Frame Shops

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• Frame shop for special items
• Simple framing for art posters
• Quality Framer for Valuable Artwork
• Framer Needed for Archival Engraving
• Getting pictures/posters custom framed
• Earlier recommendations

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Frame shop for special items

Oct 2013

Can anyone please refer me to a good frame shop? I'm looking for a great frame selection and quality work. The people can even be mean if the first two criteria are met! I've done framing through Michaels for smaller, not-too-important pieces, but I have some things that are unique and very special to me that need higher quality attention. Price is a consideration, of course, but I'd consider paying more for wonderful work. Thanks for your suggestions! Not yet framed

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Raymonds Custom Framing is a reasonably priced frame shop on MacArthur in Oakland. They are open Tuesday through Friday. They do not accept credit cards. They do a wonderful job and can give you suggestions if you ask. They look closed sometimes because of the bars on the door but ring the bell and they will answer. They do a great job and it is worth it! I have had many pictures and three dimensional art pieces framed by them. Here is the address: 3914 MacArthur Blvd Oakland, CA 94619 Edit details (510) 531-3277 Happy Customer of Frame Shop

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Just recommended for a similar request above. Bartertown Framing - she's great! L

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Storey Framing 1645 Hopkins St Berkeley, CA 94707-2712 (510) 524-3422 Jim Storey is an artist in his own right who does framing with the 'eye' of an artist. Jim's 'assistant,' Larry, has been doing framing 'forever,' too. Over a period of many years, Jim and Larry have:
- restored old frames, when the frame itself was important,
- repaired damaged frames,
- built new frames, artistically and well,
- always completed their work for a fair price, and
- are fun to deal with, every time!!!

We're glad to recommend Storey Framing!!!

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I had a very good experience with this shop...http://www.framersworkshop.com/ . It's in Berkeley. I had a somewhat valuable, fairly large painting on a canvas that wasn't stretched/framed and I felt that they really understood how to do this properly and were quite helpful when I was trying to figure out the right frame and look w/o spending nearly as much on the frame as I paid for the painting! -Lisa lisa

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I highly recommend Storey Framing on Hopkins Street in Berkeley. They are old world craftsmen, careful, exacting and do high quality work--and very nice guys as well. Mat Frame

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Tom of The Art Loft in Montclair has an amazing eye for his craft. Sticker shock will send you reeling but you won't regret it in the end. For these unique and special pieces, splurge. The resulting enhancement of your art will fill you with happiness whenever you look at them for years to come. Monica

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Galleria Scola on upper Grand Ave is a custom framer. We have been pleased with the selection of unique frames they have in stock. They are skilled, professional framers, and the quality is second to none. Their prices are not cheap, but for a quality frame that will last as long as the artwork, it is a good value. Their address is 3646 Grand Ave, and the phone is(510)451-3525. I think they are closed on Sundays. Stuart

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Sticks on Solano Avenue does excellent work and they are nice, too! Anonymous

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Simple framing for art posters

Sept 2013

Hi there, does anyone have a recommendation for places where I can buy frames for posters in the Berkeley to Richmond area? I was quoted $100+ for one poster by Sticks on Solano--their work is great, but I was hoping to spend half of that per frame as the posters themselves are not high art and are standard sizes that might fit in a readymade frame. Simple molding in black or natural wood or metal is what I am looking for. The more solid Ikea frames might work, but it would be great to support a local framer. Thanks! Cheap Art Fan

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The cheapest way to get a great looking framing job is to go to Ikea, buy an appropriately sized frame (a little larger than your artwork), and then go to Michael's and get some custom matting for under $10. I've done this many times -- the pieces end up looking like they were professionally framed but for a fraction of the cost. Cheapo art fan

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Try Bartertown Framing in downtown Oakland. She does a great job and is very reasonable. L

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Pam deWitt of deWitt Gallery and Framing in Point Richmond does excellent work, is easy to get along with, has tons of experience and very honest. You can call her 236 1401, email Pam [at] Jimdewitt.com or check out the website. I've worked with Pam for years and recommend her highly. Sydney

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Quality Framer for Valuable Artwork

Jan 2010

I am hoping to get some recommendations for a quality framer in the Oakland/Berkeley area who can work with old/damaged/valuable artwork -- specifically large travel posters from the 20s and 30s. Any suggestions are much appreciated! MC

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The Framer's Workshop on Channing at Telegraph is a very knowledgeable about framing old art pieces and every thing else. They have been in business for over 30 years. I have worked with many framers in my life but TFW is head and shouders above the rest. Both Jeff and Kirstie are great to work with. tm

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Smith Andersen North is excellent, they do high-end framing for many galleries and museums and for the public as well. http://www.smithandersennorth.com/ Ian

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Framer Needed for Archival Engraving

June 2009

We were fortunate enough to recently inherit a beautiful 19th century engraving. It needs to be framed and we want to find a framer who has expertise in working with old pieces of art. (Discount places just won't cut it this time.) Any suggestions are welcomed. Thanks. Grateful Inheritor

