Custom Wood
picture frames

Crafted by hand.
Made of salvaged
local trees.

Looking for my San Francisco family photography services?

Frames with a story

The sheer number of options for picture framing in San Francisco are staggering. And everything always looks great online or in the store, but when you put it on your wall it usually falls flat.

You want quality artwork that is magnetic.

Something that is

rich with story,
yet elegantly understated.

Let’s build a frame

“As an artisan, he brings meticulous attention to detail and creative vision to his beautiful handmade frames.”

– Julia Lawson

A piece of…

San Francisco History

(hover over image for species & source)

Caring for Mother Earth

“Give thanks for what you have been given. Give a gift, in reciprocity for what you have taken. Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.”

― Robin Wall Kimmerer

Growing up on a small island, life was lived barefoot and outdoors. Nature was not just for looking at; it was breathed and smelled and touched all day long.

Living so close to nature taught me to perceive the natural world not as a resource, but as an equal partner to humanity.

yes, this is for me

Craftsman saws edge of wooden picture frame.

The frame shops were…ok

I simply could not find a satisfying solution at the frame shops,
so I began to build them myself.

“The final work is magnificent and shows how much care and craftsmanship David put into it.”

– Jeff Kolesky
San Francisco

My process is the opposite of
production-line.

Locally sourced, salvaged wood

Designed to last decades

Minimal Plastic

Prints and glass sourced thoughtfully

Plant based oil finish

Built entirely in the Outer Sunset

Unfinished wooden splines in a picture frame corner.

Man uses brush to detail a custom picture frame.

The Woodshop

Average distance from source to shop – 4 miles
Tablesaw vitage – 1970’s
Favorite tool – No. 62 Low Angle Jack Plane

Wood hand plane resting on a plank. — Paradox Walnut
Sonoma Mountain

Custom Framing Prices

Traditional Frames

Elegant. Crafted for fine art or giclée prints.

18 x 24 | $420
22 x 30 | $570
30 x 42 | $800

Float Mount Frames

Stunning. Perfect for a stretched canvas and metallic displays.

Canvas print in float mount wooden frame

14 x 20 | $420
18 x 26 | $570
26 x 38 | $800

This is expensive. I just need something quick and easy.

Can you make me a
cheap frame?

I hear you, and I cannot.

I have learned through hard experience that I work at one speed – slow and meticulous. And I produce at one quality – craftsman quality. I have also decided that I will only work with materials and sources that I know, trust, and believe in. Picture frames are not a necessity, so if we are going to build them, we better do so in a way that is healthy for us and for our communities.

“To love a place is not enough.
We must find ways to heal it.”