Shopping edit – the best photo frames to display treasured snaps in style

With amazing quality cameras on our smartphones and tablets, it's never been easier to capture brilliant photos. Yet we so rarely print them nowadays. Hopefully, our edit of the best photo frames is all the encouragement you need to print out treasured snaps to display around your homes.

Bedside tables offer the perfect place to house smaller photo frames with pictures of loved ones. A mantelpiece is often not complete without a montage of much-loved family snaps – capturing everything from weddings to holidays.

Hallway consoles provide the ideal place to position a freestanding frame filled with friendly faces to warmly welcome guests.

Wall-mounted photo frames add a decorative touch to any room, especially hallways, living rooms and even bathrooms to captivate guests. Mounting photo frames on walls is especially good for small spaces, where surfaces to stand frames may be more limited.

Related: Wall display ideas – how to turn a blank wall into something special... and even surprising

When buying a frame there are key things to consider – the size of the aperture, being the most key. The standard size for a print is 6 x 4 inches, so this is a safe option to go for. Other standard sizes include 10 x 8 inches – you'll often find that professional wedding prints and school pictures come in this size, but it's worth measuring up beforehand.

Also consider the glass in the frame. More expensive frames come with special glass to stop photos from fading, but in most cases, you'll want to keep your pictures out of direct sunlight. Increasingly, frames can come with acrylic in place of glass. This makes them lighter. Worth considering if you plan to hang a large multi-aperture frame to a non-load-bearing wall!

From freestanding to wall-mounted the following buys are our pick of the best to shop now...

This chic silver-plated stainless steel design is a best-seller with The White Company – easy to see why.

The effortlessly cool design features a premium white mount to surround the photo. The steel is delicately punched from one solid piece, to avoid any seams, and then plated with silver. 

A backing of soft grey felt ensures it’s as equally attractive if you catch a glimpse from the back – as this is purely a freestanding frame. 

Thanks to a tarnish proof finish, the stainless steel design never needs cleaning – simply dusting as you would with all materials. 

In true brand style this beautiful frame comes in a smart white gift box, making it the perfect present – made all the more special with a picture already inside.

Fine Silver Photo Frame, £35, The White Company

With seven windows this statement wooden frame is perfect for a photo montage. Ideal on display in a family home to make sure everyone is in on the action

The contemporary black-edged frame can be hung vertically or horizontally on a wall, providing space for both portrait and landscape photos – to make it a throughly versatile design. 

The rectangular frame comes in a variety of colours to ensure there’s a match for every decor. The colours include Natural; Light Green; Grey; White and Ochre – in addition to the Black as seen.

7 Aperture Photo Frame, £12.50, Marks & Spencer

Simple, sleek and more than just a little touch of Scandi – we love this wooden photo frame.

Display cherished memories in contemporary style with this Nordic photo frame from Lund London. Featuring a wooden base with a clear, acrylic aperture, this photo frame is the perfect complement to any modern home office or hallway.

Nordic Wooden Base Photo Frame, £30, Amara

This is the perfect 'pretty' frame to enhance any 6x4 photo, in any room. The resin design is decorated with 3D flowers, surrounding the snap enclosed. 

Thanks to the contemporary white finish the resin flowers don’t detract from the photo on display. 

The cluster of flowers in opposite corners adds just enough decoration without overpowering the purpose of the frame – again the white finish helps with this element.

Pretty Flower Frame, £10, Next

This ornate gold frame is ideal for those who love vintage, electric style – a refreshing break from on-trend simplistic Scandi designs.  

With a decorative trim of metallic foliage and birds this frame welcomes an element of nature indoors. Sure to enhance any photo encapsulated inside.

The versatile design features a stand on the back for placing free-standing on a side and a hook for hanging from a wall fixture.

Holds photos measuring 5x7 inches.

Spring Romance Ornate Gold Photo Frame, £14, Paperchase

This resin photo frame design features a stylish marble-effect surround trimmed with a smart silver-effect edge. 

The standing frame allows you to showcase both landscape and portrait photographs.

Marble remains a hugely popular material for home accessories this season. Marble is statement even to exude cool but subtle enough so not to clash with a room’s decor. 

Having said that marble is generally best suited to more contemporary interior decor, acting as an accent to an all-white scheme or on-trend greys.

White Marble-effect Photo Frame, £15, Debenhams

It’s refreshing to see an alternative size to this now signature style of box frame. 

The slimmer frame is a move on from the square or more in-proportioned rectangle designs, we’re familiar with dressing gallery walls. This slim rectangular frame works beautifully to frame portrait photos, offering a generous trim above and below to give the image space to breathe. 

The simple white wooden frame lends a simple finishing touch to walls, to showcase favoured photos in style.

White Oversized Mount Frame, £3.50, Dunelm

We love the quirky approach to this four photo aperture photo frame – they sit together without any edges joining. 

Allowing gaps to surround each  photo gives each its own considered space within the cluster. Fitting four photographs, this frame offers a constant reminder of  multi happy memories. 

Finished in white to offer a contemporary finish, this frame fits two 4 x 6 inch and two 6 x 4 inch photographs.

White Multi Aperture Photo Frame, £6, George Home

If you want variety, this NEW multi-way frame is ideal. It can be either hung from the metal link chain or standing upright using the flip out easel-style leg on the back – it’s nice to have the option sometimes. 

The delicate dark metal frame surrounds an entirely glass square space where your chosen picture appears to float inside. Having nothing but a frame of glass helps to make your photos  

The design is available in different sizes, should you wish to create a gallery wall of matching style frames.

Lerboda Dark Grey Frame, £4, IKEA