I dropped in at Design Frames with a set of four prints (no appointment needed) and came away so happy to have found a framing workshop locally where everyone is so attentive, expert, dedicated, and helpful. I greatly enjoyed working with Kaily, a framer with technical expertise and terrific aesthetic sensibility. With Kaily's assistance I was able to compare frame styles and materials, mat colors and combinations, glass choices and sealing techniques. Kaily offered great suggestions that really moved us along from discussing my vague ideas to making decisions that moved the project steadily closer to the attractive and thoughtfully framed pieces I hoped for. I never felt rushed. I felt very welcome in the studio shop. The staff (owner and associates) worked as a team to bring the project together. My artworks are beautifully framed using quality materials that enhance and protect the pieces. The framing materials and style coordinate with my living room decor in a harmonious way. The process was creative and exciting, and I'm truly delighted with the finished set of framed prints. Sincere thanks to all at Design Frames! read more

Mark and his team have done a brilliant job of framing the paintings in our house. We have brought in paintings in old frames that often look tired and outdated. The team cheerfully and patiently works with us in choosing new frames and mats that bring our art back to life. They provide acid free matting but also be sure to ask for museum glass! The framing we have had done here has brought us much happiness over the years. read more

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If you have a Yelp ad and a voicemail that says you are open on Saturday then you should be. Very disappointing!

It's such a pleasure to work with the folks at Design Frames. We just framed our third piece with them, and this one was especially meaningful. I don't have an eye for matting and framing, especially figuring out colors - but they sure do. And once you go with museum glass, you will never go back! As for value, the cost is commensurate with the quality of the product and experience of the staff. Highly recommend working with Design Frames to frame your "forever pieces" that hold special meaning. read more

I would expect that the first rule of art framing is don't damage the art. I would be careful in choosing to bring your art here.

This framing shop gets a lot of 5 star reviews for a reason. It was my first time visiting them and my large print ended up beautifully, skillfully framed. I worked with Taffy who was very patient as I pulled many frame molding samples to view next to my art. She helped with the various mat board colors (which white??) and we chose a double mat which complimented the piece nicely. The final price was comparable with other framers (never inexpensive). I am happy to have found this framing shop! read more

Thank your Mark & team at Design Frames! I needed a puzzle framed/mounted and didn't want to go to a place like Michaels, so turned to yelp to help me find a place. Mark was super friendly and really a pleasure to talk to. He gave me plenty of choices and price options. He gave me an estimated "ready by" date and it was finished over a week before the promised by date. He even gave me a suggestion of his favorite sandwich to get from Spacebar next door since I was stopping there after dropping off my puzzle. :-) I do have something else I need framed at some point in the future, and will definitely be returning to Design Frames. read more

Fabulous framing experience! As a former framer myself I am very particular about who/where I take my projects. I knew immediately that Mark and his staff were true experienced professionals that know their stuff. Not all framers are equal...this is a very technical business! They not only utilize the best of conservation framing methods, they finished my piece faster than expected, and were delightful. Will absolutely be a repeat client! read more

I arrived at Design Frames only to see steps at the entry. I called to ask if it had wheelchair accessibility. They said yes, then replied, "well we do have that a couple of steps." It does not take much to purchase a small removable ramp to have for guests who need it to use. They did not. They said the building was old. That is NOT an excuse or exception under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). You must make your business accessible if it is readily achievable to do so under the ADA. A small portable ramp certainly is. I would implore you to think about the message your local business sends to community members of Falls Church that cannot enjoy simple access because it was never considered by your business. I look forward to seeing your addition of a ramp! read more

