Framer's
Spotlight:
Four Corners Custom Framing
Gallery, Inc.By Ken Hall
Moving from San Francisco to Birmingham, Al., last year wasn't easy for Tim
and Carla Hamilton. Over the course of twenty-plus years in the City by the Bay,
they'd made lasting friendships with creative people and artistic types. For
Tim, it was something of a homecoming, as he is a Birmingham native. Carla is
originally from Maryland.
But the sale of their house (in one of the hottest
real estate markets in the country) afforded the Hamiltons the opportunity to
invest in their own business. But what? Tim had been in the high-end commercial
printing field for 28 years, while Carla was a graphic designer.
Actually,
the answer was simple. "Art and framing just seemed like a natural," Tim said.
"Carla and I have purchased a fair amount of art in our travels, plus we've
remodeled several houses in which we framed mirrors and learned a little about
chopping and joining."
So, about a year-and-a-half ago, the Hamiltons entered
into a partnership with Billy Brown, the founder of Four Corners Custom Framing
Gallery in Hoover, Al., a suburb of Birmingham. The metro Birmingham area is
sizeable, with nearly one million people.
Carla is the CEO of the company.
Tim serves as vice president of sales. Billy, who founded the shop almost five
years ago, is a partner. In December 2004, the business was moved into new
quarters, a 2,000-square-foot space inside a strip mall.
"Half of our space
is a showroom of art and framing selections," Tim said. "The back half is
dedicated to production and manufacturing. We think we have the largest
selection of moulding in the Southeast. On display are over 3,700 different
profiles."
The Hamiltons buy mouldings made by Larson Juhl, Roma, La Marche,
Fotiou, Studio and others. "With this type of selection, we only inventory our
basic frame styles," Tim said. "We order the rest as requested."
All work is
done entirely on the premises. The moulding, glass, mats and other materials are
cut and assembled in the shop. "We can find the right moulding to fit any piece
and at the appropriate price point," Tim said.
Artwork in a variety of styles
and price points is displayed in a clean, well-lit manner - from oils on canvas
to lithographs. "We hang examples to spark the interest of our clients," Tim
explained. "We also display custom fabric wrapped and framed pin boards for the
kitchen and office."
Also shown are different finishes of antique mirrors.
"Some have a splattering of colors," Tim pointed out. "Framed, they are terrific
for entryways." Other items for sale include serving trays; decorative boxes;
tabletop photo frames; artsy note cards; and photo albums.
Scott Harvey is a
full-time digital retoucher and graphic designer at the shop. He works primarily
on photo restoration, but also creates varied layouts for different framing
projects (shadow boxes, e.g.).
"We photograph or scan the parts and digitally
put it all together, complete with mat color and sometimes corner samples,"
Scott said. "If photographs are part of the shadow box, we can scan, crop and
enhance the images to fit with the objects to be boxed. I don't know of anyone
else who is doing this to the extent that we are."
The rest of the employee
roster is equally impressive. Karen Clanton has eighteen years in framing and is
a Certified Picture Framer. David Smith, the gallery director, has fifteen years
in the field and once owned his own gallery and frame shop.
Robert Youngblood
has been framing professionally for fifteen years and does most of the actual
framing. He is also a fine art painter and woodworker. And Allen Leonard has
been cutting and joining for seven years.
As for equipment, the shop utilizes
a state-of-the-art Wizard mat cutter (which offers creative cutting options) and
a new Pistorius saw (perfect for cutting larger mouldings). Recent framing
challenges included a shadow boxed set of Peruvian burial dolls and a Civil War
pistol.
Marketing figures heavily into the success equation at Four Corners
Custom Framing Gallery. The store does regular, ongoing mailers, to existing and
potential customers. Thank-you cards are sent out each month to everyone who
made a purchase. "We feel it's important for our existing customers to know we
appreciate their business," Tim said.
In addition, discount cards are sent to
new homeowners in the surrounding zip codes. And local business leaders are as
important to be first in their thoughts if they need framing. We work hard to
get out a regular mailing that is personalized and client-specific."
To learn
more about Four Corners Custom Framing Gallery, visit them online at
www.fourcornersgalleryonline.com.
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Half of the 2,000-square-foot space is a showroom of art and framing
selections. The back half is dedicated to production and manufacturing.
Tim and Carla Hamilton display over 3,700 different
Do you have an
interesting story to tell? If so, you could be featured in an upcoming "Framer's
Spotlight." These stories are suitable for framing! For details, call Ken Hall
toll-free at 1-888-388-7827.
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