Guide
I’ve captured the summer – and made it into wall art
by Stefanie Lechthaler
Decoration idea: how to get more from your picture frames
26.8.2025
Translation: Elicia Payne
Pictures: Pia Seidel
I was recently visiting a friend in Berlin, and her apartment felt like a gallery. Everything has its place, everything works. No chaos, just a showcase of ideas. And I was particularly impressed by one of them.
As soon as I walk in, I realise that my friend, a graphic designer, hasn’t just furnished her home – she’s curated it. Every room comes with a surprise. My personal favourite being the picture frames that double up as mini shelves.
A dainty handmade poodle made of beads sits on one picture frame and three interlocking wooden animals on another. Just looking at them brings a smile to my face. Why didn’t I think of this much sooner?
«Why waste space?» she says when I ask her about it. Very true, I think to myself. Every centimetre is used – without appearing overloaded. It’s a case of finding the balance: one accent per ledge, no more, no less.
Decorations that tell stories
I stroll through her flat and discover more and more stagings like this one. A purple frame leans casually against the wall, with two tiny mice on top.
Another art frame bears a «coral» – a by-product from the production of intaglio printing plates for banknotes. The pieces look like they’ve been put there at random, but have nevertheless been carefully thought out. Her home tells stories – at eye level or just above.
Do the same: how to turn your frame into an eye-catcher
Back in Zurich, I try it out for myself. A tiny little vase from Mexico now sits on a picture frame above my dining table. Lo and behold, it works. Even my guests smile when they see the new decoration.
So I can only recommend that you adopt this trick too. Take an object that’s important to you and see where it could come to life. Just remember: one surface, one accent. It’ll turn even the narrowest picture frame into a treasure holder.
Pia Seidel
Senior Editor
Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.chLike a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.
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