Does anyone else out there hem and haw over decorating decisions for months on end only to suddenly feel like everything must be finished and perfect in time for the holiday season?? Oh phew – you too? Well, I’m glad to know I’m not in this alone.

I’ve been frantically looking at my barren master bedroom, my forever work in progress guest room, my still unfinished master bath with the sudden pang that everything in #thisoldvictoriansf must be completed – now!

Thankfully I’ve learned from my past mistakes, so no, I’m not taking on a massive project just before the holidays hit. This year, I decided to keep it simple. Rather than stress myself to the core, I chose to add the perfect finishing touch to our dining room with Framed & Matted instead.

The dining room has gone through many an iteration (like this one and this one and this one) as I’ve slowly worked to create my dream space, but I’ve honed in on my (near!) final look. Adding art to this room is certainly a great way to make it feel more “done.” But framing art can be a rather intimidating prospect.

But let’s start with the art itself. I recently stumbled upon the awesome work of Skye Schuchman. While primarily a digital artist, Skye also creates these beautiful line & dot block prints on stunning thick raw-edged french paper. They speak to my minimalism-loving soul.

To showcase the scale of our house, I selected two oversized pieces of Skye’s work – each measuring 30 inches. Framing something of this size could be prohibitively expensive and challenging. Thankfully, Framed & Matted has simplified the framing process immensely.

Started by a fellow Bay Area mom with an education in art history and a background of working in art galleries, it’s nice to know that Framed & Matted was created by someone with real experience in the art world. It’s especially helpful because Framed & Matted is quick to dispense advice for the framing-phobes out there such as myself! I never quite know what type of mat to pick or how to determine the correct sizing.

And the best part? I didn’t have to schlep anywhere. I didn’t have to worry about shipping my art in for framing and having to wait on its return.. I simply made my selections and in three days Framed & Matted shipped my frames to me.

I decided to float frame Skye’s work – aka not cover the paper’s edges with mats – to keep that gorgeous raw paper exposed. I also selected a double mat. A thin black mat sits below a larger white one to further highlight the work’s grid pattern. Laying it all out, taping it down and putting the layers back together was quick and simple.

The two pieces now mirror one another on either side of the dining room (did you catch our florals on the dining room mantel yesterday??). I’m currently letting them marinate in there before we commit to hanging them. With 100 year old original plaster walls you only get to put in a nail in once. But I’m thrilled with how they turned out. I love their scale. I love their simplicity. Now the room feels like it’s all coming together – rather than just a space with a bunch of furniture in it.

So as you’re putting the finishing touches on your house, I would definitely recommend adding some framed art to finish off a space. A Framed & Matted gift card would also make a great gift for an art-lover in your life!

And of course I had to give you, dear readers, a little bonus. Use the code APT34 at check out and receive $15 off any Framed & Matted purchase through December 14. But make note – if you want frames you need to order them by December 9 to ensure holiday arrival.

photography for apartment 34 by spotted sf

This post is a paid partnership with framed & matted. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. Thanks supporting collaborations I’m excited about and that have kept Apt34’s doors open.