I came in to get my Tyler Stout "Drive" movie poster framed. If you're familiar with his work, all his posters are limited and numbered. I couldn't just get it framed with a cheap plastic frame from Walmart. This needed special attention. Looking at yelp reviews, this place had an expert. Came in Saturday afternoon and was greeted by Mark, the owner. Mark was very warm-hearted, welcoming and informative, providing great frame suggestions I never would have thought of. He suggested getting a pink inner frame with a metallic black outer frame, and even brought up a computer generated image with my poster with the proposed frame! He also suggested dry-mounting to preserve the poster's value should I wish to ever resell the poster, and to use spacers and an acid free backing. For glass choices he showed us samples around the store. I ended up getting the just black frame with museum glass. Mark gave cleaning and maintenance suggestions, saying to use a micro fiber cloth with an ammonia free glass cleaner. He even carried it to the car. I will definitely be coming back! read more

Design Frames - Drive, by Tyler Stout - Framing Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

I looked at the reviews for all of the framing shops in the area. Design Frames had the best reviews! There was a reason they had excellent reviews across the board! They do excellent work and they provide quality service! I recommend them highly! If you have that special framing project this is THE place! read more

I recently brought in four pieces to Design Frames, two pieces that needed to be fixed and rematted and two old family pieces that required complicated work and new frames. I picked them up as promised and brought them home yesterday. They are all perfect. The team at Design Frames totally exceeded our expectations and I will never go to another frame shop! read more

I gave them a challenging task. Repairing a 150 year old mourning hair art piece, that my cat broke the glass. They were brilliant in replacing the glass, cleaning up the mat and presenting me with a family heirloom that is good to go for the next 150 years. read more

I am a long time customer of Design Frames. I had my first work completed here in 2001 or so. The owner, Mark has incredible energy and great design skills. I'm an artist, myself, so I'm very concerned with design and presentation. I have things framed in a clean gallery style for my work in shows. While over the years, I've branched out to really work the frame design to become part of the art. I thank Design Frames for helping me develop my freedom in the frame design, that is the ability to think beyond the white mat. I love the ideas and possibilities they offer with multiple layered fabric wrapped mats. Recently, Mark completed a design for me of a photograph by Barry Schmetter. The work is a wet plate collodion photograph. This is one of the oldest techniques available by a limited group of photographers today. I wanted something unique, and Mark pulled out all the stops. He floated the wet plate photograph (or tin type) over a leather background with a suede top mat and a great distressed frame to give the work some age, and museum glass for protection and clarity. I couldn't be happier, and there is no other framer I would consider working with. read more

Design Frames - Monkey skulls (Wet Plate Photo by Barry Schmetter) Framed by Design Frames. Skulls are a little scary but the frame is Awesome! - Framing Near Me - Falls Church, Virginia

One of the best experiences I've had with customer service in any store I've visited for custom work. After speaking with an associate who was extremely courteous, the owner happened to come in and pick up seamlessly with the conversation resulting in a sale of a print and frame which work perfectly. I was in need of a last minute gift for my parents anniversary and your store did not disappoint! read more

I placed an order on the internet and paid with PayPal on August 21st. It is now September 25th and no framed delivered nor notice of when to expect with tracking for shipped items. I will call them tomorrow since no one answered my email but it looks like a bad situation. I'm not very hopeful. DoctorOH read more

Amazing local business. Will go there to get my art work and pictures framed even if I have to pay more for it. Here is why. My husband and I recently purchased an oversized piece of abstract art that we wanted to have hung horizontally instead of vertically as was originally intended. The wire cords on the back of the frame were oriented for it be hung vertically. We called this business to see if they could add the wires to the back of the frame so we could hang it the other way - completely prepared to pay some sort of ridiculous fee since it was not their framing job, or product - but the folks at Design Frames said no problem - just bring this huge piece of art in and they would do it for FREE. Who does that anymore?? No one. No business will just do things because its easy for them to do it and costs very little in order to get repeat or future business. But this one did! And they were so patient and kind about it as well. I could also tell that they took their work seriously as they offer several museum quality products/ options. read more

Upon entering the door, I saw two rooms: a workspace crammed with all sorts of frames in various states and a second room with walls lined with different frames and one smiling man welcoming you in. He introduces himself as Mark and we get to talking about our different options. This place is everything you want from a framing store. Simple, no frills, great personal service. Highly recommend. read more

