Blick & Dryden Gallery and Framing
And we’re back! Apologies for the delay (🫠) but we debuted the 8th season of our podcast this week and with that comes fresh Rachel’s Recs just for you! Of course, I have the holidays in mind. But to be frank, there are SO many gift guides out there. I’m not sure we need another one! And all I’d really push is for you to shop local, shop small, and support these local businesses we’re lucky enough to have in NYC. So with that in mind, I’ve got two spots you can hit at the same time to create the perfect, personalized gift.
What I like to do is take something special I’d like to frame (a note that came with a bouquet of flowers, a menu, sentimental pictures), head to pick up a premade frame, and then take everything to a framer for custom matting! I start by picking out a reasonably priced frame from Blick on 4th Ave because they have good quality frames and aren’t Amazon. The frames are usually around 20-30 bucks, and everyone working there is eager to help. I also like to get a frame that’s pretty oversized compared to the size of what I’m framing. I think the large matte really makes it feel elegant and look more expensive.
Frame in hand, I’m headed three minutes west to Dryden Gallery and Framing. I’ve been going here for years, and the guys are always open to discussing color options, sizing, etc. I politely explain that I’d love a custom matte for my piece, pull out my frame, and they do all the measuring and hard work! Maybe I’m getting the special treatment (?) but they always fully frame and wire it for me too. The whole thing usually comes out to around $70, and you really can’t beat that for a personalized gift that looks so luxe. So, if you have a napkin lying around from your favorite place to grab drinks with friends or an old recipe card from a relative, go get that shit custom matted!
Don’t forget you can have a custom New York City itinerary just like this, made specifically for you with our Curated Days!
