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A Veranda report features interior designer David Kaihoi’s advice for framing and hanging art at home. Kaihoi recommends choosing frames in response to each artwork and its surroundings, matching frames for related series, and mixing styles for a collected-looking salon wall.
A Veranda report presents interior designer David Kaihoi’s advice on framing and hanging art at home, arguing against treating every wall like a formal gallery. Kaihoi says frame choices and arrangements work best when they respond to the artwork, the room’s architecture, furniture and light, rather than follow one fixed formula.
Kaihoi, a partner in the design firm Redd Kaihoi, draws on earlier work as a fine-art installer in New York. He recalls seeing designers take sharply different approaches: one grouped several pictures together, while another used a single small portrait on a large dining-room wall. The latter arrangement, he said, showed how one piece could command attention through its placement and scale.
When choosing a frame, Kaihoi advises starting with the art itself. A modest raw-wood frame may suit one piece, while a carved gilt frame can give another a more formal presence. He cautions that a black frame does not automatically work with black-ink art: in person, it may compete with the drawing. Testing options beside the work can reveal a better pairing, such as a frame with a raw wood side and a silver-gilt face.
The room’s setting can inform the decision, too. Kaihoi suggests natural wood as a possibility for a beach setting and glossy black for a more elevated urban interior. He also recommends looking for secondhand frames at auctions, flea markets and antique markets, including buying an old frame for its craftsmanship and finding a suitable artwork for it later. For related works intended to hang together, he favors matching frames; for a salon-style collection or art spread across rooms, he supports mixing frame styles.
A Flexible Approach to Home Art
Kaihoi’s advice matters to readers because framing and placement affect how artwork relates to a room, not just how it is protected or displayed. His examples offer practical ways to make those choices: consider the work’s character, test frame samples in person and take the room’s light and furnishings into account.
His distinction between a coordinated series and a varied salon wall also gives homeowners a usable starting point without presenting it as a strict rule. Matching frames can make related works read as one group, while mixed frames can help a collection feel accumulated rather than uniformly planned. The report presents these as Kaihoi’s design preferences, not as universal standards.
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Lessons From Installation Work
Kaihoi’s perspective grew from installing art for interior designers after college. In the report, he describes that work as exposure to contrasting ways of using pictures in interiors, from multiple works hung together to a lone portrait given a prominent position. Those experiences shaped his view that the display should respond to the room rather than apply a museum-style arrangement by default.
The report also notes Kaihoi’s longstanding interest in art and decorating, and his later partnership with Miles Redd. That professional background helps explain the basis for his guidance, but the recommendations remain individual design judgments. The source material does not set out technical standards for hanging, frame conservation or artwork security.
“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, as quoted by Veranda
Limits of the Design Advice
The report offers design guidance rather than technical instructions. It does not specify hanging heights, spacing measurements, wall-anchor types or methods for securing heavy pieces. The source material also does not establish that one frame style or arrangement will suit every artwork, room or homeowner.
The publication date is not included in the supplied material, and no independent testing or broader survey is cited. Kaihoi’s suggestions should be understood as his professional perspective, including his stated preferences, rather than as a set of verified rules.
Testing Frames Before Hanging
For readers applying the advice, Kaihoi’s described process begins with laying the artwork beside possible frame samples and comparing them in person. That can help reveal whether a frame complements a piece or distracts from it. Homeowners can also decide whether the works form a series that calls for matching frames or a looser collection where varied styles may fit.
The report does not announce a follow-up event or a later milestone. The practical next step is to assess each work and its intended room before choosing a frame and arrangement; questions about safe mounting or the right hardware are outside the article’s guidance.
Key Questions
What is David Kaihoi’s main advice about hanging art?
He says home arrangements do not need to follow a rigid gallery layout. Consider how the art, architecture, furniture and light work together.
Should every artwork have a black frame?
No. Kaihoi says a black frame can suit some works, but it can also compete with a piece such as a black-ink drawing. He recommends comparing frame options with the artwork in person.
When should frames match?
Kaihoi favors identical frames when works are intended to hang together as a series, such as related photographs or prints. For a more varied salon wall, he suggests mixing styles.
Can a secondhand frame be used for a different artwork?
Yes. Kaihoi says he sometimes buys an old frame for its design and then looks for art to place in it. The report presents this as one way to find distinctive frames.
Source: rss
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