Vintage Sports Framed Picture Report (Pt. 1)

Inspiration and Adapted Designs

The inspiration for my final project, a vintage sports-themed framed picture with integrated LED backlighting, came from a blend of nostalgic sports memorabilia and modern backlit artwork. As someone who appreciates the history of sports and the artistry that goes into preserving and displaying that history, I was drawn to creating something that bridges the past and the present.

A key inspiration was the aesthetics of vintage sports decorations and memorabilia, including distressed wooden signs, retro scoreboards, classic uniforms, and sepia-toned photos. I spent time researching the visual design of stadium signage and sports bars known for incorporating aged wood and retro displays, such as Fenway Park (the home stadium of the Boston Red Sox). One example that heavily influenced my direction was the use of illuminated photo frames in upscale sports lounges and museums. I was also inspired by modern LED art pieces that use backlighting to subtly enhance an image without overpowering it, as shown in projects from sites like Pinterest and Etsy, where artists customize LED frames to create mood lighting.

I also found inspiration in physical spaces that emphasize story through decor. A visit to a local sports bar filled with vintage jerseys, cracked leather booths, and soft lighting planted the seed for the kind of ambiance I wanted to replicate on a smaller scale. Similarly, photos of historic ballparks like Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, with their weathered textures and muted palettes, shaped my material and lighting choices. A picture of Fenway Park can be found in image [2] by Sara Fischer.

The idea of blending old and new came naturally. I wanted the look of something you’d find hanging in a 1950s locker room, but with the functionality of modern ambient lighting. I adapted several ideas from these references but gave them a personalized, minimal-tech twist: subtle lighting, a quote of personal meaning, and materials that feel authentically aged.

Artistic Vision and Aesthetic Goals

My artistic goal was to produce an artifact that feels rooted in sports history, yet invites a modern interaction. The LED lighting is not meant to be flashy or dominant—it’s designed to elevate the piece subtly, creating a glow that draws attention without distracting from the central image.

I aimed for a vintage sports aesthetic defined by:

• Materials: distressed wood, felt, and printed satin-finish paper.
• Color palette: muted tones, warm whites, and black-and-white photography with added sepia.
• Typography: bold sans-serif lettering reminiscent of old jersey numbers or scoreboard fonts.
• Structure: A physical layout that resembles both a sports plaque and a subtle art installation.

I also wanted the piece to be interactive in a simple way for the project requirement of a moving part, allowing the viewer to change the lighting color and brightness using a remote. This adds a dynamic element while keeping the focus on the story the frame tells.

The aesthetic concept also included balancing analog and digital elements. For example, the quote embedded into the image was digitally typeset in Canva, yet mimics vintage hand-painted sign fonts from old stadiums. This convergence of technologies, hand-finishing the wood frame, while editing the image with modern tools, mirrors the blend of old and new that is central to the piece.

Project Specifications

Functionality:

• LED strip with RGB lighting
• Remote control with basic color and brightness adjustment
• Battery-operated using AA batteries
• Backlight effect: subtle, diffuse glow around the image

Form:

• 11×14 inch wooden shadowbox picture frame with a routed inner lip
• Interior lined with styrofoam and felt backing
• Satin-finish printed image with a quote
• Distressed exterior wood finish for a vintage look

These specifications were developed through a combination of practical constraints and aesthetic intentions. I knew from the beginning that I wanted the piece to be powered by replaceable batteries, both to avoid cord clutter and to make the piece wall-mountable without requiring proximity to an outlet. I also prioritized ease of use, so the remote control had to be intuitive and functional.

Additionally, the choice of a satin-finish print rather than a glossy one was intentional. Satin finish avoids glare, especially important in a backlit frame, and has a timeless feel that better matches the aged wood and soft LED lighting.

Initial Sketches and Design Plans

My early sketches explored different frame types, LED placements, and battery concealment strategies. I considered:

• Traditional shadowboxes
• Double-glass frames
• Open-faced rustic frames

Ultimately, I chose a routed standard wooden frame that could accommodate both the LED strip and backing materials. The sketches helped visualize light flow and identify the best LED placement—on the inside edge of the frame, facing inward—to reduce glare and create even backlighting.

I also created sketches for battery pack positioning and wire routing. I wanted everything to be cleanly integrated without detracting from the overall appearance.

In addition to sketches, I created mockups in Canva to experiment with visual hierarchy—deciding where the quote should go, how large the image should be, and how much empty space to leave around the border to give the LEDs room to breathe. The image I created in Canva can be seen above in image [3].

Final Design and CAD Drawings

For the finalized design, I created a basic CAD model of the frame showing the:

• Interior cutout for LED strip placement
• Back panel cutout for battery pack
• Mounting features for the image and background materials

The CAD model wasn’t complex but helped me confirm dimensions and LED spacing. It also allowed me to test clearances and visualize how the components would layer inside the frame. This model was especially useful for verifying that the LED strip wouldn’t interfere with the picture or the glass, and that the felt background would sit flush behind the printed image.

I used SolidWorks for the CAD, building a basic assembly that included the wood frame, LED housing groove, image panel, and backplate. Exploded views of the model gave me a clear plan for assembly, which reduced fabrication guesswork later on.

Aesthetic Embodiment in the Final Design

Every choice I made in the design was about reflecting the vintage sports aesthetic:

• The wood was originally going to be distressed manually, but due to time constraints, I had to pivot to purchasing a frame that was already distressed.
• The felt backing gives a nod to vintage varsity jackets and sports pennants.
• The typography on the printed quote was chosen to mimic old sports lettering, using a bold, blocky typeface.
• The lighting was selected to be warm and ambient, avoiding flashy RGB effects and instead favoring tones like warm white, amber, and soft reds.
• The image editing process included adjusting saturation, contrast, and texture overlays to give the printed picture a worn, archival feel.

Even the battery pack was chosen with aesthetic intent—mounted on the back and placed high to maintain the frame’s silhouette. I avoided anything too bulky or modern-looking.

To reinforce the aesthetic, I briefly considered incorporating other vintage sports elements like a scoreboard-style clock or mini plaque at the base of the frame. While ultimately I kept the design minimal, these explorations helped define what the project was and what it was not.

In short, the entire piece is designed to feel like something you’d see in a timeless sports archive, with just a touch of modern functionality embedded quietly within. It’s a tribute to the history of the game, the emotion of the moment captured in the photo, and the quiet satisfaction of designing something both beautiful and functional.

 

References

[1] Image taken by me.

[2] Fischer, Sara. “Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park Goes Carbon Neutral.” Axios, 30 Mar. 2022, https://www.axios.com/2022/03/30/boston-red-sox-fenway-carbon-neutral

[3] Image created by me.