SohoFrames and our dedication to sustainability

Sustainability From The Start!

At SohoFrames Ltd. we prioritise sustainability and have done since we formed nearly twenty years ago. We regularly discuss what we can do to lower our carbon footprint, reduce waste, and improve the processes we use to create our bespoke frames. 

Durability

We pride ourselves on making picture frames that are durable and intended to last a lifetime. This is part of the reason why our solid wood frames are so popular, both with us and with our clients. Yes, we cut down the tree (we prefer to say “harvest”), however, the carbon inside the resulting timber remains locked inside the picture frame and doesn’t leak into the atmosphere.

Human Power

A significant part of the energy needed to make one of picture frames is human power. We cut using a foot-operated guillotine and finish and polish by hand. Everything is done in our own Soho workshop. We also choose the timber we use from a Tottenham based timber yard, often carrying the planks back to the workshop on the train! There is another great sustainability plus to a solid wood picture frame. If it is damaged we can usually repair it by sanding, filling, and re-polishing it back to its original condition. Pre-finished picture frame moulding material almost never makes this possible. Cutting down a frame in order to fit a smaller artwork is also relatively easy. We can usually reuse or repurpose solid wood timber frames too. 

Our Mission

Our mission here is to make beautiful picture frames that you can love, adapt, and repair over a lifetime. And by the way, that tree in the main picture? This is real live walnut tree growing in Transylvania, Romania! However, we source our own walnut timber from the vast managed forests in Canada and the USA where foresters replace every harvested tree with new saplings.