How can I not give TROSA Thrift Store of Durham five stars? They were able to do what Habitat for…read moreHumanity ReStore (Durham) and the Durham Rescue Mission could not: They picked up our furniture donation from the third floor of our apartment building without an elevator. The other places either required an elevator or the furniture be moved to the ground floor. Not only that, but the guys from TROSA, Quentin R and Christian, showed up on time and worked efficiently. Also, TROSA's Donations Coordinator, Cheryl Rogers, was great to work with. Everything was taken care of without any hiccups. The lady I spoke to at Durham Rescue Mission referred me to TROSA. I had never heard of TROSA until that point in time. Shortly thereafter, I learned that my wife's clinic regularly treats patients from TROSA and my mom has donated furniture to TROSA's Winston-Salem thrift store. TROSA stands for Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers. Both Quentin and Christian came up through the TROSA program. If I recall correctly from my conversation with Christian, TROSA helped get them back on their feet. Quentin is older and I believe a graduate who is now a manager. Both guys were nice and did really hard work. They helped move the following for us: 1 office desk 1 office chair 2 loveseats with pillows 1 lounge chair with cushions 1 small table set (3 tables in 1) 1 fold-up shelf (3 tier) ------------------------------ 7 items total The office desk was old, but in good condition, and super heavy. As soon as they saw it, Quentin said it was going to be "fun." They wrapped it in plastic to protect it before moving it. I was curious how they were going to move it. They didn't wear gloves or use a hand truck. They simply used their bare hands and raw strength, plus some moving blankets to help slide the desk on the second floor of the stairwell. I was really impressed. Christian took most of the weight, being the guy on bottom. It wasn't an easy task. Afterwards, Quentin and Christian told me the desk wasn't that bad. They've had to move much worse, like pianos. Just an incredible job by those two. It took them about 40 minutes to haul everything away. Quentin ran the show. He and Christian were able to find our apartment door without having to call and ask where to go (a lot of delivery drivers got lost, but not these guys). They were uniformed in light blue TROSA T-shirts and black pants/shorts. While moving the items, Quentin had me fill out a Donation Pickup Form that listed everything I donated with an estimated value. At the end, all three of us signed it. I received a copy of the form which serves as a receipt for an income tax deduction. Also, there was a place on the form where I could write in a tip, which served as an additional donation. I tipped $35 in cash. The pickup itself was free. Beforehand, I coordinated with Cheryl over the phone and via email. We handled the list of furniture items to be donated and the scheduling and logistics of the donation itself. I was located in Chapel Hill and the first stop (11:00am) in Chapel Hill on Quentin and Christian's route that day, a Tuesday. You can call or email TROSA to get the process started. I emailed. Cheryl called me within one business day and was able to get me scheduled as soon as 13 days out, which ended up working out perfectly for us. Book early. One thing Cheryl asked me for was emailed pictures of everything I wanted to donate. She then called me again a couple days later to confirm the pickup appointment and details like parking, how many stairs and landings, etc. TROSA is thorough. Quentin and Christian arrived in a large marked TROSA truck. Coincidentally, I noticed a TROSA truck at our same apartment complex less than two weeks prior to this pickup.

This is my absolute favorite local place to shop when I want to change up my furnitire and decor!…read moreMy go to for up cycling and finding the right pieces at the right time. Other local thrift stores don't compare. This place always puts out the best worthwhile items. And the staff is amazing. Attentive and friendly. They are working with the program for consistent recovery and it shows. Just a great group of overcomes pushing through for their best life. Oh, and their donation zone is so easy. Drive up to the front, get the guys to lend a hand, and drop off! Also, they pick up for donation (upon approval) so send things you would want to upcycle and buy. They also deliver large pieces with a fee based on your distance from the store. Truly such an easy and professional experience. Love them.

This is a very cute little gallery. It looks small when you come in, but there are steps in the…read moreback to take you downstairs to the current exhibition. We went for an opening reception of an artist that I know, and it was very lovely. There's also a shop dog named Jasper, who is just very fun.

While I was pleased as punch by the framing Craven Allen did for a surprise birthday gift I gave my…read morewife many moons ago, the work they did on the birthday gifts my wife gave me this year was even better. Though the framed art was originally intended to live in my office, now we're working to find a more central location in our home so others can enjoy, as well.

I couldn't be happier with the job the Frame & Print Shop did for me! The staff were genuinely…read moreinterested in my project and are clearly experts at their craft. I brought in three prints, each in a different color palette, that I wanted coordinated to hang in my kitchen. Ash was a great listener and spent a lot of time matching just the right matte color to the content and finding a frame that brought them together and made them look like they belonged in that particular room. I love how they look!

The staff at this Frame Shop is amazing! They are very helpful, knowledgeable, and patient, and…read morehelp a lot with making decisions about matting and framing. Once the decisions are made, they do a wonderful, professional job of framing. And they work with a restorer, Laura Riley, who is beyond amazing. After a house fire we had to have a lot of paintings and prints restored and reframed, and we are so happy with the results. With our paintings rehung, our house looks as good as new!