If I could put down six stars I would, and then give one to myself because it's important to love yourself. Anyway, I came in for a routine job expecting a few days turn around and walked out with my completed product for a price much lower than I thought I was going to get. Can't recommend this place more! read more

I got three of my grandfather's paintings framed at Design Frames, and was so impressed with the end result and the customer service that I went back to get three more done. Mark spent a considerable amount of time helping us pick the right frame and finishing for each painting. He was extraordinarily knowledgeable, seemed passionate about his work, and was friendly to boot. Custom framing is not cheap, but Mark was completely upfront about cost, and made sure to suggest options and combinations that were less costly. The framing was completed promptly, and the end result was beautiful. The next time we have framing needs, we will definitely be returning to Design Frames. read more

My wife and I just had a piece of 'art' we picked up in New Zealand framed by Mark. Honestly, must have spent the better part of an hour with Mark (shop owner) going over every combination one could think of to get the frame, border and inlay just right. He was patient, helpful, and extremely knowledgeable about what worked and what didn't. He is a master at his craft. As another reviewer put it, 'This place is everything you want from a framing store. Simple, no frills, great personal service.' Not only would I not hesitate to go back I would encourage others to go. read more

Mark was so helpful in stretching two large paintings for me - he walked me through the whole process on the phone, gave me information about pricing estimates and trade offs upfront, asked thoughtful questions to make sure I would be getting exactly what I wanted, and met a deadline that was a bit faster than the timeframe they normally work on to make sure I got my paintings back before we had friends at our house. I've had other framing work done and Design Frame's quality is so much better that I'm planning to have them redo the work of other shops. I called many framing stores to find a good fit and no one was nearly as thorough, kind, patient with my questions, or had close to as competitive pricing as Design Frames - I'll be going back to them again and again. read more

I noted the good ratings that Design Frames had and so I chose them to frame my very nice piece. The job took way too long. I didn't get my framed picture back for over a month. The job was done in just over 6 weeks? Then I got a call saying my frame was done but then I got a backup call telling me they put in the wrong glass on it..? This job took another week to finally be completed. I would not recommend this framing company to do my framing next time due to the inconveniences that i had to endure. I am giving you my honest review of this company, please make your own opinion. read more

Had two items framed. One consisted of a full matting and frame, the other was essentially just assembly. I could not be happier! The work was excellent! Everything turned out better than I imagined. I will be back to Design Frames for my framing needs in the future! read more

Excellent and friendly customer service. Fixed glass in a frame for us and even touched up an existing frame. Would absolutely return here again! read more

This is really a special establishment with a wonderful and highly skilled staff. Mark and his associates can frame just about anything; I've had them do two projects for me over the last couple of years, and both times the final product looked even better than I imagined it could. They know how to help the customer select mats and frames that bring out the colors and other elements in the artwork, while always ensuring that the artwork itself--not the framing--remains the center of attention. They make it look easy, but it's certainly not. When you walk in, Mark or one of his associates will greet you and examine your artwork with you, discussing various options, advantages and disadvantages of mats, and so on. There's no time pressure and no up-selling. It's really a very pleasant experience; they clearly love what they do, and they're very good at it. They won't put your artwork in a frame that doesn't complement and enhance it. With all that in mind, the prices are quite reasonable. Generally, the larger the item, the more it will cost -- but their large selection of frames enables them to work with a customer's budget. You can get serviceable work done elsewhere in N. Virginia and D.C., but if you want to frame something that's really important to you, this is the place to go. read more

Such creative and amazing work! Love Sherrie and Mark- two terrific professionals. They turned some dear, sentimental pieces into a work of art that I will pass down to my family. So glad I found them and I look forward to doing more projects worth them! read more

Mark is amazing! I have been using him for a few years now. We get wedding invitations framed there, as well as some art work. I give a price range & let him at it. One couple still tells us it's their favorite wedding gift. Looking forward to seeing what's next read more

