uniformity: a frame can support a piece or serve as a more prominent decorative element. Testing options in person can help show how a finish looks alongside the art, while varying frames in a mixed grouping creates a less uniform appearance.
The guidance also describes using a pre-owned frame as an option for a distinctive display, though the supplied report does not give prices or compare costs. Kaihoi’s recommendations focus on the particular artwork and room rather than establishing universal rules about hanging height or spacing.
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From Installation to Interiors
Kaihoi’s perspective draws on work as a fine art installer in New York, where he helped interior designers hang art. He recalls seeing contrasting approaches: one designer might arrange several pictures together, while another placed a single small portrait on a large dining-room wall. Kaihoi says those experiences exposed him to different ways artwork can be arranged in an interior.
He later joined designer Miles Redd’s firm and became a partner in Redd Kaihoi. The Veranda report presents his recommendations as design guidance, not a formal standard or a set of measured rules. It does not provide technical instructions for hanging hardware or address wall-specific installation requirements.
“The gallery hanging approach is meant for a museum, and it has its place, but in the home, I think it can be much more lively, playful, and up for grabs.”
— David Kaihoi, interior designer
Advice, Not Hanging Standards
The report gives design principles and examples, but it does not set out measurements for spacing, hanging height or layout, nor does it prescribe hardware for different wall materials. Those decisions depend on the artwork and the room, and the article does not provide a technical installation guide. It also does not compare frame prices or establish that one style works best across homes.
Test Frames Before Committing
Kaihoi recommends comparing sample frames with the actual artwork, ideally in person at a frame shop. Homeowners can also consider whether the works form a series or a more varied collection, then decide whether matching or mixed frames suit that arrangement. The report names no upcoming event or formal follow-up; its recommendations leave the final choice to the art and its setting.
Key Questions
Should all the frames in a room match?
Not necessarily. Kaihoi recommends matching frames when works are meant to be displayed together as a series, but says a salon-style grouping can use varied frames for a collected look.
How do I choose the right frame for a piece?
Start with the artwork and choose a frame that supports rather than competes with it. Kaihoi suggests comparing samples in person because a frame that seems right in theory may not work beside the actual piece.
Can an ornate frame work with contemporary art?
According to Kaihoi, a decorative frame can work if the artwork can carry it. He also says a French mat, an intricate border technique, can suit some contemporary works as well as classical pieces.
Where can I find distinctive frames?
Kaihoi recommends looking at auctions, flea markets and antique markets. He says designers may sometimes buy an existing piece for its frame and replace the artwork.
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