My relationship with IKEA has come a long way. The first time I ever went, aged 23 and a few months shy of scoring my first job as an interior journalist, I wanted to buy flatware and got to the checkout with a cart full of pillowcases, lamps, candles, and table mats. It was around $200 worth of stuff I didn’t need and definitely couldn’t afford. Although I admittedly enjoyed wandering around the IKEA rooms, I felt overwhelmed, full of loathing for all the impulse grabs, and in the end, I walked out empty-handed.
Since then, I’ve written about and interviewed many of the world’s best designers and seen some of the most stunning projects. I’ve come to appreciate and understand craft, the skill of the maker, and the value of high-end furniture. But there’s one home decor piece I’d now never get anywhere other than IKEA, and I am constantly recommending it to my friends. They’re affordable, good quality, and come in just the perfect edit and range of styles. Yes, I always get my picture frames from IKEA.
(Image credit: Ikea)
IKEA has the best selection of affordable picture frames and I’ve never found any store that does them better, with a broader choice and at such good quality.
Firstly, they start at $1.49. Secondly, they come in almost every size you could possibly need, whether you’re framing postcards for a gallery wall or oversized art as a standalone piece. The white of the classic RODALM frame is exactly the right matte, not detracting from the art, or creating any unnecessary embellishment. Meanwhile, the ‘oak’ edging of the DALSKÄRR frame has all the whorls and patterns of real wood but at a fraction of the price (it’s made from fiberboard, but you can’t tell) – it starts at $12.99.
But what I really love is the colors. I’m a big fan of colored edges for picture frames, picking out a highlight color within the art it’s encasing or contrasting it completely. Either way, it looks expensive, it looks curated, it looks like an interior designer chose it for you.
(Image credit: IKEA)
A word of warning, however. IKEA frames are always merchandised on – or near – the art. It makes sense, sure, but please don’t be fooled, I am not suggesting you buy your art from IKEA. The copies of Van Gogh, the AI-produced graphic staircases, and the random close-ups of butterfly wings and blossom sprigs are what make the frames look mass-produced and cheap.
What you need to do is fill your IKEA frames with your own found pieces, with pictures that mean something to you, or are from a local artist, or were discovered at a vintage fair. That elevation of curation, and decorating with artwork that reflects your style, is what will give your IKEA frames the character they need to truly sing.
And you don’t have to spend a ton on your artwork either, there are beautiful pieces that can be just as affordable as IKEA’s frames. Etsy’s art selection allows you to connect directly to the artist, while Desenio’s super-inexpensive prints are varied, intriguing, and filled with personality. Shop vintage and at thrift stores too, and look beyond the frame the artwork might come in and just focus on the piece within.
My edit of the best IKEA frames
The love of the Unexpected Red Theory is continuing into 2025, with designers loving a flash of crimson to truly energize a room. This frame does just that, and all for less than $8.
Do not adjust your screen, and no, that’s not a typo. This frame really is just $1.49. And in reality, I can vouch that it looks so much more expensive than that, especially if the art you place in it is smaller than the frame and you add a decent mount.
In IKEA’s official lookbook, the brand has styled this chunky frame with kid-friendly art, in a nursery. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I’d use it with an abstract and painterly print in oranges and yellows, the opposite (and therefore complementary) shades to that blue frame on the color wheel.
Sold with its own mount, this frame automatically looks expensive, like it was made bespoke for whatever you’ll be putting in it. Truly, the mount is that good – a frame within a frame that offers a level of style far beyond its tiny price tag.
PÄRLHAGTORN frame, silver
Did I mention that IKEA also does very high-end-looking wavy frames? This could easily have been fashioned by a metalworker for a boutique in Brooklyn and sold at 20 times the price. But luckily for us, it’s a luxe look at IKEA prices.
A bamboo frame with rattan binding, textured and layered and looking like a much-loved vintage treasure, and all for $12.99? Honestly, IKEA has outdone itself with this one – the perfect inner mount is the decorative version of it coming with a cherry on top.
PLOMMONTRÄD frame, stained pine
I tend to prefer a modern, cleaner, and more crisp look, but the driftwood effect of this frame would make a surprising contrast to, say, the red RODALM frame, lending a stylishly eclectic air. And if you love a more rustic farmhouse or coastal-inspired scheme then this IKEA frame is defintiely for you.
Pleasingly, this frame is deep enough that you can actually layer found objects over whatever print ends up inside. The official IKEA lookbook uses a shell and feather. Which ends up looking so personal that one assumes the frame can only be a family heirloom.
A little more expensive than the other choices listed here, the bevilled edge belies a skill of handiwork and craftsmanship not often associated with IKEA. Worth every cent in my opinion.
I am very much past my days of feeling overwhelmed by IKEA, and I really think the answer is just finding the pieces you love and trust and sticking by them. For me, that’s IKEA’s frames and I can’t recommend them enough, but you might also find the crockery is great for you, or the area rugs are an amazing price for the size and quality. I will say, where you can, go into the store to shop at IKEA so you can feel the quality, and then once you know what works for you can order online with more confidence in what you are actually going to receive.
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