This is the best picture framer in NoVa, hands down and I am surprised to find myself to be only the second reviewer. My search for a picture framer started after my parents sent me a poster print for my birthday picturing the old harbor of my German hometown and including a check to get it custom framed. After being rather disappointed about three other three Church picture framing stores I visited that day, I stumbled upon this store On my quest to find the best picture framer in Northern Virginia. I didn't expect good customer service based on my prior experience in the other framing stores and it was just less than an hour before closing time. I was fortunate to be greeted by Mark, the owner. I soon realized that he was superior in the knowledge of custom framing and in the way he treated his customers compared to the other custom framing stores in Falls Church I have been to that day. After I told him it was the first picture I ever got custom framed, he smiled and asked if I had a basic idea of what I would like the picture to look like. I told him I don't and would like him to show me some options. He didn't say like others picture framers "Well, what do you like on the wall", but instead pulled out four different wooden frame displays and explained why he thought they would compliment the picture. They all looked stunning. It was hard to imagine that he found four frames that looked great considering that the other stores I went to failed to find even one. Since it is often challenging to imagine the picture being framed after just seeing one short wooden display piece, Mark took a digital photo of my print and used a computer program to create a picture with the display frame around the whole picture. I now had a very good understanding how the picture would look like fully framed. The colors of the picture mats he suggested were perfectly chosen. He emphasized the golden hue of the clouds in the print by picking a warm ivory tone for the top mat and a grey-blue tone for the second underlying mat which would just stick out a quarter of an inch underneath the ivory picture mat. It was perfect. The other framing stores I went to were not able to find a matching mat, used either a plain white mat which was too cold of an color for this picture or a very bright blue which was not found in the picture and popped out of context. After we selected the frame and the picture mats, I looked at my watch and realized that we were past closing time. However, Mark did not rush me at all. He must really enjoy framing art in perfection. I thought, well this all looks very nice and the customer service was superior, but it must be way out of my budget. Needless to say, I was shocked after I found out that the price was within my budget, pretty much the same price the other three framing stores quoted me for using lower quality materials and worse customer service. The only downside was that it takes about 2 weeks to get the picture framed, because Mark's design frame shop is very busy. However, the wait is absolutely worth it. I brought the picture home 2 weeks later and my wife and I were stunned. It looks very classy, even better than expected and we get many compliments from our guests and even months later I am still amazed how well it turned out. As you can read on the store's website, Mark, the owner of the store is one of only 70 Master Certified Picture Framers(MCPF) worldwide. Winner of numerous National Framing Design Awards. Past President of the National Professional Picture Framers Association (PPFA) and President Elect of the Photo Marketing Association (PMA). I will always come back here for my picture framing, even if it was a longer drive and I am so glad I found this store! read more

Choosing a frame for a piece isn't easy. Their prices are comparable to any of those fake sale offers you get from big box stores except they truly know what they're doing and they treated my hundred dollar piece of art with as much care and attention to getting the right frame as if it were a masterpiece. I was definitely worried that my piece would be out of place in a store like this but they made me feel right at home and found the absolute perfect peace to go over my bed. read more

Mark and his team are absolutely fabulous! They were professional, courteous, fast and reasonably priced. I would recommend them to anyone - I'm very pleased with the work they did. read more

I recently used Design Frames to have two pieces framed. I had been looking for a good Frame Shop after my local framer moved away. I found Design Frames on Yelp and I was very impressed with every aspect of my experience with them. So many good things to say: the staff are very knowledgeable and made excellent suggestions on matting, colors, etc. They are also very friendly and the work was ready on the day promised. I am so pleased with this business that it is worth the drive from Prince William County to Fairfax. read more

Excellent framer. He knows what he's doing and he's very passionate about his work. No he's not the cheapest, but for (in my opinion) very little more than the other mass produced framing stores around he's SO much better and puts a personal touch in his work. I won't go to another framer. read more

