Headlines
Hunting For Success!
10 July 2020
Creative Picture Framing was founded in October 2000 by Graham and Sharon Hunter. Sharon still worked in a high street bank at the time but invested all her spare time into the business and in 2002, Sharon left the bank and became an equal partner. The shop had been in Baker Street since 1985 when it formed part of the Frame Express Group. Graham was a manager there for many years until Frame Express ceased trading, at which point Graham saw an opportunity for them to strike out on their own.
They inherited a historic relationship with a very well-known retailer, which both Graham and Sharon tell us produced an unsustainable profit for them. They decided to increase the cost of framing which ended the relationship, but allowed them to focus on high quality, bespoke framing to a larger audience. This began the transformation of the business into what it is today; providing high-quality framing to conservation standards. They got rid of the ‘express’ aspect of the business, slowing everything down by introducing calm, order and higher quality.
Sharon tells us: “We also sold readymade frames, gifts and posters but recognised we were never able to compete with larger retailers such as IKEA. We instead recognised the importance of increasing the quality of our services across the board, so we moved away from mass produced items such as posters, to more collectable vintage artist work, hand blown glass, and art-based gifts and sculptures.”
Graham had always had the ambition of opening a gallery, and aided by the knowledge gained in his degree in Fine Art, the company has progressed within the last four years to exhibiting full blown contemporary fine art. Graham’s expertise has been incredibly useful to their clients, as they can confidently liaise with him about the gallery’s various featured exhibitions, and his art history knowledge is even appreciated by customers who have just popped in to choose a frame.
Graham tells us: “We find it true that if you give a customer your time, they will appreciate that above all, and it definitely improves the outcome regarding the choices they make. We never time a consultation; it will always be what it needs to be - and that can be different for every client.”
But it has not always been an easy ride. Rising costs are an ever-present problem, and business rates and rents have doubled in recent years. It has been known that the high street is in need of help for some time, but Graham and Sharon believe that not enough is being done to alleviate this problem. Sharon says: “Smart retailers concentrate on what they can have an effect on, for us that is offering a wide choice of framing and art, trading up wherever possible and keeping an eye on the quality of our service. Excellent customer relations are key to longevity - if a problem occurs, just talk to your client. Nothing gets resolved by silence.”
The tell us that they have an incredibly loyal customer base, but London is a big place, so they make sure to stay on top of updating their social media channels in order to attract clients from all over.
As they don’t view themselves as a large corporate gallery, they are happy to be able to take more of a risk on the artists they choose to show, allowing them to also create a more personal and relaxed experience for their clients. They recently hosted ‘ART IN A BOX II’, a charity exhibition which auctioned off artwork from famous artists, with all the proceeds donated to CALM and Together for Short Lives. Larson-Juhl is incredibly proud to be the frame supplier for this fantastic exhibition!
Sharon and Graham tell us: “We were first approached about ‘ART IN A BOX II’ by Derrick Hicks, our outstanding Larson-Juhl rep. We have had a long association with Derrick, he has been a great listener over the years and has offered support when needed. So, when he introduced me to Paul at Eazl we were happy to listen. The project has been amazing, and we are delighted for Paul and his small team, all the artists and sponsors, and of course the beneficiaries; CALM and Together for Short Lives.”
To see more of the ‘ART IN A BOX II’ exhibition, visit the Graham Hunter Gallery website.
grahamhuntergallery.co.uk
They inherited a historic relationship with a very well-known retailer, which both Graham and Sharon tell us produced an unsustainable profit for them. They decided to increase the cost of framing which ended the relationship, but allowed them to focus on high quality, bespoke framing to a larger audience. This began the transformation of the business into what it is today; providing high-quality framing to conservation standards. They got rid of the ‘express’ aspect of the business, slowing everything down by introducing calm, order and higher quality.
Sharon tells us: “We also sold readymade frames, gifts and posters but recognised we were never able to compete with larger retailers such as IKEA. We instead recognised the importance of increasing the quality of our services across the board, so we moved away from mass produced items such as posters, to more collectable vintage artist work, hand blown glass, and art-based gifts and sculptures.”
Graham had always had the ambition of opening a gallery, and aided by the knowledge gained in his degree in Fine Art, the company has progressed within the last four years to exhibiting full blown contemporary fine art. Graham’s expertise has been incredibly useful to their clients, as they can confidently liaise with him about the gallery’s various featured exhibitions, and his art history knowledge is even appreciated by customers who have just popped in to choose a frame.
Graham tells us: “We find it true that if you give a customer your time, they will appreciate that above all, and it definitely improves the outcome regarding the choices they make. We never time a consultation; it will always be what it needs to be - and that can be different for every client.”
But it has not always been an easy ride. Rising costs are an ever-present problem, and business rates and rents have doubled in recent years. It has been known that the high street is in need of help for some time, but Graham and Sharon believe that not enough is being done to alleviate this problem. Sharon says: “Smart retailers concentrate on what they can have an effect on, for us that is offering a wide choice of framing and art, trading up wherever possible and keeping an eye on the quality of our service. Excellent customer relations are key to longevity - if a problem occurs, just talk to your client. Nothing gets resolved by silence.”
The tell us that they have an incredibly loyal customer base, but London is a big place, so they make sure to stay on top of updating their social media channels in order to attract clients from all over.
As they don’t view themselves as a large corporate gallery, they are happy to be able to take more of a risk on the artists they choose to show, allowing them to also create a more personal and relaxed experience for their clients. They recently hosted ‘ART IN A BOX II’, a charity exhibition which auctioned off artwork from famous artists, with all the proceeds donated to CALM and Together for Short Lives. Larson-Juhl is incredibly proud to be the frame supplier for this fantastic exhibition!
Sharon and Graham tell us: “We were first approached about ‘ART IN A BOX II’ by Derrick Hicks, our outstanding Larson-Juhl rep. We have had a long association with Derrick, he has been a great listener over the years and has offered support when needed. So, when he introduced me to Paul at Eazl we were happy to listen. The project has been amazing, and we are delighted for Paul and his small team, all the artists and sponsors, and of course the beneficiaries; CALM and Together for Short Lives.”
To see more of the ‘ART IN A BOX II’ exhibition, visit the Graham Hunter Gallery website.
grahamhuntergallery.co.uk
