The Framing Centre

Framing good service and reputation

When your motto is ‘custom framing down to a fine art’ that’s a lot to live up to, but The Framing Centre on Fareham’s High Street has consistently done that for nearly 40 years.

Left to right: Kev, Helen and Paul It’s a friendly, independent, family-run business established in 1985, originally as Fast Frame, which husband-and-wife team Paul and Helen Raby (centre and right) took over in 2006 when the original owners retired to Spain. The team is completed by Kevin Hoar (left) who is a Fine Art Trade Guild Commended Framer and the team has nearly 70 years’ framing experience between them.

Paul and Kev make everything in the back workshop, serve the customers and they assemble all the work together, with Helen also helping and a welcoming front-of-house presence for customers old and new.

Business is split 80% framing and 20% limited edition prints sales – with Paul and Helen having always dealt with the big publishers like DeMontfort Fine Art – and they’ve been blessed with a consistently busy word-of-mouth workload and a fiercely loyal customer base from all walks of life since taking up the reins.

Paul explains: “I reckon three quarters of our business comes from repeat, so we’re hopefully living up to our motto - and we do attract people from all over Hampshire and beyond. We frame literally anything, including some strange items recently, like a bat and piranha. Paul puts a lot of that longevity and success down to great teamwork, his relationship with Larson-Juhl and especially his area sales manager, Derrick Hicks, who he describes as a “brilliant professional and the loveliest fella to deal with.” He says: “Derrick just gets on and sorts things for us and it means we can consistently deliver to our customers and never let them down.”

He’s also a big fan of the Larson-Juhl online ordering system, because it is so easy to use and means that checking stock levels reliably and accurately keeps him one step ahead of lead times and the current supply chain issues affecting all industries. Paul adds: “I can’t recommend it highly enough; in fact over 90% - and rising - of my mouldings are now Larson-Juhl, on top of all our mountboards, and it’s down to the convenience of this system. I just can’t be doing with the hassle I used to get from stocking lots of different suppliers.

“Our personal favourite is the Sofia range, it is popular with our customers who want that something extra special and we actually have it in our own home.

“Post pandemic though, people are becoming more adventurous again, with striking grey, silver and metals in big demand and also the Farrow & Ball-type hues. And having recently received samples of the latest Colorato mouldings range - that went down a storm with six jobs using it in only the first week!”

Outside of work, Paul is guitarist for one of the UK’s top tribute acts ‘Whitefake’ (covering all the hits from legendary rock and power ballad combo, Whitesnake) and they gig all over the country at a semi-pro level.

He concludes: “A lot of musicians tend to be frustrated artists, and vice versa, so I meet a lot of fellow musicians who work in similar or related industries. We have to be really on the ball, as fans expect us to sound just like the band themselves, but it’s a good release from the day job and my own way of expressing myself creatively – as I was only ever A Level Art standard at school.”

“With a lot of naval bases down here we frame sets of medals and military memorabilia too. During the pandemic a few framers nearby closed, so we have picked up some extra business, we’ve never been busier. It all adds up to a very busy workshop and means we’ve never had to advertise from day one, plus there isn’t any time for social media.” “Besides, all Larson-Juhl products are quality and lovely to work with, plus the mouldings especially give a superb join and finish. White and black are still classics, while oak is a perennial favourite and I do a lot with the Essentials range which is always popular.

430 973

https://framing-centre.com/