Aaron Brothers

Amazing customer service! The woman was so helpful and knowledgable. I framed a 2010 World Series newspaper and she had great recommendations on colors for mats and frames. They finished it in a day and it looks amazing!

The low down is this: Nice costumer service who want to meet your needs but they don’t sell a quality product and the skill might be lacking so they can’t really do much about it.
So the story goes, I get my hands on some fine art but it needs to be reframed using museum quality standards. It turns out, Aaron Brother state they offer it, and after comparing prices from other highly regarded custom framing shops, the price is much cheaper if you use their 50% off coupon. So we give them a try. The frames they originally gave us were such poor quality that I told them to redo it. They explained to me that the frames are assembled in a warehouse somewhere else. The young lady even offered the «They all look like this. I’ve seen much worse.» Then, dammit, give me a refund! Fine. But the manager, who is really very nice (actually, they are all very nice save that one gal who got a little defensive when I wasn’t happy with the frames) and who wants you to be satisfied, came up with an acceptable solution; they would order new frames for me.
In fact, once the new frames came in, 2 of the 3 looked better. I conceded one frame. I just wanted the art on my walls. I took 2 home and made them redo another one. There was glue marks on the matting and debris left within the frame. Super sloppy. I just want the art on my walls. While I was handling the two I took home, I noticed the paper backing wasn’t entirely glued to the back frame so every time I picked them up, my hands would fold the edges over. Super sloppy. This was not the case the first go ‘around so I concluded that some framers at the store are better than other framers. FYI, the frames done by Gerome came out clean.
Bottom line is, if you’re framing your kid’s perfect attendance certificate, go for it. If you’ve got a piece that’s actually worth some money, take it somewhere else.

I had a great shopping experience and it was all because of Elaine. I was getting something framed for the first time and she was a huge help. She applied discounts and helped to get me the best deal possible. I didn’t realize framing was so expensive and I would not have gone through with it if it wasn’t for her. She came up with a beautiful design because the picture will be part of my wedding décor. Thanks so much Elaine!

Had to drive from Vallejo to Emeryville because Aaron Brothers in Fairfield closed. It was worth the trip. Sharon and another super helpful young man helped me finding the right frame for my print and getting a poster mounted. Just awesome and friendly. Arranged the mounting the very same morning I was there. Did not expect to leave the store staisfied but I was happy to finally find a way to display my art exactly the way I wanted. Thank you for making this such a positive experience.

I had 2 paintings here framed. I don’t remeber her name, but this black lady helped me. She is simply the best! She helped applied many discounts to my order and I saved tons. I would frame here again, although its a bit expensive in my taste.

I got 4 items custom framed here. The staff was awesome in helping me design and visualize the final products. They have a very cool computer system that photographs the item you want to frame and then puts your selected frame around the item so you can see on the screen what the final will look like (almost exactly how it will turn out). I don’t have much of an imagination (and I find decorating stressful, and annoying) so this was an AMAZING use of technology for me — a life changing experience. I swear my stress level was the lowest it’s ever been inside a frame store and I even impressed myself with my decisiveness :).

May have to wait a while to get service as they seem extremely short staffed, but everyone seems to be very friendly and helpful. Parking is either metered street parking or a paid lot. Will notify you when the items are ready, if custom frames are purchased. Quality and selection are satisfactory.

2÷18÷2015 — Had a great experience with sales associate. Very help and got the frames that I needed. I specifically asked about the return policy and he stated verbally that there would be a full refund within 60 days and within 30 days if opened package, there was a 10% restocking fee. This was reasonable and I purchased.
3÷7÷2015 — The frames didn’t work out so I went back to return. Manager at the store said they would not take back the frames because they were opened and told me that I misheard the return policy about opened items. She specifically cited that there would be a restocking fee of 10% within 30 days with no receipt. This return policy makes no sense! With no receipt, how would they know if it has been 30 days. We ended up working out an exchange but I was still extremely unhappy about the information about the wrong return policy and a citation for a manager at the store about a return policy that made no logical sense.

