Kingston Frameworks becomes family business

Kingston Frameworks has been a fixture in downtown Kingston since 1982. Thirty seven years ago, Wayne Morris opened the storefront at 198 Princess Street, offering the citizens of Kingston a place to look after their art and memories.

While attending Queen’s University, Wayne worked part-time at Camera Kingston. He had a vision for a store somewhat similar to the U Frame It location he had worked at, part-time, in Ottawa, Ontario.

With the guidance and support of Don Sleeth and Don Gillespie, the owners of Camera Kingston, Wayne was able to make his vision come true. A third partner, Dave Menard, joined the team, and such was the birth of Kingston Frameworks.

Early on, Frameworks offered DIY options for framing, eventually moving into more upscale custom framing and high-end picture mouldings.

Kingston Frameworks has been successful since their inception, but Wayne is feeling busier than he’d like to be. When his son Colin expressed an interest in joining the Frameworks crew, Wayne was glad to welcome him to the team. Dave has now retired and Colin Morris is Vice President of Kingston Frameworks.

“The business keeps me a little busier than I’d like to be at this stage,” Wayne said. “We have a good outfit here, but we’ve planned some changes for the future. Colin will eventually run the business. He has some keen ideas, and is very willing to try new things.”

While Frameworks specializes in custom framing, Colin is hoping to make their services more accessible to everyone. His current focus is on great framing design, and he’s working to find more affordable options so everyone can enjoy a beautifully framed piece on their walls.

Colin is very passionate about the family business. He feels very lucky to be able to help bring Frameworks forward and embrace the digital age, he said.

“I decided to make Frameworks my future because of my passion for business and the arts, but mostly because I believe in this business and its potential. What I didn’t expect was to find out just how creative and fun it is to work in this environment,” Colin said. “The workshop is always buzzing with new challenges and ideas, and designing is such a fun process to bring a customer through.”

There were many aspects of Kingston Frameworks I did not know about. As a longtime resident of Kingston I knew where they were located, and that they did custom framing, but there are a lot of other services I was completely unaware of.

Did you know Frameworks offers printing services? Email your images to them, choose a frame, and let them create a collage from your last trip, or sift through the year of photos on your phone and choose your favourites to display. Don’t let those memories waste away in digital storage.

Kingston Frameworks is also an art gallery. Come to them with a colour scheme, or pictures of your space, and they can help you choose pieces and frames to make your room complete. The staff have a creative eye and are passionate about helping you achieve the look you’re after.

“Framing isn’t really the point,” Colin explains. “It’s all about the piece, the place it will be, and the personal tastes of the customer. The frame is there to bring all three together: To present, and protect, something valuable. Do this right, and it becomes even more valuable — not just financially, but to the eye as well. Great framing has a subtle effect that makes something visually important. You can’t really explain why, but you can clearly see why.”

Visit Kingston Frameworks online, and at their bricks and mortar location at 198 Princess Street. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, and they are closed on Sunday. You can also check Frameworks out on Facebook and Instagram.

Kingston Frameworks is also a longtime participant in Downtown Kingston’s Art After Dark events. This year they are hosting three local artists. Art After Dark is happening Friday, May 24, 2019 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at various locations downtown. Read more about this event here, and learn more about Framework’s Art After Dark Event here.

Jessica is a busy working mom and writer who enjoys covering local interest stories. Contact her at [email protected] if you have a story to be shared.  She loves living, working, and playing in Kingston. You can see what she gets up to with her family on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

*Disclaimer: This article is sponsored content.