How it began
The options for custom picture framing in the Bay Area are staggering. And they always look great online or in the store, but the real thing often falls flat.
I began building picture frames because I wanted something in my home that was both simple and elegant, something that added to the story of my family’s photographs.
It did not take long for friends, then friends of friends, to begin asking me to make frames for their photographs and artwork. Everyone who saw them was excited.
I never set out to sell my woodwork, but when I began my family photography business in 2020, offering picture frames was a natural progression.
“As an artisan, he brings meticulous attention to detail and creative vision to his beautiful handmade frames.”
– Julia Lawson
A Piece of Bay Area History
Hover over each image for species & source
Fisherman’s Wharf
Golden Gate Park
Bernal Heights
Coit Tower
Golden Gate Park
Mission District
Noe Valley
Palo Alto
Sonoma Mountain
San Mateo
Big Basin Fires
Unknown Source
Sustainability
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 the environment taught me to perceive the natural world not as a resource, but as an equal partner to humanity.
I resist the temptation to say that my frames are “sustainable” because everything we create requires inputs and energy. Instead, I believe deeply in the power of respect for our planet. Mother Earth’s story is our story.
By showing respect to the source of my materials, I hope to better our relationship with this lovely planet.
“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
Braiding Sweetgrass
“The final work is magnificent and shows how much care and craftsmanship David put into it.”
– Jeff Kolesky
Bay Area
Traditional Frames
Simple and elegant. Built for matted prints. Beautiful in any size.
Prices are for the frame and glass. Prints are ordered separately. If you are a photography client, you will be able to order this from within your image gallery!
Size refers to the outer dimension (in inches) of the matted print that you are placing in the frame.
Floating Frames
Stunning and unique. Perfect for a stretched canvas and metallic displays.
Prices are for the frame plus a metallic or canvas print. The dimensions reflect the size of the artwork within the frame. If you would lke your own artwork framed, simply request a quote.
Starting Prices
12 x 18 | $755
16 x 24 | $995
20 x 30 | $1995
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. Every piece of wood is meticulously sourced, mostly from the Bay Area.
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 our communities.
“To love a place is not enough.
We must find ways to heal it.”
― Robin Wall Kimmerer
Braiding Sweetgrass
Let’s build.
Get your project started today.
