HALBE-Rahmen
Moving into my new apartment came with many challenges that seemed really trivial, for example, how I envisioned it, what furniture would fit, etc.
One of these questions was choosing a new set of picture frames, which again might seem really trivial. You might say, just go to the nearest hardware store and buy some, or buy some of the IKEA frames that you used before, which is true...
But not this time. In this new apartment, my goal was to choose furniture that really draws me in—stuff that I like and can really stand behind, even better if it comes from a more local source and is not something made on a massive scale like IKEA products.
On my way down the rabbit hole, I came across HALBE-Rahmen, which offers to build you any frame that you want, in any dimension, with a wide range of profiles and/or a selection of glass/plexiglass. Now, first things first: the frames that I ordered came in the 50x70 format with plexiglass and cost around €90. This is a stark contrast to the €14 IKEA frames, but the build quality is worlds apart!
If you have ever had an IKEA frame in your hands, you know what I mean. And don't get me wrong, of course, an IKEA frame for €14 can't be as good as something for €90, and I used those IKEA ones in my old apartment because they were fine—not good, but fine for my old, run-down apartment. But now, I need something that not only displays artworks nicely but also feels good and sturdy, something that in itself becomes a part of the living room, not just a necessity.
A small nitpick, but important for some people who do not like drilling into the walls of their apartment: these frames are heavy. One of them weighs around 5 kg, so please forget about mounting them with Tesa Powerstrips or Command Strips; you will need anchors for fastening.
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With that out of the way, here are the anchors and angle hooks that I ordered with the frames.
These will fit nicely into the predetermined holes already in the frame. For these overall not-that-big frames, I will only use the mounting location in the middle.
Now, with some measuring and by utilizing a level, I managed to hang my first picture frame above the kitchen island. A small tip here: if you find that the picture is hanging slightly off-center and you can't correct it enough without it slowly going back into the crooked position, use some Tesa Powerstrips on one of the corners just to keep it fixed in the perfect position. Here, it is not supposed to hold the weight of the frame; it is just supposed to keep it level.
I just noticed that I forgot to mention a feature that makes HALBE-Rahmen unique or, better said, something that separates them from other frame manufacturers. With these frames, you insert the image from the front, and everything is held together with magnets. I really like what they are doing here. It may seem like an unnecessary change, but I like the concept, and even more, I like the fact that somebody said, "Hey, let's do this differently!" Of course, if you don't change pictures often, this is a gimmick, but I like gimmicks, and I especially like the out-of-the-box thinking they incorporated into their frames.
This is just the beginning. I still need more frames and ordered the first two as a test case. They managed to fully convince me, and now I just need to find a good layout of positions for my room; then, I will be ordering a new batch. For my bedroom, I am thinking of going a bit bigger, so there will still be some experimenting on my side.
I can wholeheartedly recommend these frames, but for full transparency, I have to include that they offer a reward of €50 for every blog post that links to their website. Of course, this gave me, a lazy bugger, enough motivation to write something about their frames. I think this is a topic that otherwise does not get much attention outside very niche groups and is also hard to convey. Many people, I think, would call me crazy for buying frames that are so expensive, and even this is not nearly as expensive as you can go.
As with everything in life, people attribute different values to things. For me alone, it is enough to support a smaller German company that makes it worthwhile. Sometimes I feel like we have lost the appreciation for many things, and I am willing to pay a fair price for good craftsmanship if and where I can afford it.
Enough of the philosophy—go and buy some nice frames!
Link to the official "Halbe Rahmen" Store