What Is a Digital Art Frame?

A digital art frame is a purpose-built display that shows static or moving visuals and usually mimics framed artwork. Typically, a digital art frame will be wall-mounted. However, you can place smaller smart art frames on sideboards.

Smart home art displays are usually high-resolution – ideal for showing off your choice of artwork. Some displays have a pre-set selection of images, while others allow personal uploads. A number of digital art frames offer curated subscriptions, some of which will give you the option to generate and display AI-driven content.

To change what’s shown on your digital art frame, simply use an app or your overarching smart home controller. Alternatively, let your smart frame think for you by enabling automation.

Why Choose a Smart Art Frame for Your Home?

There are many reasons to consider a smart art frame for your home instead of a conventional piece of artwork or photo frame.

Some of the benefits of smart art frames are:

Endless variety – You can change artwork with the season, or even with your daily mood. There’s no need to do any DIY to alternate your display, so it’s easy to update artwork as often as you want.
Blends into interiors – Smart frames and displays mimic canvas or photo textures, so they’ll always look in place.
Multiple uses – You could have a monitor for your smart home dashboard that showcases artwork whenever it’s not in use.
Supports different media types – If you like digital motion art, a smart display gives you the opportunity to show it on your walls just as easily as hanging an oil painting.
Plenty of opportunities for personalisation – With a smart frame, you can show family photos one moment and classic art the next.
Lower costs than real artwork – You don’t have to shop around for a different professional piece whenever you want to change the mood of a room. Simply choose a new image to display for free.

How Digital Art Frames Work in a Smart Home

You can integrate digital art frames with other smart tech.

For example:

Lighting –Sync your art frame with smart lighting to create circadian scenes. You can also program your digital art frame to automatically become brighter when natural light is poor.
Presence detection systems – Create an instant atmosphere by automatically turning on artwork whenever someone enters a room. You can also save energy by programming the display to turn off when people leave.
Overall smart home setup – Connect your smart art display to control systems like Control4, Crestron and Savant. By doing that, you can control what’s displayed from a central place (i.e. a tablet or smart home dashboard). Alternatively, you can make the digital art frame double up as the control panel.
Voice activation – Change artwork via a simple voice command by connecting your smart frame to a voice assistant-activated device.

You can also program your digital art frame to automatically change what it shows based on time of day or calendar events. If it’s someone’s birthday, you could dedicate the day to photos of them.

A professional integrator will help you get the most out of your digital art frame. A Smart Home Professional can elevate the experience by creating:

Custom-built galleries – Explore beyond the pre-set imagery and design custom galleries that align with your chosen triggers (such as time of day).
Hiding cabling and power – Don’t let wiring and plugs spoil your home’s aesthetics. A professional will know the best ways to hide any unsightly connections.
A hub of multiple frames – Why have one frame when you can have multiple? A professional installer will help you set up a set of frames and even group them into zones, allowing you to control multiple in one go.
Touchless control setups – Configuring voice-control or movement-based sensors is much easier with professional help.

Designing With Smart Art in Mind

Digital art creates new opportunities in home design. It’s effortless to display whatever artwork you’d like and change it whenever you want to. Plus, you can select frame designs that match your interior style, so they’ll fit in even when turned off. Mirror displays are a great way of concealing the device when it's off.

By combining smart frames with features like architectural lighting (i.e. when you use lighting for aesthetic purposes), you can create a gallery-like atmosphere in every area of your home. Design with smart art in mind in your:

Hallway – Greet guests with a lovely work of art.
Corridors – Make your staircase and landing inviting with a trail of smart art frames.
Kitchen – Add a splash of colour in your kitchen with a smart display. You could use it to play recipe videos too.
Dining areas – Elevate the ambience with your favourite artworks.
Home spa – Have a wellness space at home? Take it up a notch with a relaxing multimedia display. Think waterfalls, nature scenes and serene patterns.

Working with a CEDIA Professional

Digital art frames are the most effective when part of a professionally integrated smart home system.

A CEDIA professional can help you select the right screen and system for your needs, integrate your displays with other smart home tech (such as lighting and speakers) and neatly hide cabling. Plus, they can provide support and upgrades over time, offering you peace of mind.

If you’re interested in exploring complementary technologies, visit our smart home gallery for inspiration. With professional assistance, the sky’s the limit.

Bringing Art to Life with Smart Technology

Smart home art displays fuse the convenience of technology with timeless creativity. As it’s easy to change what’s shown on screen, they can inspire you with something different every day.

With professional installation that keeps interior design in mind, they’ll effortlessly integrate into your home — and daily life.

If you’d like to consult a CEDIA member about starting your smart art journey, visit our directory to find a Smart Home Professional near you.

What Is a Digital Art Frame? A Guide to Smart Home Art Displays