Custom picture framing since 1990
Crafted by hand.
Archival framing for what you buy here and what you bring, by artisans certified by the Picture Framers Association of America.
- 36 years in business
- 40,000+ originals sold
- 50,000+ items framed
- Certificate of authenticity with every purchasepiece
Virtual framer
Choose a piece from the gallery, or a photo of your own. Try a mat and a moulding, then send us the design for a quote.
Four of our mouldings, from our own sample corners. We keep thousands more in the gallery; your consultation sets the design.
Framing a valuable piece
If it is important, preserve it.
Good framing makes a map or a print look its best, but it matters for more than looks. Choosing your framer is one of the smartest long-term investments you can make for a piece: our artisans use only museum-quality archival materials, so the artwork stays chemically and physically stable for the years ahead.
If you have made the investment in a rare map, or want to keep a family heirloom for the next generation, let us help.
Certified artisans
Certified by the Picture Framers Association of America, with more than fifty years of combined experience.
Archival materials only
Acid-free mats and backing and approved conservation methods, so the piece stays chemically and physically stable.
Glass that blocks 99% of UV light
Conservation Clear or Museum Glass, your choice: both block 99% of UV light, and Museum Glass gives the clearest view, with less glare.
Nothing touches the glass
A mat or a spacer keeps the paper off the glass: art that lies against glass can stick to it.
What clients say
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Five stars
“They did a wonderful job restoring, preserving and framing this treasured piece.”
Darrell, on his grandfather’s WW2 navigation map, framed here -
Five stars
“The final result looked even better than I imagined”
Kaitlyn, on two special pieces framed with Jeff and Ed
Our framed work
Pieces that have left our workshop, from botanicals and Texas currency to objects and contemporary paintings. Only a small taste: our walls in the gallery are full of more.
What we frame
From an original Picasso to your child's first drawing. Our mouldings run from period-appropriate classics to contemporary designs.
From the gallery
- Any piece you buy here or online
- We hold it until the framing is settled
- Framed before it ships, fully insured
Your own pieces
- Maps, prints, photographs and documents
- Fabric, scientific objects, memorabilia and contemporary art
- Drop it off or ship it; we measure before the final price
How it works
The same five steps in the gallery or on a video call.
- 1
Consult
In the gallery, or by phone, FaceTime or Zoom if you are not in Houston. Tell us about the piece, the room and what you like; we can design with you live on the call.
- 2
See design options
We send photographs of several designs with our quote, and keep working with you until the design and the price are right.
- 3
Approve, with a deposit
A deposit of at least 50% confirms the order. Framing your own piece? Drop it off or ship it to us so we can measure it exactly before the final price.
- 4
Framed in our workshop
Archival materials throughout.
- 5
Collect it, or we ship it
Pieces bought online can be framed before they ship, fully insured to their purchase price.
Start your framing
Book a framing consultation
In the gallery, or by phone, FaceTime or Zoom if you are not in Houston. Bring the piece, or a photo of it and the wall it will hang on, and we will listen to your goals and propose options that fit your taste and budget.
Buying a piece online to frame? Call us before or soon after you order, so it does not ship before we have talked.
Call (713) 622-7531Tuesday – Friday: 10 am – 6 pm
Saturday: 11 am – 5 pm
Sunday & Monday: Closed, or by appointment
Or email info@theantiquarium.com.
The framing guide
Inside the frame: archival framing means museum-quality materials and approved conservation methods, so the piece stays chemically and physically stable. Acid-free mats and backing, glass that blocks 99% of UV light, and a mat that keeps the paper off the glass.
We usually frame works on paper with a rag mat or a fabric-wrapped mat. The mat keeps the piece flat and off the glass: with the changes in humidity and temperature every piece lives through, paper laid against glass can stick to it, and separating them can do damage that cannot be undone.
Nothing acidic belongs in an archival frame, so our mats and backing have little to no acid content.
A fillet (say fih-LAY or FIH-let) is a slim moulding with a flat lip that sits between the art and the edge of the mat. It adds depth and a line of definition, usually in the colour and style of the frame, and it can be handmade or cut from length moulding. On a larger piece it gives the matted work more presence.
Hand linework is a dying art: fine lines drawn on the mat around the opening, with more subtlety than a fillet. Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574) drew some of the first recorded examples around the Old Master drawings in his albums.
We can draw lines in almost any colour, add marbled paper borders or paint the mat bevels. Ask for your colours, or let our framers choose ink and paper to suit the image.
We offer two glasses, Conservation Clear and Museum Glass. Both block 99% of UV light, the single biggest factor in how long a piece lasts. Museum Glass gives the clearest view, with less glare; it costs more, depending on the size of the piece.
Some pieces are glazed with acrylic instead: some media should not sit behind glass, and very large glass is heavy and can shatter. The acrylic equivalents are UV Clear and Museum Acrylic.
Our framers emboss detail into fabric mats and backings, the finishing touch for a shadow box or a float frame. We also cut paper detailing, a favourite for college diplomas.
We carry handmade frames from workshops around the world, some with legacies that go back generations. Because we work directly with the frame makers, a handmade frame can be changed to suit the piece: its colour, its ornament, even its depth.
Sometimes length moulding is the right choice, for the size of the piece, the budget or the time. It comes to us ready-made for assembly, so there are fewer ways to change it, and we keep thousands of samples in stock.
Statuary, historical artifacts and anything that will not fit a picture frame: we work with expert fabricators who build museum-quality display cases for pieces of every shape and size.
Questions
About framing
Can you frame it before it ships?
Yes. Framing consultations can be done by video if you are not in Houston. Add a note when you order, or book a consultation first, and we hold the piece until the design is approved.
Can you frame something I already own?
Yes. Bring it to the gallery, or ship it to us, so we can measure it exactly; the design and the final price are settled with you before we start.
What materials do you use?
Archival materials only, in every frame we make: acid-free mats and backing, and Conservation Clear or Museum Glass, both with 99% UV protection.
Can you frame objects, not just paper?
Yes: shadow boxes for buttons, pennants, tickets and memorabilia, and display cases made by expert fabricators for statuary and artifacts.
