Nelson Fine Art Framing

Not impressed. I went to his shop and spent time telling him what we wanted to do. He was a bit rough around the edges, but I went with it. He was going to give me some quotes and ideas in a week, but instead called me and told me «he totally spaced it». Okay things, happen. He then went out of town and was going to pick up on the project when he got back, I figured the delay wasn’t the end of the world. He got back and wanted me to come in and tell him what I wanted all over again — a repeat of the first time I drove to his shop. Waste of time. After 3 weeks, to have to start from square one. Disappointing.

If you love your art, come here. Nelson will teach you so much about how to honor what you have by providing it with the best possible display. Not only will you learn about little tricks on how to create dimension and depth but your piece will look better than it ever did before. He cares about what he does and will work with you to find the best frame within your budget. I really can’t say enough about Nelson.

Absolutely wonderful and professional. For your special pieces, Nelson’s is a must. Comparable prices, incomparable quality

Art framing Art!!! Nelson framed about 8 pieces for us when we moved into our first home last Spring and he elevated some of our colloquial memories that we collected in our travels (local photographers, lithographs) into ART. He really is a master at what he does and I can’t go to anyone else now. He sees a piece and he knows exactly what to do with it and he is quick and efficient. People are drawn to the framed artwork in our home and tend to examine each piece like they’re in a museum.

Here’s what i know… i have collected art for 30 years… having lived in D.C., all of the art was framed by the master framer that worked for the museums and finest galleries. With Nelson, i feel i have come home… finally! He understands art, he understands archival materials, he has an incredible sense of design and brought the art piece i brought to have framed from ordinary to extraordinary. A quality guy with a great sense of humor and raw honesty. Merle Corona del Mar

I live in Laguna Beach and was looking for a good custom framer for my colorful abstract & impressionist oil paintings. I found Nelson through Google and called to meet him at his shop. The shop is as clean as a surgery. I’m not a big money client, just a personal art lover/​collector. I had three pieces, all unique and different. We spent the better part of an afternoon combing through his enormous collection of frame stock searching for the perfect match for each piece. Sometimes that took a while to find that PERFECT fit. He was patient, honest & sincerely dedicated to the cause. His stock is from all over the world. Some of the stock we selected for my art, was from Europe, hand finished, very old and beautiful. I also saw less expensive framing choices available. He has been a custom framer for forty years now and it shows. What I learned from Nelson is that, «The frame is as important as the art». The two should become one. You cannot have a nice piece of art in a cheap frame. A nice frame will make a questionable piece of art look great. In my home, I’m surrounded by the things I love and I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction from my art and Nelson’s frames.
Many Blessings,
Mark R. Kudra
Burning Heart Films

If I could give a 0-​star rating, I would
I am simply calling around to see if any frame shops have 99% UV glass — NOT for a lecture or to be told that I don’t know what I’m looking for.
I called the number on this Unilocal page due to the great reviews
I asked Nelson, the gentleman who answered the phone, if he had Conservation Clear 99%UV glass in a certain dimension.
Instead of answering my very simple question, he proceeded to let me know he was about to give me a lecture on UV glass and on with an unsolicited lecture he went.
«UV glass does not prevent rays, it only slows it down. Did you know this?»
I’m no rocket scientist but that is very logical, so yes, I knew this.
So when I answered with an honest, «yes» he felt the need to ask me very condescendingly if I was a professional framer.
WOW.
5 minutes, later… I still do not know if this guys has the glass I am looking for.
Eventually I get the information I was looking for, sort of.
He needed to custom cut the glass to match the dimensions I was looking for. When I asked him how much it was, he answered me (sort of) with a question
and he said, «I don’t know, what’s the going rate for something like that?»
As I had already told him before, I was not a professional framer. Hence why I am calling Nelson, the so-​called professional, for his professional help.
He then pretended to do some calculations, and pulled the magic number $ 80 bucks from the sky.
I literally had gotten off the phone with a shop known to be quite expensive only needing half the price.
Clearly I’m bringing my business elsewhere. If he even had basic customer service skills, I might have just gone for the $ 80bucks

We buy photographs and art because it brings emotion and personality to our home. Proper professional framing only enhances the beauty and value of the artwork.
Nelson is a master of framing and his years of experience help create the best end result to showcase our artwork. He gives options so you can easily make a decision. He may have an opinion but does not force his ideas upon you.
I have used Nelson’s Fine Art Framing since I moved to Laguna Beach. I enjoy his personality as much as his work and end result.

My wife works for a local nonprofit and needed some small frames for paintings they were giving away to major donors at the end of last year. We waited until the last minute and couldn’t find anyone that would frame the paintings same day. Because the job was small, no one was excited to help.
Nelson, however, saved the day! He took serious time to help us and was able to frame the art in a matter of hours. He’s incredibly talented and efficient, and has great taste in art as well (stop by to check out his cool Loretta Lux print wall). 5 Star service and a local business owner. What more could you ask for.

Nelson did a custom frame for my fiancé and I for our home of a beautiful painting. He helped with the selection and gave great options at very good prices. He really took his time to provide very personalized service. This review is long overdue and we recommend his services to anyone looking for beautiful framing.

This past week was our first trip to Nelson Fine Art Framing in Laguna Beach; however, it will not be our last! Nelson is upfront and honest with his opinions and recommendation, yet eager to find something that the customer will enjoy as well. He helped us select framing for an original oil painting and serigraph. Both finished pieces are stunning — not only from an athestic point, but the quality is fantastic too. Thanks, Nelson!

I was recently in Australia and found a great deal of paintings that I wanted to bring back home to San Clemente. I knew that to get the paintings shipped back to the states they would need to have the canvases taken off of the frame, rolled and tubed. Having not known who to go to to stretch and frame a 4x6ft painting I called around to a bunch of galleries and museums. Not one person out there did not suggest Nelson Fine art in Laguna. I called up and found a time to come into with the paintings. Nelson is just amazing. What a personality he showed me some artwork that he had and the history of Australian art. I knew that I had come to the right places. Nelson knows his stuff inside and out and has an eye that can spot out exactly what you need.
I would highly recommend Nelson. If you have fine artwork for your home and you skimp on the presentation of it you might as well not hang the art in my opinion. You will get the right look for your piece and there was no up selling at all just s straight shooter suggesting what he thinks will look best.

I wanted to take my beloved Indian miniatures I purchased on my recent trip to India to a customer framer that knew exactly what he was doing. That meant somewhere NOT like Michael’s or Aaron Brothers because those people have no clue what they’re doing! They are trained to frame, but aren’t professionals, and don’t have a good eye on what matting and frames would be best for art. Nelson does. Not only did Nelson do a gorgeous job framing my art, he is a crack up. What a character!
This is the kind of business I like to support… not giant chains that have clueless clerks who don’t care about their jobs lor service! People with a passion for what they do. I would absolutely bring any and all of my art here again in the future. :)

We moved to Laguna Beach from Florida so, of course, all of our furniture and accessories were wrong. We found Nelson and consulted with him about re-​framing all of our art. The process was painless and entertaining. Nelson has an insight into how art should be displayed that we have never found in any one else — not in any place we have ever lived. His recommendations on what to do truly highlighted each work individually and, at the same time, everything worked together. We are delighted with the end result and will return. No buyer’s remorse here.