Frame ranges explained

Standard Frames 

Standard picture frame mouldings are often made from woods like Obeche and Pine. They are available in a wide range of profile shapes and colours. We buy these pre-finished mouldings in three-metre long lengths from various suppliers. Much of the wood derives from the Far East, and is then fashioned into finished sticks in various Italian factories. If a smooth finish is desired, the wood is primed and then sprayed painted. If a woodgrain finish is wanted, then the factory etches an artificial grain into the wood with a patterned wheel as Obeche has a very weak natural grain that otherwise wouldn’t show. 

We also offer a range of veneered pine mouldings. A veneers is a very thin layer of more expensive wood bonded to a cheaper base wood. Our MOMA range of picture frames are examples of this process. A possible advantage over normal oak timber is that the colour and grain are extremely even. This is due to the manufacturing process. These particular moulds are of a very good quality and are very popular for both home, office, and commercial premises. 

Luxury Frames

This range features profile shapes and finishes beyond the simple painted mouldings found in the Standard Frame Range. These are still sourced via our suppliers from factories in Italy. There is a wide variety of profile shapes and sizes of offer, along with special paint effects and finishes. These finishes can be a variety of metal foils in various colours, polished hard-wood veneers, and intricate patterns. That said, due to supply and quality issues, we often now replicate some of these moulds ourselves.

Hand Finished Frames

All our frames are finished by hand. However, we call this range of picture frame mouldings “hand-finished” to set them apart from the other ranges. It also includes our Custom Carved Range. Both feature profiles we design and make ourselves. A plank of wood is our starting point. The wood is sourced from our FSC timber yard. Our Oak and Walnut comes from the vast sustainable forests in the USA and Canada.

For shorter runs, or when specialist shapes are needed, perhaps for a client who wants us to match an existing frame or desires a bespoke size or profile shape, we will mill the planks ourselves in our own workshop. We carve every single one of our solid round, circular, oval and unique frames from planks we personally select at the yard. We finish the wood with natural waxes and oils, including French polish. We also stain and colour the wood to order.

Poster Frames

This is really just an extension of the Standard Frames Range. They are also made from Obeche in pre-finished 3m lengths. We cut and join these in our workshop with exactly the same amount of care and attention as with our hand-finished and custom-carved picture frames.

Aluminium frames.

This range is made from aluminium extrusions. Some of these also have a hard wood veneer applied to them, which allows us to offer a very narrow-faced, dainty “wooden” frame while still having excellent strength. Aluminium frames are available in a wide range of profile shapes, colours, and finishes. They are very popular for framing film posters. 

Custom Coloured Frames

We can spray paint picture frames from both the standard frame and luxury frame ranges. However, for the most part we spray frame profiles we carve and mill ourselves. These have what we call “closed corners” meaning that the corner join is covered with a spline. The process makes the corner join very strong and minimises the chance of hairline cracks appearing in the paint due to the natural movement of the wood. The overall effect is a seamless finish to the entire frame. We can custom spray to almost any colour reference and offer a huge variety of beautiful, sparkling, and unusual finishes. Everything can be customised. 

Ornate Frame Range

Our own take on a craft that began over 500 years ago, updated with our own designs that we make here in our own central London picture frame workshop. 

Gilded Range

Features all our own profiles and carvings gilded in-house with 23k gold, as well as various other non-precious foils to meet colour and cost demand. 

Custom Carved Range

All the frames featured on this page are our own registered designs, created, built, and finished in-house by our skilled craftspeople. These frames are an addition to our Hand Finished Range. Although the materials are the same, the complexity of the build, the detailing work, and finish, merge to form what we believe are picture frames of true beauty while still remaining subordinate to the artworks they surround. We welcome the client’s own design ideas when exclusive one-off art framing is required.