Our process · Houston
From Consultation to Wall: How We Work
Every project that enters our Taft Street studio follows a thoughtful, transparent, four-step path — combining collaborative design, formal conservation assessment, careful fabrication in our studio and with trusted specialist partners, and professional installation.
The four stages
Intake & Design Consultation
We begin with the artwork directly on our design table — at our Taft Street showroom or during an in-home or office visit. We examine the work's physical medium, historical period, condition, and spatial destination. Together, we evaluate physical corner samples of finished hardwoods, water-gilded profiles, or welded metals side by side against your artwork under proper lighting until the right design reveals itself.
Conservation Assessment & Planning
Before work begins in the studio, our framers conduct a thorough intake inspection. We determine the precise conservation requirements: 100% cotton rag matting, Japanese wheat-starch paper hinging, non-invasive acrylic armatures, or 99% UV-filtering glazing. For three-dimensional objects, internal supports and low-center-of-gravity weight distribution are planned with our mountmaking specialists.
Fabrication, in Our Studio and Beyond
The majority of our hardwood, gilded, and period frames are made at our own workbenches — lumber milled and splined, raw frames gessoed, clay-boled, and water-gilded with genuine gold leaf. Welded metal frames and acrylic cases are produced by trusted specialist fabricators to our exact specifications. Either way, the standard is the same: seamless corners, continuous finishes, and a housing built around the artwork.
Archival Fitting, Inspection & Installation
Inside our clean fitting room, the artwork is mounted using 100% reversible methods, sealed against dust and atmospheric swings, and fitted with UV glazing. After a final quality-control inspection, we deliver the completed work directly to you or coordinate professional fine art installation with trusted art handlers.
How we are different
We work the other way around.
We approach framing as part of the artwork — not as an afterthought. Most custom framing is built around shop production: you pick a pre-finished moulding, it gets chopped to size, fitted with the art, and goes home. We work the other way around. Every project in our studio begins entirely with the artwork: its medium, condition, scale, history, meaning, and the long-term care it requires.
Our designers carefully evaluate the artwork alongside its ultimate placement in your environment, either collaborating directly with your interior designer or independently developing a presentation that perfectly harmonizes with both the art and your home. Our framemakers build exclusively with raw hardwoods and finished-corner construction, ensuring each frame reads as a single, seamless object. Our gilders water-gild in genuine gold leaf, from white gold to 22K yellow, hand-burnished with techniques unchanged since the Renaissance. Because our preservation fitters adhere strictly to archival standards, we naturally collaborate with a trusted network of independent paper, painting, textile, and object conservators to stabilize works before they are housed.
We don't operate as a frame shop. We operate as a studio that thinks like a museum. The goal is always the same: to make the frame feel inevitable.
The consultation
Where vision meets expertise.
Every project begins with a personal consultation. Whether we are meeting in our studio or reviewing a collection through high-resolution digital files, our first priority is to understand the artwork's history, its material vulnerabilities, and the space it will ultimately inhabit. We view this as a collaborative discovery phase, where we propose hardwood profiles and specialized finishes that honor the artist's intent while meeting the highest standards of conservation. To ensure each client receives our dedicated focus and expertise, we recommend scheduling an appointment.
Questions about our process
Frequently asked.
Do I need an appointment to bring artwork to the studio?
While walk-ins are always welcome during studio hours, scheduling an appointment ensures a dedicated designer and private design table are reserved specifically for your project.
What is your typical turnaround time?
Because our frames are fabricated from raw materials — requiring multi-step curing for gesso, clay bole, oil and wax finishes, or welded metal joints — studio turnaround typically runs 4 to 6 weeks for hardwood and metal frames, and typically 8 to 10 weeks for gilded or complex custom work.
Can you arrange a condition report?
For works that need formal condition documentation, we can coordinate a report with a conservation professional.
Begin
Once a work is yours, make us the first call.
Consultations at our Taft Street showroom, or at your home or office.
Schedule a Consultation