Apex Moulding

Went here because of Unilocal reviews; they did a very nice job on the piece that I had framed.

Let me start by saying that I custom frame about 500 pieces of art a year. And that I have been doing this in the Greater DC area since 1993. And that in 1996 I opened an art gallery in Georgetown and then a second one in Bethesda in 2002.
I was being killed by the framing costs, and I started doing and keeping data for in depth research… I don’t recall how I came across APEX, but I did so even before the present owners acquired the place from the Korean lady who owned it before them.
Between the two owners, I have been doing business with APEX since the early 90s, and I can testify to the fact that they are the most affordable, top quality custom framers in the Greater DC area.
I’ve recommended APEX to 100s of artists in the DMV and they all come back to me with a WOW! look on their face once they experience the price sticker re-​adjustment of APEX. The business caters mostly to wholesale clients, but they will take «one of» jobs if they walk in recommended from someone…
The «new owners» have now owned the place for around ten years, and I’ve «grown» with them… one of their framers has been around since day one and the guy is a magician… and they do a lot of business for big name DC area artists as well as emerging artists as well as your regular person looking to frame some pics or a poster. Don’t let their location in an industrial park fool you… these guys are professionals… they will frame your stuff to full museum standards (acid free, pH-​balanced, etc) for a fraction of the cost of most (no all) custom framers that I’ve ever come across…
Go and talk to Shahira and tell her that Lenny sent you… and be prepared to be shocked in a good way when she quotes you an estimate for your framing job…
And if you’re really looking for a GREAT deal, ask to see their «mistakes» — if you’re flexible, they have thousands of already-​made frames ready to be sold… offer then $ 25 for any of them…
This is by far the most affordable custom framer in the DMV… take it from a professional in the trade… and don’t forget to tell them that Lenny sent you…

After leaving Michael’s, stunned from the sticker shock of their framing price AND timing quote, I came home and consulted Unilocal for some good framers in Northern Virginia. After reading the review for Apex Moulding by Amanda M, I drove down with my 5 large art prints (prints of my daughter’s original oil paintings) to get a framing quote. My artist daughter had already suggested the color and type of framing, so there wasn’t a LOT of consultation required; however the young lady was very helpful and knowledgeable about her craft. The quote I received from her for the 5 large prints (22“x28″ more or less), was HALF of Michael’s quote… and theirs included a 65% discount coupon! Apex is a wholesaler, but they will also do work — excellent work, I might add — for consumers like me. Oh! and here’s the clincher: All 5 prints, (PLUS a small watercolor, that she framed for free since it was my first time) were done in 3 days!!! Unheard of! I’m a delighted customer, and from now on will do all my framing at Apex, and recommend them to everyone I know.

I needed a photo framed for an upcoming gallery show, and the show organizers recommended Apex for low-​cost, quality framing. This was only my second experience having something professionally framed, and considering I paid about four times as much the first time, you could say I was VERY happy to discover Apex!
This is a family-​run business that caters to wholesale clients, but they do make the occasional exception for artists and groups (such as handling the framing for DCist Exposed). I asked if I could bring them other photos for framing in the future, and they said definitely YES — so it’s worth giving them a call if you have something to frame.
My order was taken by a 10-​year-​old (with some adult supervision– like I said, family run!), which made me a little concerned, but the job itself was nicely done and turned around in just a couple business days. The price was VERY reasonable — $ 45 for a 16×20 standard metal frame and acid-​free mat. Can’t beat that!
I’ve heard nothing but good reviews from other folks in the show who also had their work framed here, so it seems Apex is dependable and consistent. It could be a little closer to downtown– it’s a 15 minute drive out I-​395 without traffic and not metro-​accessible– but for such low prices, I’ll be coming back here in the future for all basic framing jobs.
**Note: Bring CASH. I’ve heard rumors that they can in some cases accept checks and CC’s, but when I was there they requested payment in cash.**