Custom Picture Framing

Close-up of various angled picture frames made of wood, black, and white materials arranged on a wooden surface.

We specialise in bespoke framing, a process that has centuries old tradition.

Valuable and collectable artwork, be they prints, photos, paintings, or objects, require delicate selection of frame and mat. The scale and styles are unique every time, designed to perfectly emphasise each piece. This is done with the guidance of our trained eyes and your tastes in mind to create the perfect combination. 

Everything that comes to us requires something different to the piece before it. Between your preferences as a client and your home, even an identical print will likely never be framed in exactly the same manner. 

What are the benefits of custom framing?

Custom framing means creating an entirely bespoke frame that is made to order for your artwork/object/photo etc, with your design taste and the style of artwork in mind.

During your consultation with us, we will find a perfect balance between what you love the look of and what suits your home, whilst properly enhancing and protecting of your artwork. Your budget is always part of the conversation too, and we’ll go through a range of options so we can find one that suits.

From frame choice, to mat choice, backing board, tape, mounting method, glass choice, the options are endless and completely catered to you and the piece you bring in for framing.

And because we use quality materials and techniques, our skilled team will create a frame that, if properly looked after, will be around (and looking great) for decades not years.

A little bit about our frame range

  • Supporting Local Businesses

    Every sample we have on the wall is purchased via local businesses, whether they are sourcing supplies from all over the wold on our behalf, or manufacturing right here at home.

    It is a relatively small market for this kind of material in NZ, so much of it is imported, but we have a Christchurch based manufacturer specialising in Picture Framing Moulding, who no only provides many finished profiles, but a lot of raw bases that we can add our own spin to.

  • Solid Wood

    99% of what we use are solid wood frames; and all from sustainable plantation forest. Solid wood frames are a big part of why our frames last such a long time.

    We also offer Nielsen aluminium frames; and sometimes use MDF to create round and oval frames which are difficult and expensive to create from solid wood.

  • Imported Ornates

    Elaborate and detailed mouldings require significant scale to be economical. They therefore are not made locally. We have ranges from Spain and Italy, as well as the USA and many parts of Asia.

    We have a wide but curated range of options to choose from to ensure you’re picking from the best on offer.

  • Hand Finished in Italy - The Bellini Range

    The most incredible collection of frame profiles come from Bellini, a company who specialise in hand finished frame profile, as opposed to machine finished like majority of our range.

    The Bellini range just has something special about it, with many of the most classic and unique samples we have on display.

  • Over 1000 Samples to Choose From

    We have put a lot of work over the years into curating a range that is both vast but carefully hand selected by us to ensure the best of the best options are available.

    We love unique things that will be the perfect frame for someone once a year, as well as the best versions of the day to day frames.

  • Looking for something we don't have?

    Our wall isn’t the end of the options available. We’re happy to bring options in from our suppliers that we don’t have on display in the showroom if you’re looking for something specific, either because you have a look in mind or you’re trying to match something.

What can we do?

Well, ultimately we can frame pretty much anything.

Whatever you bring through the door we will do our best to find a solution, but let us show you some examples of what we have done in the past.

Colourful geometric illustration by Xoe Hall of a woman with orange hair, surrounded by abstract patterns, with a flamingo at her feet. This is framed in our A2 with mat board frame, black frame with a black mat board.

Paintings, Posters and Prints

There are so many different things you can do to suit many different tastes. No matter what you have, what you love, or what your interior design style is, there will be an option that is perfect for you and your artwork.

We can frame:

  • Limited edition and open edition prints

  • Paintings on canvas, board or paper

  • Etchings

  • Sketches

  • Posters

  • Photographs

And anything else you want to preserve and display!

Display of nine baseball caps featuring various logos and designs, arranged in a 3x3 grid inside deep picture frame.

Items and Objects

Sports shirts: All shirts are invisibly stitched by hand and padded to give them depth and presence.  Backing boards are archival mat boards which will protect the shirt from acid damage over time.  UV glass is an option to protect them from fading and light damage.   We commonly produce plaques and important photographs for customers to add into the frame also, which help with the memorabilia aspect.

  • Memorabilia

  • Coins

  • Postage stamps

  • Ceramics

  • 12” vinyl record sleeves, discs and CDs

  • Tapestries

  • Butterflies

  • Objects  - caps, balls, bottles, guns, swords, spears, dresses, tools, books.

  • Documents, brochures, maps, manuals, house plans, medals, war memorabilia.

A framed silk scarf showing various tassels hanging on a rack. Displayed in an art or framing shop with framing supplies and framed art on the walls in the background.

Fabric Pieces

Framing fabric pieces requires completely different processes to framing prints. In order to stop them from sagging over time, these need to be fastened in place properly to keep them flat.

We do this using completely reversible processes, so nothing is permanent, but use techniques like stretching over a backing frame, stitching in place, or lacing around an archival mat to keep them in place.

Items like:

  • Teatowels

  • Robes/Kimono

  • Tapestry

  • Tapa Cloths

  • Cross Stitch

  • Flags

  • Cushion Covers

  • Silk Scarves

An abstract painting of the ocean with muted blue and grey tones, framed in a white canvas tray and hung on a dark wall.

Canvas Stretching and Framing

Getting canvas’ up on the wall consists of stretching and framing, which are two separate processes:

  • Stretching is taking a loose canvas and getting it to look like the canvas’ you buy from the art shop. These can be hung on the wall as is.

  • Once stretched, we can frame them, either in a traditional frame where the edge of the canvas is covered, or in a tray frame that keeps the feel of it being a canvas, but gives the piece polish.

  • If you’re on a budget, you can easily stretch the canvas first, and then frame it later, we just need to have a chat about how big a stretcher we use so it works with the frame profile you want to use later.

Some canvas’ don’t have enough excess to stretch, but we have plenty of amazing ways to display these as well. We’ve seen it all.