How We Make Our Frames
We are heritage frame makers, innovating for the future. In our Gold Coast studio, meticulous closed-corner joinery meets interactive, tech-enabled design — bespoke work that pushes at the edges of what a frame can be. With Native Timber mouldings now part of our range, we're redefining our role in the framing industry: giving framers and designers a sustainable, locally made alternative without compromising on quality or sophistication.
We're not just a supplier. We're educators and partners, helping framers learn — and confidently sell — the artistry behind handcrafted frames. Together, we're elevating what's possible in Australian framing.
From Workshop to Wall: Our Process
Consultation & design
Working with you (or your client) on profile, finish and sizing
Milling & profiling
Shaping the raw timber to spec with cutting blades from our extensive library or to a new unique design
Hand-joinery
Closed-corner assembly, by hand, every time
Finishing
Beginning with sanding, we embark on the journey of creating our bespoke finishes, from layers of gesso and 24 karat gilding to Capiz oyster shells laid individually by hand
Quality check & delivery
Final inspection before it leaves the workshop
We acknowledge the Kombumerri people of the Yugambeh language region as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our workshop stands. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Recent Commissions
Darbaud
COMMISSIONED BY HANDELSMANN + KLAW
HANDCRAFTED BY SCOTT DAWSON & GRANT GATEHOUSE
Wave
COMMISSIONED BY PHOEBE NICOL
HANDCRAFTED BY SCOTT DAWSON & GRANT GATEHOUSE
Champagne Capiz
COMMISSIONED BY THOMAS HAMEL & ASSOCIATES
HANDCRAFTED BY SCOTT DAWSON & GRANT GATEHOUSE
Closed Corners
What makes a closed-corner frame different?
Most picture frames are mitred; two angled cuts joined at the corner, with the seam visible if you look closely. A closed-corner frame is hand-joined so the finish runs continuously around the profile, with no visible seam at all.
It’s slower. It takes more skill. And it’s the difference between a frame that looks “made” and one that looks sculpted.
Native Timbers
Certified Australian Made
Australian framers had limited access to locally grown, sustainably sourced moulding — a frustration we knew well.
So when the opportunity came to bring Artis Pura Mouldings, an established native timber range, in-house, we took it. Every profile is still milled from Australian-grown timber, now in our own Gold Coast workshop.
It’s a smaller footprint than imported moulding, and a frame with a story behind the species, not just the style.
Framing the Future
Some pieces go further than timber and joinery. We design interactive, tech-integrated frames for clients who want their work to do more than hang on a wall — ask us what's possible.
