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Business & Tech

Dearborn Frame Shop Keeps Local Homes, Businesses Pretty as a Picture

Village Picture Framing and Art Gallery offers unique art and custom framing in Dearborn's West Village Commons.

Decorating a home isn't as simple as just throwing some pictures up on the walls. It takes a vision, a plan, and often, a skillfull eye.

of Dearborn has been ensuring that the latter of that effort is taken care of for nearly 30 years.

"When you walk into a home, you see the art," explained owner Tom Clark. "Then you see it's framed nicely."

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For Clark and his wife Debbie–both trained interior designers–showing off works of art or special family photos is more than cutting glass and fitting it into a frame. It's helping to create an atmosphere, and making that work the centerpiece of a home or office.

"I ask customers questions–where is it going? What colors? Traditional or contemporary?" Clark explains. "Then I can visualize what the room looks like, and we go from there."

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The beauty of coming to a smaller framing shop, he says, is that personal experience.

Located in West Village Commons, Village Framing moved two years ago from its original home on Monroe Street. Since then, the artwork side of the business has continued to grow, aided by a visible storefront that allows pieces of art–right now, many of them glass holiday ornaments–to catch the eye of passers by. The store is brimming with unique works, from statues to jewelry and unique gifts and, of course, hangable art. The store also does occasionally gallery shows for artists.

Still, says Clark, 80 percent of his business comes from framing. The walls of the store are lined not with art, but frames of every type and color. Customers at Village Framing can see and touch hundreds of frame options in the store, helping Clark to narrow down their choices to that perfect fit.

"I include the customer as much as I can," Clark added.

And the customers, as a result, have been loyal–including the corporate offices of Comerica and AAA, members of the Ford family, as well as the movie industry, which has turned to Village Framing for help on such films as the recently released George Clooney hit The Ides of March and next year's Demi Moore film, Laughing Out Loud.

But it's the every day customers that keep coming back who have allowed Village Framing to flourish, even through tough economic times.

"We've hung on, and hopefullly we'll reap the benefits," Clark said. "People are loyal, and they like to shop local."

Village Framing is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday; and 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday. For more information, visit their website, or call 313-278-4870

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