I want to talk about picture frames, really I do. But first let me tell you how this comes to mind. See, last night I went to visit my friend Betty, interior designer extraordinaire. And whenever I visit her, I get all excited by the many and varied trapeze lights that she’s used in her chalet-style home. Those airy wire and metal structures seem to fly across the open spaces, yet are so unobstrusive! — and a surprising choice against all the natural wood.

Since I’m living in This Old Farmhouse, however, something as modern as a trapeze style fixture doesn’t seem quite appropriate here.

So, much as I love the almost-not-there look of trapeze style fixtures, I’ll likely stick with my early-1040s ceiling lights until something perfect comes along.

But what about flying a few sleek wires on the walls?

Ah, that’s a different story!

If you’re anything like me, you’ve got about fifty kabillion photographs to display and not nearly enough wall space! (Who isn’t always on the look-out for a nifty solution?)

I keep coming back to these Umbra Trapeze Frames that I’d first spotted some time ago at Amaroni — that’s a UK-based site, but the exact same Umbra frames are closer to home and considerably lower in price at Amazon.

And the reason why I keep coming back to this style is because they combine simplicity with elegance — and very practical, too. You can show a wide variety of sizes and types of photographs or drawings or whatever art needs hanging, and put the whole bunch up together as one graceful unit. I think it has a great uncluttered look that could work anywhere — in a ski chalet or cosy farmhouse just as beautifully as in a suburban bungalow or hip urban loft.