Village Business Profile: Big Picture Framing

Big Picture Framing 81 Union Street, Newton Centre and 60 Needham Street, Newton Highlands (plus other locations)

Barry Stahl & Bob Clayton opened Big Picture Framing, Boston’s premier chain of custom framing stores, in 2000.  (Barry was raised in Newton, but now lives in Metrowest.)

What motivated you to get into business? 11 years ago, we looked around at how custom framing was being done and knew that we could offer customers more.  We wanted to give them their cake AND let ‘em eat it, too.  We came up with a plan that gives everybody who needs something framed a fantastic framing experience.  We provide superior design, fast service, an unparalleled unconditional guarantee, and the best everyday prices in framing.

What is the biggest kick you get out of doing business in Newton? Newton is such a tight-knit community so we get to operate like a small business, which is what we like.  Our Newton customers get to know a lot of the staff by name and ask for specific framers whenever they come back.  It’s humbling to think of how many homes in Newton are hung with art that’s gone through our hands – that’s a kick that a lot of jobs just don’t give you.

Who inspires you? We’re inspired by our customers when they bring us unusual items to frame.  We’re constantly being asked to frame things that require us to be inventive, both as designers and as engineers.

Who is your business hero? Any business that puts customer service first & foremost.  Regardless of the service or product that somebody provides, excellent service for each customer has to be present. Otherwise factors like price, location, and size mean nothing.

What is your biggest business challenge? Sharing the value of custom work with customers who have never done framing before.  We live in a mass market society and framing goes against that “here today gone tomorrow” approach that a lot of off-the-shelf items come with today.  If it’s worth hanging in your home, it should be made to last.

What do you know for sure? That we all deserve to have beauty in our lives – whether it’s a priceless painting, or a drawing that your child did at school that day – the things that people frame represent what is truly valuable to all of us: memories.

What do you do when your well is empty/you need to recharge your batteries? We look at the artistry of our employees.  They do creative problem solving on a very detailed level every day.  It keeps our business moving forward.

What one piece of advice would you offer a new/prospective Newton business owner? Whatever business you’re looking to get into, make sure that it’s something you love.  That sounds cliché, but it’s makes your work and your life, full and meaningful.

What do you want your customers to know about you? That we love the experience of handing them back their framed art.  People have trouble imagining just how different their picture will be after it’s framed and the look on their faces when they first see it is very gratifying to us.