We don't often need things framed, and honestly couldn't even remember what this place was called,…read morebut stopped in recently to have a photo print framed. We found them to be very helpful with frame and glass options, and the price ended up being less than we expected. We got a call about a week later and picked up our framed photo without any problems. Would recommend this for framing needs in the Durham/Chapel Hill area.

Great service. Lots of excellent suggestions about mats and frames. Patient and friendly personnel.read more

Did a great and quick job! Price is very reasonable. I will definitely return if I have another…read morepicture to frame.

I'm SO glad I went to J and J Frame Studio for my last two framing needs. One of the pieces was a…read morewedding document and I was a little nervous leaving it and making sure it turned out well, but when I got it back it was perfect. It could not have turned out any better. Dave is great! He's friendly and very helpful. I can be very indecisive and I thought I was going to be in his store for forever, but he really helped me narrow down different frame options and helped me pick the perfect frames for my documents. I plan to go back for all my other framing needs. I'm really happy with the results and he's quick and very reasonably priced. Thanks Dave!

Wow. As if the available traditional-medium art in the Triangle is not enough, there's also a…read moregallery dedicated to electronic-medium art of the camera. I thought having books of pictures would be a reasonable facsimile of the seeing the actual photograph. It's like any art form really, I thought. Through This Lens proved me wrong. Where a book can group places and concepts, a gallery has to be a bit more selective, I think. It has limited space and time to capture and keep your interest as it competes with other medium and distractions. And in downtown Durham, during a weekend festival no less, TTL managed to do it. TTL has photos from all over the world. All are visually stunning in their own way. Each with a message, sometimes subtle, sometimes not so much. One can see snippets of objects, colors, movement -- all moments in time captured by the photographer-artist. In this one small gallery you can travel the world from the reservations in Arizona to the deserts in Africa. It's a mini-vacation. The owner, Roylee was very helpful in answering my questions and explaining the technique used by a photographer of one particular picture that captured my attention. There was a color photo of a dried well, the tan walls a sharp contrast to the two women in bright saris, there at the bottom of the drying well. The description by the photographer added another layer of awesome. Another photograph, a black and white photo taken at an abandoned church in Georgia, was stunning. I probably spent fifteen minutes staring at it from every angle. It hadn't yet been hung on the wall so I was able to look at it from all angles as I walked around the table. The lines and shadows just drew me in. There was such an unexpected symmetry in that picture, it was hard to believe it wasn't computer-drawn. And so it went for my entire visit. .

Lovely but small photography art gallery and framing shop. I've only visited the shop for the…read moregallery portion and have yet get to get something framed, but it's a nice stop during any of Durham's Spring/Winter Art Walks or on Third Friday. They usually have several bottles of red and wine wines along with a complimentary cheese/bread plate for gallery guests during their special events, which is quite nice. The photography is from all over the world, many prints I'd recognize as South East Asia but there are also some lovely local Triangle photos and those for the nature enthusiast. I'd recommend putting Through This Lens on your gallery hopping list if it's convenient, but it isn't large enough and, after a handful of visits, I've never received a personal greeting to draw me back if it's out of the way. Through This Lens rents their space from Durham Arts Place, around to the right if you're facing the entrance and up the stairs.

Beautiful shop, with amazing selection of frames of every color and material. I received very…read morehelpful assistance in choosing a new frame and mat for a favorite painting. When the total exceeded my budget, the sales associate went in the back and found a frame that had been ordered but not used. It worked perfectly and saved me a lot. I should have started by sharing my budget, but they were very accommodating. Framing was done 10 days before my requested date, which I appreciated. Very nice people, and you will never find a more interesting and varied selection of frames. Highly recommend

The framing of my needlepoint and my aunt's favorite Bible verse for her 100th birthday exceeded my…read moreexpectations. Emily patiently helped me select everything needed for this framing. Her knowledge, expertise, and experience combine to make Higgins and Meyers the perfect framer for all needlepoint projects. Thanks to Emily, I no longer end up with framing disasters. I will be a repeat customer!

Outside of their fine attention to detail and excellent work, I choose to talk about another aspect…read moreof this business! I found it quite refreshing that this business was willing to assist me in upgrading over one dozen frames that I already owned, to add picture frame wires, so they would be easier for me (at 68) to hang. Other stores shrugged me off! I will add that I ended up purchasing some new frames, and adding glass to two others. Scott did a wonderful job hanging a grid gallery wall for me! This business is aware that people of differing ages, and economic status should be able to change up decor without always a huge investment. Now that I have not had to totally replace the items I already had, I will be less hesitant to buy something new for them to frame. Sandra and Scott are two compassionate people that also do a great job in framing, win/win for their clients and our environment!

I was so fortunate to find Framemakers! Their work is fabulous and the selection of frames is…read morewonderful. of course I would be remiss if I didn't mention the talented people who take my selections and make my painting/photo perfect. if you love your art then I suggest Framemakers who will bring your favorite piece to life with their creativity. I'm a devoted patron and you will be too !