Framed Cork Boards & Custom Cork Board Frames

A cork board that earns its wall space

Most cork boards you can buy at an office-supply store are a compromise. The frame is thin aluminum or stapled MDF, the cork is a quarter-inch sheet of pressed crumbs that sheds the first time you push a thumbtack through it, and the sizes are dictated by whatever fits on a pallet. A framed cork board built to order is a different object. The cork is full-thickness, bonded to a rigid hardboard backer, and the frame is the same kiln-dried hardwood moulding we use on custom picture frames. It hangs straight, it stays straight, and the surface still looks clean after a year of daily use.

We cut every board to the exact dimensions you enter-down to 1/8 inch-so a cork board can fill the gap above a desk, line a stairwell, or anchor a kitchen command center without the awkward dead space that comes from settling for the nearest stock size. The configurator accepts any width and height from 8x10 inches up to 32 by 40 inches (or 40 by 32 inches).

What's in the box

• Self-healing natural cork bonded to a rigid hardboard backer. Pins and tacks slide in cleanly and the surface closes around the holes when you pull them out.
• Solid hardwood frame in your choice of 40+ picture-frame mouldings. Same kiln-dried wood we use on our custom picture frames-not a thin decorative trim.
• Sealed hardboard back so dust and moisture stay out of the cork.
• D-rings and braided wire installed, sized for the frame weight. French cleat upgrade available for a flush wall mount.

Sizes that actually fit your wall

The most common stock sizes-18x24, 24x36, 30x40-are all available, but the configurator does not stop there. Need a 16x40 for a narrow hallway? Type it in. Want a 32x32 square above a built-in? Type it in. Cork board frames are priced by linear inch of moulding plus the surface area of the cork, so you only pay for the material you actually use.

For boards larger than 30 inches on the long side, the configurator automatically adds a wider moulding option and recommends the optional French cleat for a flush mount. The largest boards ship flat-packed for safe transit and assemble in about ten minutes with the included hardware. The largest size that ships by standard carrier is 32 by 40 inches (or 40 by 32 inches); bigger installs are available for local pickup.

Frame moulding choices

Cork boards look at home in almost any frame profile. The most popular picks:

• Black picture frame: the safest choice for a modern office or a kid's homework station. The black moulding hides scuffs from chair backs and messenger bags.
• Natural wood frame: warm, light tone that reads as Scandinavian or farmhouse depending on what's around it. Pairs well with a kitchen.
• White picture frame: clean and gallery-like. Good for laundry rooms, mudrooms, and anywhere you want the board itself to recede.
• Walnut or mahogany frame: the right pick for a study or a traditional office. Heavier visual weight, anchors the wall.
• Barnwood frame: distressed gray or brown wood for farmhouse and rustic interiors. Pairs naturally with the warm tan of the cork.

All 40+ picture-frame mouldings in our catalog are available-the same mouldings used on our custom picture frames. Same wood, same finish, same construction.

Where framed cork boards actually live

The kitchen command center is the single most common install: school calendars, takeout menus, a running grocery list, and a couple of kid drawings, all in one place where everyone passes through. A 24x36 in a natural wood frame is the workhorse size.

Home offices use cork boards as a second monitor for the brain-the place where sticky notes, business cards, and the printed-out architecture diagram you're staring at for the third week all live. Larger boards (around 30x40) earn their keep when you treat them as a project wall instead of just a memo board.

Classrooms, studios, and craft rooms benefit from a cork board sized to a specific wall instead of a standard size that leaves three inches of awkward gap on either side. For studios, a board cut to fit between two windows or above a workbench looks intentional in a way a stock-size board never will.

How it's built

The cork sheet is bonded to a 1/8 inch hardboard backer with a permanent archival-grade adhesive, then dropped into the frame rabbet and secured with rigid backing and framer's points. The back is sealed with kraft paper to keep dust out of the cork from behind, and d-rings are screwed directly into the frame moulding-not glued onto the paper backing.

Every board is cut, framed, and finished at our Somerset, NJ workshop. The same framers who build our custom picture frames build the cork boards, on the same saws and with the same kiln-dried mouldings. Standard production time is 5-7 business days from order to ship.