I had a dozen faded old classic prints re-​framed here. The service, attention and expertise provided by the staff couldn’t have been better.

Have been to several Aaron Brothers stores in the past and they all left me feeling exhausted from standing in line at the custom frame section and poor for paying for the privilege. Today I had an entirely different experience at the Emeryville location.
I had help (not the begrudging kind) within the first 30 seconds of walking through the door — and 4 custom projects later, Angela and Matt were just awesome. Angela was super knowledgeable and made great aesthetic recommendations, and Matt took his time to ensure that all the measurements were correct and that I was happy with each project.
As for the poor part, they ensured I used the coupons wisely and I felt very good about the value of what I was having done. I’ll definitely be coming back.

Elaine is why I keep coming back to this Aaron Brothers location.
She is super knowledgeable on everything there is about Aaron Brothers (product, coupon information, store policies, etc.).
What I appreciated most was how friendly and helpful she is every time I come here. She would notice a small dent on a frame I was buying and suggested I pick out a new one. I wouldn’t have seen that! She always makes my shopping experience so pleasant, and I am grateful.
Thank you Elaine! I love Aaron Brothers!!!

Dude, custom framing is expensive, so when I found the 60% off coupon on their website I was super excited and brought a print in to get framed. 5 minutes later she was like so it’d normally be only about $ 980 but with the 60% off coupon it’ll only be $ 390 plus tax. I laughed. I know people pay more on the frames sometimes vs. the artwork itself but seriously?
Then the lady customer next to me told me that I should do something else. The employee rolled her eyes because that lady just had an idea which would save me $ 300. I walked a few aisles over with the employee and picked out a $ 70 frame and she cut a black matte for me. I was like wow, this is way cheaper! She said yep, you can thank that lady, I don’t think I’ll be selling any custom framing when she’s her. I thought wow, that was unprofessional. She then rang me out and it all came to about $ 105 after tax. Then as she went to go cut the matte for me in the back I look over and see a BOGO sign on frames (which the employee obviously didn’t tell me). I was like, figures.
I ask the employee about it when she comes back and she’s all, oh yeah, go ahead and pick a free one out. We’ll have to R/​E everything and you can take that. So I went to pick another frame out came back and had to wait over 10 minutes for the exchange because they started helping out people that wanted to spend money on custom framing.
I’m giving this place 2 stars because I lucked out, was randomly shopping in the store when a knowledgeable customer was, and that lady saved me a lot of dough. And I also looked up and saw that I got $ 140 in frames for less than $ 100 with their BOGO sale. I’m sure like how other retailers have sales goals, they must have a quota to meet on a monthly basis, and I was definitely about to contribute way too much money into that target… Thank god I didn’t! Judging from the other reviews looks like I would’ve had a bad experience with that anyway.

Talk about a selection! This store is huge. So many different frames to choose from and you can even get something completely customized. They have a small scrap booking section in the back, art work for your walls and mirrors and small gifts near the registers. Check your junk mail for coupons but they always have sales going on. The store is pretty short staffed so perhaps that’s why the salesperson wasn’t super friendly. However, for a store of this size and custom orders take quite a bit of time to process, they should have more than one person on the floor at all times.

I went to 5, count them 5 frame stores looking to get some high end art prints framed. I got a $ 200 quote from Laurel but they were odd to deal with and not the color or style I wanted. I got a $ 1200 quote from a shop in Westminster and that’s way too high. I got no quote from Dimond, no call back after repeated requests. I was referred to Michaels but they didn’t have the style I wanted. They did refer me to where I needed to go though.
This brings me to Aaron Brothers. I dealt with Erin, got A+ service and a great deal on my frames. I got the frames back lickity split and I’m very happy with the end result and would recommend Aaron Brother to anyone looking to get a piece framed.

