Framing spaces: thinking of mining the interior design trade for new clients? Before you bid, find out what designers want in a custom framer

Art Business News, April, 2003 by Tricia Bisoux

Framers who target designers, however, don't always need 10,000 samples on the wall. Although selection is important, residential and commercial designers also appreciate framers who have access to an array of external resources.

Flexibility, with both time and budgetary constraints, is another quality designers look for in a framer. "As designers, we are often pressed for time, so a framer who can access materials quickly, especially if we're in a rush, is big," said Ruiz.

In addition to time, these designers didn't deny that price is an issue for them. But it's a misconception that most designers are only interested getting rock-bottom prices. Instead, they appreciate framers who can achieve the best look for the framing budget they have, whether they're spending $1,000 or $100,000.

"Many times I'll see a beautiful Italian wood frame, but it's too expensive for my client's budget," Ruiz added. "I like framers who offer different styles in a variety of price ranges and are willing to create a similar look for half the price using a moulding in a less expensive line."

Finally, an understanding of what the designer is trying to accomplish is just icing on the cake--or the gilt on the frame--as far as Schroeder is concerned. "As much as I know what I want, I love a framer with good taste who can help me target exactly what I need," she said. "I like it when I tell them I need a classical look, and when I start picking things out, they'll tell me, `No, no, that won't work.' Then, they instantly narrow it down to 10 great samples, and I can just make it happen."

Working Relationships

Each designer comes with his or her individual sense of style, so it can take time for a framer to learn which products and approaches really hit the mark. But these designers noted that it's essentially about framing spaces, as well as artwork.

Framers who take the extra steps--from requesting pictures of the room to studying fabric swatches and furniture finishes to finding out about placement--put themselves in a better position to serve this segment of the market. So, the next time you're met with a "designer's challenge" to add that piece de la resistance to his or her vision, you'll know just how to deliver.

Have Designs on the Interior Design Market?

Here's what it takes to make interior designers a pleasant and profitable part of your framing business

What framer wouldn't want a steady stream of new clients coming through the door--especially if they were clients who often designed their own frames, required little time and attention, generated thousands of dollars in additional revenue and always came back for more.

That kind of business is what the interior design trade offers picture framers--but it's not won without some effort, said Mary Inden of The Gilded Edge Frames & Gallery of Elm Grove, Wis. Picture framers have to do their due diligence to make these relationships work.

Framers often only hear about the negative sides of working with designers, said Inden, rather than how to make the most of what this part of the market has to offer. In response, Inden, who has worked successfully with interior designers since 1995, recently gave a presentation titled "Working with Interior Designers--What's the Secret?" to her local PPFA chapter. The secret, she advised, is to take a few preventative measures to avoid some of the common difficulties of working with the designer market altogether: