In their previous careers as a firefighter and midwife respectively, Russ and Andrea McCulloch knew the importance of treating everyone the same, whatever their status or wealth.
Now business partners as co-owners of Love to Frame, a picture framing shop on a business park off Canal Road in Timperley, their view hasn’t changed - even if the end users’ requirements are not quite as critical.
“Everyone who walks through the door, from famous artists to everyday people, gets treated the same,” said Russ. “It's the personal touch - we care about every job no matter the size of the job.”
Russ and Andrea sit on opposite sides of a large desk on the first floor of Love to Frame, a business now in its 20th year and one of the region’s finest picture framing and fine art printing businesses.
Russ first developed an interest in printing in the early 2000s, creating his own artwork on canvas and selling to customers through eBay.
After setting up Love to Frame, the business started working with the public, artists and interior designers and developed a sizable corporate customer base including the likes of GE, Selfridges, Bacardi, the Royal Air Force and various football clubs.
Today they have customers all over the country, but remain committed to ensuring that everyone, large or small, receives the same personal service.
Now a team of six, Love to Frame is recognised by the Fine Art Guild as specialised framers and approved printers.
The team works on products including canvas printing and stretching, hand-painted frames, and framing everything from embroidery and football shirts to medals and fine art.
As of earlier this year, Love to Frame is also a Hahnemühle Certified Studio, an internationally renowned measure of excellence with an approval process so tough that only three studios in Manchester have met the standard.
“Obtaining the awards was hugely satisfying,” said Russ. “It's quite a big achievement in the art world and it acknowledges the hard work of the team.”
The business also offers a high-quality scanning service for customers who want to reproduce their artwork, as well as a certification service to produce limited editions of artists’ work.
The recognition comes amid a period of significant growth for the company, to the extent that next month it will be expanding into the unit next door.
Love to Frame’s core services are the printing and framing, and the large and expensive machinery dotted around the studio are testament to the significant level of technical expertise that these jobs require. Original works by Picasso, Lowry and Banksy have all passed through the shop.
“The team have over 175 years of framing experience between them and this is evident in their creativity and high standards and precision in their work,” said Russ.
They have a vast selection of mouldings, mounts and examples of different framing styles and techniques, and various factors - including colour scheme, budget and where the artwork will eventually be situated - will be discussed with customers before selecting the option that best suits them.
Andrea and Russ are evidently determined to ensure that Love to Frame is indeed a lovely place to work.
“The team are the foundation,” added Russ.
“Everyone is like a football player on the team – they all play their part, they all say it doesn’t feel like work, and at the end of the day it’s about enjoying what we do.”
A happy team, and a very satisfied customer base. Here's to another successful 20 years for Love to Frame.
Love to Frame, Unit 6, Manway Business Park, Canal Rd, Timperley, Altrincham WA14 1TD. For more information, visit lovetoframe.com or follow @lovetoframe on Instagram and Facebook.
