Custom Framing in Brooklyn

Woodman Frames is an appointment-led custom framing studio built around one premise: the artwork sets the terms for every material and construction decision that follows. The studio is based in Long Island City and works in-house with collectors, artists, galleries, interior designers, and corporate clients across Brooklyn.

Where We Work Across Brooklyn

Brooklyn is one of New York City's most active art and design boroughs, home to working artists, galleries, design studios, and a growing number of collectors and institutions. Woodman Frames works with clients throughout the borough, including Williamsburg, DUMBO, Park Slope, Greenpoint, Bushwick, and Brooklyn Heights, as well as with collectors and professionals across Manhattan and Queens.

The Long Island City studio is appointment-only. Clients bringing work from Brooklyn, or from across New York City, are welcome to schedule a consultation before any framing decision is made. For studio details specific to Long Island City, see Custom Framing in Long Island City.

Framing for Brooklyn Artists, Collectors, and Institutions

Woodman Frames works with artists, private collectors, art advisors, galleries, interior designers, and corporate and institutional clients across Brooklyn. Each group brings different priorities to a project, from edition consistency and exhibition deadlines to collection-wide specification and long-term display planning.

A consultation at the Long Island City studio considers the artwork's medium, condition, scale, and display setting before any frame profile, mat, or glazing is selected. Individual pieces and multi-piece collections are handled to the same conservation standard.

The Frame as a Complete Conservation System

A frame is not a single decision. Mount, matboard, backing, spacers, glazing, profile, and finish work together to support and protect the artwork, and each component is selected for the specific piece rather than applied by default.

Matting uses 100% cotton rag board and acid-free backing. Works on paper are hinged using reversible methods, including Japanese tissue and wheat paste where appropriate, so the piece can be reframed or treated in the future without damage. Photography, canvas, textiles, and mixed media are each mounted using methods suited to that medium rather than one universal approach.

Glazing options include Museum Glass and UV-filtering acrylic. Museum Glass is not automatically the right choice for every piece — acrylic can offer practical advantages for larger or lighter-weight installations, and the appropriate glazing depends on the artwork's size, weight, display conditions, and reflection control needs.

This system reduces exposure to ultraviolet light, acid migration, and the structural risks that come with unstable materials. No framing method can guarantee that a piece will never fade, age, or need future treatment, and Woodman Frames does not claim otherwise. The goal is to reduce avoidable risk while keeping the piece open to future conservation work.

Frame Profiles Milled and Finished In-House

Frame profiles are milled, joined, and finished at the Long Island City studio using solid hardwoods, including maple, ash, cherry, oak, walnut, and tiger maple, along with select white oak, mahogany, sapele, wenge, and rosewood. Joinery uses a spline system, and finishes range from natural oil, wax, and lacquer to custom stains, whitewash, and pigmented tones.

Profile, depth, and finish are chosen in relation to the artwork's scale, surface, and tone, so the frame supports the piece rather than competing with it. Aluminum frames in brushed, anodized, or powder-coated finishes, along with hybrid metal-and-wood designs, are available for work that calls for a different material language.

Canvas, Oversized, and Specialist Framing

Canvas work is stretched on kiln-dried bars, with aluminum-reinforced systems available for larger pieces, and set in hardwood or aluminum floater frames. Oversized and specialist framing covers scrolls, textiles, fragile works on paper, and mixed media, using custom strainers and reinforced backing where the piece requires additional structural support.

Scale and weight are planned for early in the consultation, since glazing weight and structural support affect the profile and mounting method chosen for the piece.

A Consultation Built Around the Artwork

Every project begins with a consultation to review the artwork, goals, scale, and timeline. From there, the studio selects profiles, finishes, mats, and glazing for preservation and visual balance, then mills, joins, sands, and finishes the frame in-house.

Mounting and glazing take place in a dust-free environment using archival, fully reversible methods. Finished pieces are packaged for safe delivery, with coordination available with professional art handlers on request. Timing depends on the scope and finish of each project and is discussed during the consultation.

Framing for Interiors, Galleries, and Exhibitions

Framing decisions affect how artwork reads within a room or an exhibition space, from lighting and scale to architectural context and sightlines. Woodman Frames works with collector homes, corporate offices, galleries, and interior design projects across Brooklyn and the wider city, with attention to how each piece or collection fits its display setting.

For collections and multi-piece projects, consistent specification across frames helps the work read as a cohesive group rather than a series of unrelated pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions About Custom Framing in Brooklyn

To discuss a piece, a collection, or an upcoming exhibition, contact Woodman Frames to arrange a consultation at the Long Island City studio. Bring the artwork, its dimensions, and any display considerations, and the studio will work through the framing decisions from there.

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