Pretty Like Pictures

A visit to the Larson-Juhl showroom has helped inspire an Oxfordshire customer’s impressive shop and gallery upgrade.

PRETTY GOOD SHOWING

Pretty Like Pictures is based in the quaint market town of Thame, near Oxford, and when they recently completed a Covid delayed revamp to consolidate the business, an invite to HQ from area sales manager Simon Davies, proved to be a catalyst.

Owner and creative director, Robin Eade, explains: “I was struck by the design and layout of the showroom; it’s smart, clean and tidy and I really appreciated how their product was displayed, as it showed off their excellent array of mouldings to full effect. In terms of creating beautiful spaces, a frame can be as important as what is inside it, so presentation is very important to me. Robin has been immersed in art all his life (his father is a celebrated artist) with a degree in Commercial Interior Design from the London School of Printing, and a successful career in interior design with leading companies including Fired Earth. His pragmatic approach for Pretty Like Pictures means he creates solutions that complement both artwork and the wide variety of living spaces that house them.

Their services range from complete bespoke moulding to a simple reglaze or mount cutting or the 3D approach for precious memorabilia, and aside from all things framing, it’s about showcasing innovative design with fresh, contemporary art – and their windows display artwork that is surprising and playful, with a story to tell.

Designer-led

“The HQ visit gave me the impetus to optimise the aesthetics of our refurbishment and I now feel the shop and gallery is a true reflection of where we want and need to be. We’re all about bringing eye-catching, modern art and design to the community, but at affordable prices, so I especially like the Larson-Juhl Signature collection, as it’s designer-led like us.”

Imaginative selection

The Pretty Like Pictures gallery features an impressive range of original pieces, plus all sorts of unusual ephemera - all nicely rounded off with an imaginative selection of photo frames, hand-made cards and gift wrap sourced from taste makers from all around the world.

Additionally, they carry prints from a number of publishers including Aquarelle and Jealous Gallery, but include emerging and eclectic artists as well as more recognisable names like Quentin Blake’s Roald Dahl limited editions and Lauren Child’s Lola illustrations.

Pretty Like Pictures also benefits from a loyal and appreciative customer base, who know what they want - whether it’s more traditional framing or ultra modern solutions. Word-of-mouth referrals and recommendations, rather than social media activity, are very much to the fore.

Quick and efficient ordering

“I’m also a big fan of the Larson-Juhl web ordering service, as it’s simple to use and very convenient. I can literally do it from my phone, from anywhere. Their delivery is consistently quick and efficient too.

“Anything else is sorted by Simon Davies, who’s a lovely chap and approaches business the same way as I do. He knows and understands what I want and facilitates that, plus there’s no pressure – and we just click, simple as that.”

This view is reciprocated by Simon who says: “Robin has done a wonderful job with the new look and I’m delighted that we were able to play a small part in his vision of the future. He’s a very forward thinking and positive individual and while his business might be located in a smaller town, he attracts interest from much further afield - as he’s ahead of the curve.”

https://www.prettylikepictures.com/

State-of-the-art technology

Now that they properly look the part upstairs, Robin also has exciting plans to improve the workshop below and make it even more slick and efficient to support the growing business. That said, it’s already equipped with the revered Morso mitre guillotine and Gunnar Aoix Mount-Creator, which uses state-of-theart technology to cut any shape or style of mount perfectly – and enables them to team up with a number of specialists on bigger framing, restoration and interior design projects. He adds: “I’m very quality driven and that’s why there’s a natural synergy with Larson-Juhl. Their mouldings are superior quality and the choice is impressive, plus they help create an atmosphere of expectation in the gallery and an excitement for framing.

“Their mountboards are a cut above too and the conservation grades particularly stack up and look the part. They’re very well constructed as well and made to last.