By Gretchen Webster
WESTPORT – At Framebridge, just about anything can be framed – a favorite player or child’s sports jersey, programs from unforgettable Broadway shows, seashells as the highlight of a photo gallery from a family beach vacation, or even a vintage bathing suit.
This is a selection of the items brought in for framing at the new Framebridge store at 123 Post Road East, which opened Saturday.
“We are very excited about the new pieces,” said Danielle Provost, a consultant for the new store. “I’m sure Westport has some very interesting artwork.”
Provost, like other consultants in the 25 stores in the nationwide Framebridge chain, has been trained to help customers select personalized frame designs and frame styles from the wide selection available in-store and online.
The Westport store is the first Framebridge store to open in Connecticut, with another store planned to open in New Canaan soon.
The company prides itself on “keeping our pricing transparent” so no one is shocked at the final price after a piece is framed, she said. “We’re a little cheaper than some other vendors.”
When a customer walks into the store, she helps them select a frame from the samples displayed on the wall, a matting, a clear acrylic protective cover, and the best hardware to hang the artwork or object. The selected frames are then sent to the company’s design center, where the piece is completed and shipped back to the store or directly to the customer within two weeks.
Although most frames are made from pine, specialty frames made from cherry or walnut are also available, as well as frames with specialty veneers or leaves. Frames can also be made in any size, with 40″ x 60″ being the limit. Framebridge consultants can also help clients create a “gallery wall” with lots of works.
“We can frame almost anything,” Provost said of three-dimensional treasures people want to hang on their walls – as long as they weigh less than 5 pounds and are no more than 1.5 inches thick, she said.
The store can even take, print and frame photos using mobile phones, she added.
Customers can also order framing materials through the company’s website and have the finished work shipped directly to them or the shop for pickup. However, Provost encourages customers, especially those who have not used the company’s services before, to stop by for a free consultation.
Framebridge is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. More information, Call 203-635-5469 or email [email protected].
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Freelance writer Gretchen Webster, a longtime Fairfield County journalist, has served as editor of the Fairfield Minuteman and taught journalism at New York University and Southern Connecticut State University.
