Armand Lee & Company

I’ve gone here for several personal and art-​related projects– framing, pedestal fabrication as well as some furniture restoration. Quality here can not be matched– seriously perfect craftsmanship. The finishes were gorgeous, the constructions were precise. Very professional sales department, eager to help you get exactly what you’ve imagined or design it for you if you’re not sure. I had a tour of the place and from what I could see on the production side, their capabilities seem endless.

This business goes under-​the-​radar. It’s where the well-​to-​do go to play with their designers. You never know who you’ll run into.
Armand Lee has a very «blah» non-​descript storefront on Milwaukee ave just east of Wicker Park. You’ve probably passed it a million times, having no idea what’s inside.
It’s pretty remarkable. It’s crazy in there. You will see works by famous artists casually scattered about the framing tables, surrounded by samples of frames ranging from lavish gilded to contemporary welded. They can pretty much make anything, replicate anything: frames, mirrors, even furniture. Armand Lee used to make Holly Hunt’s mirrors; not sure if they still do.
Framing is expensive, as most of us have learned the hard way. You don’t go here for a deal. You go here for THAT piece: That lil olé Picasso your elderly aunt left to you. The portrait of your great grandfather who was a cousin of Ulysses S. Grant. Andy Warhol’s underwear. We are talking Art Institute of Chicago quality. You name drop «Armand Lee» when you want to impress people.
They can do basic framing too, but it would be a great disservice to yourself to walk into a framing studio like this and get a basic frame. This is where you get a true custom frame. The turn-​around time is a bit daunting maybe with some artful maneuvering you could talk them into pushing you up in the queue.
I’m not sure why I’ve never seen it in «the Best of Chicago» — it certainly should be. This place is amazing. Appointment recommended but not required.
They also do furniture refinishing and art restoration.