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We've had good success with Berkeley Framer's Workshop (off of Telegraph). They have an amazing selection of frames and a ton of knowledge about how to protect artwork (UV glass, etc.). It is pricey as many of the custom frames are imported. Sometimes there are coupons for ''free labor'' in the Berkeley Monthly. We've been very pleased with all of the framing we've had done there (from large art pieces that my husband's grandfather drew nearly 100 years ago to art photographs). Framer's Workshop fan

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Getting pictures/posters custom framed

May 2009

Does anyone have any recs for a good place to get pictures custom framed? I live in El Cerrito and am looking for a good place in or near El Cerrito/Albany or Berkeley. Tracy

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Check out The Glenn Custom Framing at 7027 Stockton Ave. in El Cerrito, or call 558-1078. Kathy, the owner, has a wonderful eye for helping you choose just the right color and shape of framing material to match the artwork. We have had her frame a French tapestry, a huge map of London, a Day of the Dead drawing and even clunky supercomputer components and the results are consistently beautiful, adding interest to the total piece. She is not the cheapest, but her work is worth the price. She's also active in the community and has owned her own business for 25 years. A happy repeat customer

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Earlier Recommendations

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Framing Photography

April 2008

My daughter is an art major and I wanted to frame some of her art. Any recommedations for inexpensive places with a lot of choices on frames, etc?

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A few months ago, I ordered some custom wood frames, with mattes and plexiglass (they don't do glass) from framesbymail.com. I'm thrilled with them. They were about a third the price I've paid in a frame shop. I was hesitant about getting plexiglass, but was surprised to find that I really can't tell that it looks any different from the things I have framed with glass (and it's quite a bit lighter). You might want to give it a try. anon

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Framing a painting on unstretched canvas

Nov 2007

I purchased a painting on a piece of loose unstretched canvas that you could just roll up and put in a mailing tube. I am wondering what would be involved in getting this ready to hang and if stretching it properly would be too much for an ''ordinary'' framing shop? Is there a framing shop that specializes in this sort of thing? We would greatly appreciate suggestions and advice. Carrie

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North Berkeley Frame Shop does a good job. It's a mom & pop type shop and I have had him do almost everything in our house. He does a better job on the corners than most framers. Makes it blend / match...he is aesthetic and competent about it. He did a few crumbly old things for me and they look GREAT. Its on Shattuck X Virginia or so... I like going there.

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Anyone have a favorite framer?

June 2007

I have several modern lithographs that I'd like to get framed. Anybody have a favorite framer whose taste and technique you admire? I'm looking for clean, modern lines and materials for these pieces, as well as excellent work at reasonable prices. Thanks! Ben

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Sticks on Solano Avenue did a great job with simple elegant frames for my Japanes-style wood cut prints. anonymous

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Barbara Anderson at 2243 Fifth Street in Berkeley is great. She does a lot of custom work too.

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I highly recommend Raymond at Fast Frame in Berkeley (on Shattuck close to University Ave) for high-quality work. He's great at his work and will listen to what you want (and he is a really nice person, too). sara

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Affordable Picture Framing?

March 2007

Framing can get rather expensive, but on the other hand, often you get what you pay for. Anyone have recommendations about a reasonably priced, quality framing shop in the Berkeley area ? Greg

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I highly recommend Fastframe in Berkeley (1975 Shattuck Ave). Very high-quality, guaranteed, work. Artist-friendly, family- friendly. sara

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They're not in Berkeley, but Cheap Pete's in Walnut Creek is excellent! I go there for all my framings needs. They are way more affordable than say Aaron Brothers and super hepful. Its a bit of a drive, but worth it. cheap pete's fan!

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try North Berkeley Frame at 1744 Shattuck. i found them to be quite reasonable.

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Try Sticks on Solano Avenue. Not as expensive as others are. Good work. Nice selection. Nice and professional staff. Anon

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Do-it-yourself framing shop?

March 2006

I used to live in Oregon where we had lots of do-it-yourself framing shops .I need a recommendation for one in Berkeley where I can take my grandson to frame a photo of himself for a mother's day present for my daughter. I am looking for some place that is child friendly, where I can get help and have a nice experience with my 10 year old grandson. Lydia

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Go to The Framer\xe2\x80\x99s Workshop. We have used them for years. We usually have them do our custom framing now because they do such great work, but when the kids were young, we did lots of do it yourself frames there. The staff there would give us crayons and mat board for the kids to draw with. When they got older, they got involved in the framing work with us and we had lots of fun. It\xe2\x80\x99s a good family outing if you plan something simple enough for the kids to participate in. Bear in mind that the do it yourself part is really just assembly with help. They cut and join the wood, and cut the mats and glass. The staff there are great. It is family run, and they have been there for decades. Claudine

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Try the Framer's Workshop on Channing in Berkeley - www.framersworkshop.com

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Custom Framing for Old Family Photos

June 2005

Can anyone recommend a good framing shop? I have collected some very old pictures of my family. I would like to get them framed to put up along my staircase. However, I would also like to find some way to identify who these people are without having to take down the picture and read on the back of it who they are. Has anyone ever had this done? Thanks for any help on this. mwg

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Sticks is a fantastic frame shop on Solano Avenue in Berkeley. I just had them do a photo collage for me and it turned out beautifully. Maybe what you want to do is make small labels for each photo and have a separate cutout below your photo to identify who is pictured. I'm sure they could do that. Good luck with your project.

