In Business: Picture Frames Are Name of the Game at ‘Frame Up’ in Grand Rapids

It’s been said that a picture says a thousand words, but what about the frame that holds the picture? For Frame Up in Grand Rapids, the work that goes into creating the frame is a novel in its own right.

“People bring in their pieces … we pick out a frame, design it all in front of that customer,” explained Frame Up owner Eric Mann.” After that, we take measurements and we cut it, we join it, we cut the mats, we mount all the pieces and we put it all together.”

While helping would-be customers craft a frame fit for display, Frame Up aims to provide a variety of different materials to choose from to make each piece feel wholly original.

“I think there’s just under 2,000 different frame samples in the building. I’d say 70-80% of them are solid wood,” said Mann.

In the six years that Mann has been running Frame Up, he’s seen his fair share of unique art pieces customers hope to display.

“You never see the same stuff twice, so some days you’re framing cross stitches, other days you’re framing concert posters from 1968, other days you’re framing vintage movie posters,” said Mann. “It’s always different.”

In addition to providing custom frames, Frame Up also sells prints from artists in the community, whether that’s local maps, photography, pop art, or anything in-between.

While many factors come into play when creating a frame, the cornerstone of each project is ultimately to craft something that Frame Up hopes customers will be proud to display.

“I have absolutely amazing customers,” said Mann. “The people that come in here are looking for something special, and for me to be able to fulfill that request, that’s hands down the best part.”

While Frame Up has been serving the Grand Rapids community since the early ’80s, in 2018, the store was taken over by its current owners, who have been running it ever since.