Here is a collection of corner samples of cap profiles I made, along with their corresponding color chip. The chips help with consistency – if you pick a combination of wood species and stain, you need confidence that the color will match even though the grain pattern will always be unique. Another consideration is that natural hardwoods experience a color shift as they oxidize, some more than others – some lightening and others darkening. That’s a discussion for another post, but these samples have been seasoning long enough to show the eventual color they will be, and important design consideration.
My peg board shows 5 wood species (rows) in 16 stain colors (columns), but in this picture, the Cherry, Walnut and Quarter Sawn Oak chips are on the table with their corresponding corner sample. I worked for many years in conventional frame shops, and I always felt restricted by the styles the manufacturers chose to produce, usually based on what was trendy that year. Often, my client and I were forced to compromise, or we picked a style that was out of stock, discontinued, or came in looking very different. When I built my frame shop in Tucson, I wanted to be sure I was in control of these factors by making my own frames from sustainable domestic hardwood lumber and finishing them myself.
And because I join my frames before I finish them, I can use traditional techniques like dovetail keys and corner splines to make sure the corners are durable even with modern thin profiles like these caps. Make an appointment to come to my home gallery and showroom with your art to see all the possibilities for yourself.