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Qualified picture framers John and De Fulljames say that their lives are devoted to picture framing, and that kind of intensity and 24/7 commitment is what has made them so successful.
The couple has been framing for around 35 years and opened in Orewa 17 years ago, but called it quits in 2013, selling Orewa Picture Framing.
“We were burnt out,” John says. “It was time to slow down and have a break.”
The plan was to head off for a well-earned retirement, however it was not to be.
“We got bored at home. We missed the everyday environment of meeting people and creating clients’ art– that was our life.”
Knowing that the business in Cammish Lane was on the market, they decided they would return and at the end of last month re-opened as Orewa Picture Framing 2015.
John says it’s great to again be dealing with customers such as Estuary Arts, which they supported since its early days, and many other long-term clients as well as new ones.
John and De say after their day at the shop is finished, they continue working at home, where they have a laser machine.
“We’ve always done our acrylic cutting at home, and supply several other picture framers,” John says.
The acrylic product they use, called Plexiglaze, is imported from Germany.
John says it is superior to glass, because it’s so clear (100 percent clarity) that it almost can’t be seen, has a UV blocker and is also available in non-glare.
“We still use glass when customers require it, but 99 percent of the time we use Plexiglaze because of its safety, clarity and UV properties,” he says.
He says the equipment used in framing has changed beyond recognition in the years since he first took up framing, as a hobby, in 1968.
John was taught by a German framer, who had learned the craft from his grandfather.
“He taught me skills like making moulds, which still comes in handy when we’re doing restoration work on ornate frames,” John says.
Tasks that were once done by hand are now assisted by the latest equipment such as electronic joining machines and hydraulic guillotines.
Despite this, John and De say it’s putting in the hours that counts.
“I don’t mind spending Sunday cutting acrylic,” John says. “I’d rather do that than sit down with a cup of tea and read the paper in any case.”
Contact details:
Address: Unit E, Tamariki Plaza, Cammish Lane, Orewa
Phone: 09 427 8124