We recently used Design Frames to have a large print framed. We were greeted warmly by the owner, Mark, when we first arrived and he spent lots of time helping us choose the right frame and matting for our print. Mark is very knowledgeable, relaxed, and has a knack for bringing out the inner-framer in all of us. With his guidance we chose the perfect frame and matting for our print. Although we knew the print was going to look good after our meeting with him, we didn't realize how good. It's now hanging on the wall and is by far the best looking piece of artwork in the whole house! read more

I love this place. They are always willing to listen about the story behind what I'm framing, they are creative and respectful and very patient. I've been to many frame shops in the area and they are the best. They are beyond the best! read more

I came in looking for a way to paint temporary wall art on a brick wall. Missy not only knew what I was talking about, but knew the newest and most user-friendly products to use to accomplish it. I learned so much information on this relatively specialized area of art! Thank you! read more

I really appreciated that they don't try to sell you what you do not need. I wanted matting for a photo and nothing else. He offered to do custom framing too, but said I wasn't interested. He dropped the subject and asked immediately asked me what matting color and dimensions I was looking for. read more

This review is long overdue! A couple of years ago, my workplace celebrated its ten-year anniversary and hosted a gala for its employees. As our corporate office is based out of Asia, they hired Chinese calligrapher and artist Bertrand Mao as one of the evening's entertainment. Mr. Mao created Chinese calligraphy name art for myself and my boyfriend. After the gala, we carefully transported the name art home and affixed it on a wall with a bit of Scotch tape. (Classy, I know.) About 6 months goes by and I had enough. We had lived at this apartment for about 3 years and nary a framed piece graced our walls. It was time to get the damned things framed. Being the meticulous person he is, my boyfriend researched and came to the conclusion that Design Frames would best suit our needs. What sealed the deal was he discovered that the owner, is one of the few certified Master Framers in the world. And on top of that, he was based in Falls Church! Win-win so far! We went in to check the place out and get an estimate. The moment we entered, there was a piece of framed Chinese calligraphy by the entrance! How fortuitous was that? It was as if we didn't have to strain our imaginations to see how our art would turn out! It so happened the owner Mark went to China years ago and their group went to a calligrapher as well. It was his name in Chinese, or the closest resemblance of it. It was a priceless memento of his trip, which he then took home and framed. His version was really classy--it had a brocade-style black mat (which was a nice texture in contrast with the rather flat rice paper) with a red border/piping to make the artwork stand out. Since we had two pieces, Mark went over different variations. He has a keen eye for design and suggested one frame with the two names side-by-side. If we had gone with his example on the wall, it would have been out of our budget, so we compromised and selected a different frame. It was not inexpensive, but as we didn't pay anything for the artwork, so it balanced out. In about two weeks, we had our first framed art, and now it has a prominent place in our home. Mark was a true delight to work with--no hard sell, great sense of humor. It also helped that he likes animation and the Disney theme parks. If we hadn't come close to closing, I would have talked to him all day about Disney. You can trust this man with your artwork or any pricey pieces of paper you want framed. He's a true professional and his time and expertise are worth it. read more

I have had pictures, posters, diplomas, etc. framed by Mark at Design Frames. He has always done outstanding, top-quality professional work on my projects. Mark will spend as much time as you need to present and discuss various framing options, styles, mattings, etc. I generally let him select the framing design since he is so good at it. You will not find a more knowledgable, professional and friendly individual to complete your framing needs. Highly recommended!!! Mike - a long-tern Design Frames customer. read more

Over many years we have taken a wide variety of pictures to Design Frames. The selection of frames, mats, glass &c, is outstanding; advice on specific treatments is always imaginative & in terrific taste; craftsmanship is outstanding; delivery always on schedule. You might think that people don't really notice framing, but we have had many complements on how attractively our pictures are framed. Design Frames truly merits the highest possible recommendation! read more