FrameStore

This is the place to go for the best, artistic framing and awesome customer service. I will do all my framing here in the future, because Chuck, the owner and Maria were so amazingly helpful to me, right before the holidays with a special retirement gift for my dad. They made it beautiful and my father loved it! The effort they made and the work they did are both things I rarely see anymore in any type of customer service. I really felt that they cared as much as I did about my dad’s retirement and his reaction.
Thank you a million times over for the great work and I’ll see you soon with more projects and pieces to frame!

I was a little reluctant at first to get some framing/​custom framing done for some pieces I I had (framing can be expensive!!). But I went to the FrameStore in Culver City and met a wonderful person named Maria who totally changed my mind about framing. She’s a extremely friendly, really cares about her customers and takes her time in finding the right product for you. She did such a great job that I’ve returned several times since to have more stuff framed. It has been such a pleasure working with her and I am looking forward to going back to get some more pieces framed there.

Ok. So I wrote a scathing review about the Framestore about a month ago. I am retracting my review because all is good now. To make up for the flaw the framers put on our artwork, they offered to cover it up with a free mat. The piece looks great. I would work with Bryan again– he was a doll!

I went to the FrameStore for the first time this week. Arin was extremely helpful and made it a pleasant experience. I had a special document that needed to be mounted and framed. She offered good suggestions and assisted in creating a good design. I needed it completed by the end of the week in order to surprise my son who I hadn’t seen in 6 months, who would be arriving on Saturday. She initially estimated a 1 ½ week turnaround. I explained the importance of getting it completed this week. She enthusiastically contacted various people and was able to expedite the project. She called me 2 days later and told me that it was ready. I always anticipated good workmanship and I was not disappointed. I was very pleased with the overall experience, much of it the result of Arin’s efforts.

Maria was very helpful and enthusiastic about the posters we brought in to frame. She really worked with our budget since framing tends to be so expensive. We can’t wait to see what they turn out like!!!

I had a 12“x12″ ink drawing framed here recently, and it was an all around lovely experience. I contacted them ahead of time to inquire about the 50% off deal, and quickly received a warm response. I spoke with Maria on the phone to get a ballpark idea of the processing time, cost, etc… she was very upfront that they are a quality custom conservation-​framing business, but was also respectful and happy to help me work within my budget. I made an appointment for the next morning, which she suggested, since they like to give each customer/​piece plenty of time and personalized attention. When I arrived, Maria greeted me warmly by name, and then thoroughly inspected my piece before beginning to offer her thoughtful recommendations. She was upfront about which frames and mattings were in my price range, and put together several options and calculated their prices for me before I settled. I handed over my drawing on Thursday, and got a call Sunday morning from Maria to tell me that it was all set. I was eager to see it, so I jetted over to pick it up… turned out wonderfully! A simple black frame and ¼ inch mat, mounted with conservators tape behind UV glass… borders, bevel, etc. all done exactly as specified. very cleanly and professionally done. I ended up paying $ 130 after my discount was applied. Certainly a chunk more than I would have paid to buy a frame and mount it myself… but well worth it, knowing that my original art is now beautifully preserved. I also found the in-​store experience and customer service to be very soothing and enjoyable. Maria is an artist herself, and it was lovely to spend time speaking and working with her on my project. I’ve seen some other reviews which complain about the amount of time taken in the store to work on each piece… I felt lucky to have another artist taking so much time and care with my work… make an appointment, block out an hour, and enjoy it!

I had a great experience at the FrameStore. I was helped by Maria.
I’m a complete newbie to framing. Never done it, don’t know anything about it, I just wanted my photos and posters to look nice, and be framed at a reasonable price. Unfortunately, my photos and posters had very irregular sizes. I anticipated it to be very expensive. Maria did her absolute best in finding the most affordable frame and got everything within my budget. I was helped promptly and she guided me through the framing process, thoroughly explaining my different options for each piece.
On a side note, I’m a bit surprised by the melodramatic negative Unilocal reviews here. Either I’m so clueless to the framing business and what I should be expecting, that any irregularities or non-​typical framing business practices went right over my head, or the other reviewers are just negative people… Well, I suggest you do your homework, while a few folks possibly caught the framestore on a bad day, the other bunch seem to have a negative outlook for most businesses they review. Finally, it appears that the majority of 1-​star reviewers were looking for extremely cheap frames. Considering the FrameStore exclusively does custom frames, of course they were SOL. Grouponers, go figure.

DO NOT USE THEM. I brought in six expensive photograph prints to be framed, and when I came to pick them up there were only five. Not only did they not accept responsibility for the mistake, they accused me of picking up the missing print at an earlier date, and treated it me as if it were my fault. I’ve never had a customer service experience handled with the level of unprofessionalism that occurred here. In the end I replaced the print on my own, and had to have American Express handle getting a refund for the frame I never received. I will never do business with the Framestore again.

I stopped into the store on my way home from work to run in and grab a frame. When I walked in I asked if they only did custom or if they also sold standard frames. The employee behind the counter barely looked up at me and pointed to the frames and said they only had those. I said thank you and walked over to them but when I did he quickly added he was really busy so he couldn’t help me right then. I thought maybe he meant he couldn’t help me shop (which honestly would have been fine, I knew exactly what I needed), so I asked if that meant I couldn’t buy one. He said yeah, then pointed to the desk, which was covered with items, and said I’m too busy you’ll have to come back later. Somewhat shocked, I just said ok and left. I do understand the stress of having way too much on your plate. But it was surprising to be brushed
off so abruptly when all I wanted was to spend some money in an establishment with a transaction that all together couldn’t have lasted more than 30 seconds. I realize my one little 8X12 frame purchase isn’t the kind of thing that brings in the big bucks for this kind of store, but if they don’t want customers bothering them they may want to consider locking the door.