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2004 & Earlier

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June 2004

Would anybody recommend good but reasonable custom framing shops, please? Thanks. Simona

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Lars Lucker has a shop ''North Berkeley Frame'' at 1744 Shattuck in Berkeley near Francisco I think. He does nice work and he is reasonably priced. He does all the work himself and is very friendly.

More expensive is Jim Storey who does beautiful work. His shop is ''Storey Framing'' on Hopkins a block east of Monterey Market.

They have both framed many prints for me and always have good suggestions. Laura

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try stoll in berkeley. my neighbor recommended them to me. I have only used them once for a small frame but the man was knowledgable and very helpful. Not cheap but very worth it. b3

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I really like The Glen, a framing shop on Stockton in El Cerrito (cross street Ashbury, right across from the 7/11). The owner, Kathleen, has a great eye, will make suggestions if you want, or just let you pick out what you like. She has lots of frames to choose from, and her prices are reasonable. She does all her own work and you get your pieces back quickly. Judy

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Framing family photos

May 2003

Looking for a reasonably priced framing store in Oakland or Berkeley that does high quality work framing for family photos. I've seen the previous posts which seem outdated and higher priced suggestions.

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I'm a local professional photographer, and there are a couple of places I recommend my clients use for the images I create of their children and families. The first one is Babara Anderson Framing on Fifth St.(near Bancroft) in Berkeley. Barbara is a true artist when it comes to framing, they have excellent options...but it is more expensive.

When clients are looking to save some money, I recommend a shop in Oakland called Raymonds. It's on MacArthur Blvd. south of Park a few blocks (531-3277). The do good work for fair prices. Not the highest quality frames and not a lot of options, but better than off-the-shelf frames.

Remember to ask for UV protected glass, because you can diminish the life of photos significantly without it.

Hope this helps. Jonathan Payne www.photopayne.com

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Check out Raymond's on MacArthur near High Street. (It's on the east side of the street.) They are reasonably priced and do good work. Julie

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Frame shop near Berkeley?

June 1998

Here's a frame shop recommendation in North Berkeley: We had a couple of good experiences with the place on Solano Avenue (north side of the street, on the first or second block west of Colusa). They did a beautiful job with some needlepoint and helped us out with suggestions for hanging a picture. My guess is that other places might be cheaper, however. You may be able to get them to match another shop's lower price (the proprietor was fair and quite helpful). Eric

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We really like Bosco on College near the intersection of Claremont Avenue. The stop is a family run business and they do really great wrok. While it is not as cheap as the frame-it-yourself shop a few doors down, the workmanship cannot be beat! Gail

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I've heard that Sticks gallery on Solano Ave in Albany/Berkeley does good work; used to be called the Weir gallery. We had framing done at Dow and Frosini on Claremont, which was good, but expensive. Mary

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I would like to recommend that you take your frameable items to The Glenn on Stockton in El Cerrito... it is across from the 7-11. The owner's name is Kathleen Glenn and she does great work. Her shop is full of examples of the different kinds of things she has done. She has a great eye and is happy to help you out for as long as it takes to pick your frames and mats. Her prices are as good or better than you would get at those framing places in the mall, and she brings so much experience to the job that it is worth every penny. Rose

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The best and the cheapest that I have found is Kitty at De Novo Design in Berkeley near 4th St. Her phone number is 528-8488. Photographer Nan Phelps uses Kitty for all her framing. She is a lovely person to do business with. Wendy

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Sorry to be late on this. Storey Framing on Hopkins (by McGee, just east of Monterey) does ultra-fine work, though of course they are not cheap. Take your very best things there. Nice folks too, with excellent ideas. (We rec'd a gift certificate for a wedding gift - quite a few years ago now. It's the only reason we have anything framed at all!) Leah

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We have all of our framing done by Barbara Anderson Framing, down on 5th Street at Bancroft. Phone is 848-3822. They are absolutely the best - museum quality work. Of course it's not cheap, but if you have artwork you care about, this is the place to go. My husband became convinced that our then four year old daughter's paintings were every bit as good as many abstract pieces in museums, so he gave her some watercolors and some high quality paper from Amsterdam Art, and took the results to Barbara Anderson to frame. It's hanging in his office, and it looks pretty fabulous. As for posters and such, years ago Reprint Mint on Telegraph did an adequate job, but don't know how they are now. Natasha

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I have all of my framing done at Raymond's, 3914 MacArthur, Oakland. They are a fraction of the cost anywhere else. Linda