I was in a similar situation and was able to reuse a couple of pictures by changing the mat and/or frame colors. A lot, however, seemed dated and are now in the basement or at Goodwill.

How about having them re-matted and if necessary, re-framed.

This may present the perfect opportunity to reframe your current pieces. Matting and framing should be chosen on the basis of what complements the art, and not what's on trend.

I thought about rematting and framing, just know it will cost a lot!

Wait until you are in your new home and your furnishings are placed. Then look at your art to evaluate what you love and what fits well in your new spaces. You can re-matte the pieces you love with white mattes, and donate the rest. Good art is timeless, but especially with matted artwork, the colors can fade over time.

Great opportunity to buy new artwork. Aren't you tired of looking at the same pieces for 25 years?

belahn, some of it YES. Some we have purchased on trips and are special to us.

Current framing is often much less ornate and "matted" than more traditional framing. You may find some cost savings just by updating to simpler framing styles. I had a similar dilemma, and (because it worked for the rooms I was transitioning too), I was able to get away with DIY repainting some of the frames to nickel or black, and ordering new mats. There are also frame and mat options available online, (ebay, etsy) in custom sizes at very reasonable prices.

You all are best! Thank you so much for the quick responses and great info! Starting over in a new construction home is daunting after 25 yrs in a home I love and will miss terribly. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

The colors of the art needed "match" your current furniture, however, the color of the mats and the style of the frames should relate to your current place. I have used on-line places from which one can order mats cut to your specifications and also frames. This is much more reasonable than a custom framing shop.

Can you sell the art with your old home. Reframing can be $$$

I'd sort out the art you want to keep from the stuff that has no special meaning for you, and ditch the latter. Over the years, I've culled an awful lot of things myself that were merely "decor," not art and it may be time you did the same. ( It makes no sense to spend good money updating mass produced "wall art," so don't.)

Then I'd look at whether some of the "keepers" could be rematted and framed with ready-made items from a craft or art store, or custom items bought on line. And I'd keep the frames and matts fairly neutral so you don't have this problem again. To my way of thinking, both should be chosen to suit the painting, not decorating trends.

I recently re-matted a piece that had a damaged mat. It only cost about $65 and it was large.

I just framed a bunch of art using Frame Destination (online) for custom frames.I got non-reflective acrylic for some and UV for all. I got 5 frames for around $300, which is much, much cheaper than having it framed locally. A lot of the artwork was oddball sizes, like 19 x 19 1/4, with none of them in standard sizes. I didn't get mats for anything, but they do sell them (custom sizes).

In my 3 car garage, I put 3 pieces of artwork that did not go with my new home. I like looking at them when I drive in.

In my upstairs hallway, not every piece matches the wall color, but I still put up what I thought was not a bad match.

Best Wishes!

I use Blick Gallery frames for the art in my husbands office. These open easily in the back. I use thick ones, so cut pieces of foam board to take up the excess space and use an acid free mat. I also use a thin piece of acid free foam board behind the print. They are very economical and very simple in style. They might be too simple compared with the frames you have now, but that may work with your new home style and give you time to slowly reframe your art. If your art is mostly framed prints, opening the back and changing out the mat is not difficult in many cases.

Nice discussion. Good 'luck' in your new home. Tell more about where you're going if you want.

IMO if you love the art get it rematted and maybe reframed . I have used Micheal’s for this purpose with pretty good results and did not break the bank. I do however do not think art needs to go with your decor especially if original. Keep it simple with a white matt and a simple metal frame.

If you have other art work around the house, just reorganize them to different rooms if suitable- I have done that.

I went to Michael's too. Good service and reasonably priced.

To help you decide what art to move, go around your house with a bunch of Post-its and stick one on each framed piece. Label with A's for favorites, B's for pretty good, and C's for ready to give away. Take photos of the A's, get their measurements, and visit a framer to see how much new mats will cost. Your art will look much different with new ivory or white mats. Painting some of the less expensive frames may also be possible.

Also, rethink where the pieces go. Those currently in your living room can be put in bedrooms in the new house. Maybe by rethinking, you can use some of the pieces as they are. After we moved, our art was completely redistributed. Our bedroom pieces are now in the tv room. The piece from the old dining room is in the new bedroom. Start over! It’s fun.

You can also lightly paint the mats (and perhaps even the frames) to any color you want. I've taken things apart and spray-painted the matting to all kinds of colors.

You can get pretty cheap frames in Michael's and other home stores.