Get Shalla to help you — she is smart, listens and offers logical choices. There was a coupon on the website if you are concerned about price.

The prices are market and more reasonable than Aaron Bros. Remember art is something you should enjoy looking at and they offer archive quality products. The sales man never tries to oversell you, and you feel good about your choices. He could have talked me into buying something museum quality, but he didn’t because it was just going on the walls in my house. That speaks volumes of the kind of employees they have. He is that hipster looking guy with the dark framed glasses and full beard. If he is still there, I think his name starts with an E. Because they didn’t try to upsell me, they have a customer for life.

I recently relocated from LA and have about 20 pieces in total to frame for my home and office, so I decided to start by bringing one or two pieces each to a few different places. Frame Store in Culver was the first on my list because it’s very close to my office and they advertise 50% off in the window.
I brought in a lithograph approximately 18×40.
The upside here is the craftsmanship and quality of the finished piece is fantastic…
But, there are a few downsides:
1) I waited an hour for service when I went in. They only had one employee and she was extremely slow with the customer in front of me and took an hour to work out two jobs. In hindsight, I should have left and come back. Once she helped me, it took 30 minutes to have her write it up and she kept trying to talk me out of exactly what I wanted.
2) Even with their «50%» advertised discount, the final price is much higher than than the other places I have since tried out…(I will review those places soon). The piece cost $ 363. w/​UV glass but not museum/​art glass and the two other shops I tried framed larger pieces using conservation materials including museum glass for $ 250 – 300 per piece. This tells me they are significantly inflating the cost of materials before «discounting» and overcharging for labor.
3) They did not call me when the piece was finished… I called a week after the quoted ready date and the guy on the phone couldn’t find my order then asked me what it was, I described the piece and he said «oh that’s been on wall for a week and everyone loves it.» Sure, it feels good to know people like my art, but one would think they would call the customer when something is ready to come get it.
All in all, there are much better places in town who have better service, do higher quality work and offer lower prices.

I typically go to a place (Sherman Gallery, I think) in Marina del Rey to have my art framed but decided to go here because they were doing a Living Social offer and it’s in my neighborhood. Support Local Businesses and all that.
Worst. Idea. Ever.
I’ve never in my life paid that much for custom framing. I came away with a frame for a poster that looks no better than something I’d get from IKEA and it cost me over $ 200. Yea… WITH the coupon. I bought the cheapest options they had and it was a fortune. It also took them a full month. I finally called and they said, «oh yea… it’s here. Why haven’t you picked it up yet?» It helps if you call/​email/​mail/​messenger pigeon me when it’s done.
Such a scam.

These guys took my paintings to stretch and ruined by cutting off part of the image.
I could not get any answers or update for days after I asked for a refund.
I would not go to this place or recommend. The service was horrid.

If you have hours to wait, want horrible service and to much money to spend, this is a good place for you!

I went here because I had a groupon toward $ 100 in framing. I have professionally framed many things over the years and I know that custom framing is expensive, but the prices at this place are RIDICULOUSLY high and a rip off for what you get. Although the quality is fine, you can get comparable good framing at around half the price elsewhere. It was especially offensive because they have 50% off signs in the window. The sales guy quoted me a price of over $ 1000 for the frame I wanted and seemed surprised when I selected a different one in the $ 300 range. I will not be back.

Look, the frame came out nice and it’s built well… but $ 300 for a frame that is 12″ x 24″ is waaaaayyyy too much. I could see if it turned out really special, but it looks like any cheap frame you can get anywhere.
Like I said, it is built really well and will probably last forever, but I’m not framing a Picasso here so I shouldn’t have to pay as if I was.

I had my doubts but decided to give them a try with a Groupon that I bought. Yes, it’s a little pricey, but good quality framing always is.
I bought a cheap, beautiful sketch overseas for about $ 10 and ended up paying about $ 200 to frame it. But it doesn’t really bother me because, in the end, I’ve ended up with a stunningly beautiful piece of art that will last forever.
They do a great job — very professional.

The service: great. The craftsmanship: great. The end product: beautiful.
The price: way higher than I expected!
Let me explain — The vintage movie poster that I got framed is only 12″ x 14″. I selected a simple low-​profile matte black frame and standard glass (not UV protection, not Museum glass, etc.). Basic — no frills — nothing special. I was even informed that I happened to select the least expensive frame in the store. I came equipped with a $ 100 Groupon and still had to pay out of pocket! It seemed a bit unreasonable to me since I had a similar framing done at a different frame shop with comparable quality and service and the total only came to about $ 55. If you have cash to burn, this is your frame store. If you don’t, check my review for Quick Art Frame on 3^rd.

I recently used a groupon at this place… To put it short, the quality is top-​notch, but I think there are other places in LA that offer comparable services with the same level of quality at much, much lower prices. If you are framing something beyond extremely valuable, like your soul, then probably check other places that might be more financially appealing…