Customer Service Solutions

This summer we had a job that involved framing a very large and extremely valuable oil painting.  The piece could not easily be moved in a safe manner so the solution was to build the frame in our shop and install it at the customer's home.  Precise measurements were critical to ensuring that the frame which included a linen liner would fit like a glove.  The install at the owner's home was a success and the result was a very satisfied customer.  We are always ready to work with our customers to ensure that their needs are met.  Sometimes this involves viewing the space where a finished piece will be hung or special ordering unique brackets to install a multi-panel antique Chinese screen.

Denise with finished frame!

Searching for Art

Where do you go to find art for your home or office? Design magazines show beautiful rooms with appealing and tasteful art work. You’re not in the market for high-priced originals nor do you want mass-produced images. Searching online for art can be overwhelming when you’re faced with thousands of options. And, the biggest challenge can be deciding what you like and if it will work in your space.

Beaux Arts –

Nimphes A Yeux (Butterflies)

19 x 14

$80.00

We regularly work with clients to help them find, select, and acquire art! The process involves defining a range of art (style, subject, medium) that is pleasing and learning what you really like. From there, budget and space considerations guide the selection. It always proves to be a fun and interesting journey!

Where do we find art for our clients? Our resources range from “trade only” vendors to digitized collections of illustrations, photographs, book plates, and historical studies. For example, we carry work from Natural Curiosities – a collection of natural history images. These high quality reproductions feature specimens, artifacts, and curiosities on archival paper. Another favorite source is Beaux Arts which carries fine antiquarian prints and rare maps from 1500 through the early 1900’s in all subject areas. We work with many fine local artists and photographers and have access to galleries and art dealers world wide.

Beaux Arts –

Hyacinthus Afric: Tuberosus Flore Caeruleo

26 x 18 inches, Price $175

16 x 12 inches, Price $70

Beaux Arts –

Audubon003

Virginian Partridge –Plate76

26 x 19

$14,000

Natural Curiosities –

Monticola Nature Prints

(one of a set of six)

Artful Arrangements

Spring is the time of year when we want to inject some new life into our homes. The decorating magazines are full of new fabrics, accessories, and furniture, all in fresh colors. Take a closer look at the rooms that seem especially inviting; notice the artwork! If your artwork and wall decor is lacking, it may be the arrangement. Common mistakes are numerous, understandable, and fortunately easy to remedy -- here are some tips.

Keep Your Art at Eye Level

A good rule of thumb is to hang art so that the center or focal point of the picture is 57 to 60 inches from the floor. There is a tendency to hang art too high on a wall. This rule applies regardless of the height of the ceiling.

Use of Wall Space

 The walls in our homes are interrupted with windows, doorways, and furniture. A single picture on a long expanse of wall can appear lonely and small. A larger piece properly scaled to the wall can solve the problem.  Another option is an artfully designed grouping of framed art.  

 Creating Compositions

Try grouping pictures with similar frame styles to make a bold graphic statement.  Prints or photographs of the same size can be arranged as a grid --  lots of impact! Multiple small prints hung one on top of the other are perfect for a narrow wall.  Art work in a horizontal composition can be placed around the circumference of a room. In a small space wih tall ceilings, this arrangement can bring scale to the room.

Anchoring Artwork

The arrangement of art over a piece of furniture (table, desk, decorative chest, etc.) can create a pleasing vignette combining the art, furniture, and other accessories. The art adds height and interest.  Several botanical prints over a favorite antique chest accented with an interesting plant works nicely.

Vary the Size of Your Artwork

If all of the artwork in your home is approximately the same size, the result can be flat and uninteresting.  Add a large painting and/or a grouping of smaller images.

Not All Art Needs to Be Hung on the Wall 

Pictures of all sizes can be displayed on either floor or table-top easels allowing for art to be rotated easily.  Pictures can also be displayed casually on bookshelves -- a great way to relieve book-heavy wall units or built-ins.   

things with meaning

We believe that it is the “things” that bring a space to life, but only if those “things” have meaning. In the home or commercial environment, accents and decorative arts should be an expression of interests, passions, and pursuits.  In public spaces, decorative arts should integrate, purpose, mission, and vision. The selection of decorative art for a client is an intuitive process that ultimately becomes a collaborative adventure!

Well designed and handcrafted displays of non-traditional items create distinctive and significant presentations. So often, treasures, collections, heirlooms, and souvenirs are stored away and never enjoyed. A client’s collection can be artfully arranged and framed as a unique art piece. Historical photographs or artifacts of a business from an earlier period can convey stability and tradition. Natural elements can be showcased to express a contemporary, clean, and vibrant impression.