Boulevard Frame & Art

Out of business. Closed as of Dec. 2014.
Confirmed by other Frame shops and previous
Customers. Sat Dec ²⁰⁄₂₀₁₄. Busiest week end before Christmas ~ Boulavard Frame is CLOSEd. No sign any
Where telling customers how to get or pick up their framing for Christmas? No response to phone calls or messages left on answering machine or yo emails. Website indicates answering machine is not working, obviously neither is the stores manager or owner!

I disagree strongly with the reviewer Sarah D. While I can appreciate her concern for her Mother, her review is second hand from the other side of the country. And her family’s past experience was in an entirely different world and economy.
Boulevard is NOT a «rip-​off.» Before going there, I did my own research on the prices of framing materials, which have skyrocketed in the past couple of years. I also visited the shop itself to check it out and speak with the owners/​framers. I believe that framing is as much of an art and the art items it embraces.
The most valuable things I own and care deeply about are in my art collection. Everything else I could live without. So, I am very, very fussy. I believe that I paid a fair and reasonable price for the excellent work done.
I made an appointment on a Wednesday, when they are — very sensibly I think — closed except for appointments. I spent about and hour working with Gabriel and Alex experimenting with mats and frames for the two pieces I entrusted to their care. I had a blast. Together we played, uninterrupted, with different matting and frames.
The largest piece is a textile abstract which is tricky, because it has varying depths which required that the piece be mounted to accommodate this. The smaller piece is a colored pencil portrait. I had both pieces double matted with suede mats (the most expensive mat material) and wood framing that perfectly presented each piece. I also opted for museum quality glass, again the most expensive, but also the best.
Art is like food, «presentation is everything.» However, with art you get to eat your cake and have it too.

My family has been coming here for years, and they were always so efficient and reasonable with their prices. In the last year or so it seems that someone else is running the place (the daughter, I was told), and it has turned from a wonderful family run place into a complete rip-​off. Hiking up prices for a 10-​day turn-​around because that is considered a «rush» service? If it is something really large or complicated, sure, but a frame for a piece of artwork that is 12 inches should never amount to a $ 300. And then, to make matters worse, when they messed up on the job, but then charged another $ 50 to fix their mistake! Terrible.
This was my mother’s experience, and I am really sorry I was not there to make sure she wasn’t taken advantage of like this. Clearly this is not an isolated incident as you can see a similar feedback on google.