Wow, what a terrible experience. Where do I start? Me and the Mrs. went into Aaron Brothers to drop off a poster of my company’s flagship crew to get it framed for the office. We walked in to find no employees. It was about 10 minutes or so before we’d see an employee, and a few more before we’d speak to one.

We found a frame in store (glass and all), and just wanted them to throw a matte in there with the pic and we’d call it a day. So I informed the clerk of this, and she handed me a stack of samples in different shades of the color I liked. I chose, with the help of my Mrs., and was ready to move forward and return triumphantly to the office with the epic monument to honor my crew!!!
This was not what the future held for me.
The clerk told me the matte I’d selected would have to be ordered and would take ten days to get there. I’m not sure how, with the previous explanation of what I wanted, that I ended up with a bunch of not in stock samples. Perhaps the ones requiring ordering are more expensive, but that is just speculation. She then handed me another stack of samples they actually had in stock, and the Mrs. and I went through them.
I could have picked one out of the ‘in stock’ stack if I had not already set my mind on the one that needed to be ordered. But I am the type of person that picks once and does not like to change choices that I’ve already invested time in making. I wish they’d shown me the in stock ones first, but lets move on.
So now, with my original choice, we got into pricing. When she was breaking the price down to me, they had included this museum glass because they won’t frame a picture with the glass in the frame I was buying. Weird. Price wasn’t really an issue, and I wanted it to look nice, so I was okay with it. Though I still find it weird. But lets move on…
She then showed me some wrinkles in the picture, which was a real bummer because I had received it that day and still had it in the container it came in. It would now be an additional $ 16 for them to dry mount this picture in order to remove these wrinkles. I was not concerned with the cost, I really wanted it to look nice, so I agreed and was ready to move forward… still. So I guess this is a done deal! Nope.
The manager, who has been standing there in the background, advises me that if I have this poster dry mounted the color quality will diminish. And then, realizing it is glossy, tells me the finish will be removed.
*This was unfortunate, as I had paid extra for the gloss already and really liked the look.
So it was decided, since it would be ten days before the matte arrived, that I would reach out to the print company and request a replacement. The manager at A.B. told me they would wait to dry mount it, and that if I brought the new print in they would remove the $ 16 charge for the dry mount. I agreed, paid $ 170+ and went home.
That evening I reached out to the print company and told them my tale. They offered a replacement, and were sincerely apologetic. They rushed the delivery for the replacement, it only took 3 days.
We brought the new print to the frame shop, and were being helped by the same person. The manager was standing by and all were greeted. They took the new print and gave me back the old one, with the original deadline in place (10 days for the matte delivery + 3 days before it would be done). I reminded the manager to remove the dry mount charge, and she said there’s no refund.
«Why would I pay for the dry mount it’s not going to be dry mounted?», I asked. She replied, «Well now we will have to T mount it which costs the same price.» I ask what that means and with an attitude she says, «I was just trying to tell you that!» The conversation got weird, because she was getting defensive as if I was out of line. I only asked a logical question.
The clerk at the counter then stepped in and politely explained to me how it is done, and even showed me exactly what the process is. They take a 1 to 2 inch piece of tape, and tape the poster to the matte. Then another piece of tape and tape it across the end of the first piece of tape. In the shape of a T. They do this on each side. The process takes a few minutes, and uses about 13 inces of tape.
In the end, I just agreed and went on with my day. The date it was to be ready came and went, and after an extra 4 or 5 days they called and said it would be another week. I was to leave town the day it would be ready, so I asked that they call the Mrs. and she’d pick it up. When I got back they had not called. I was gone a week and then called them to find it was ready. When I walked in and asked to pick up my order the clerk said snootily, «Did we call you?»

I had some pieces that I’d picked up while traveling that needed framing.
After months of procrastination, I finally made it over to Aaron to get them framed and finished.
I had something very specific in mind — I wanted the pieces to be «suspended» in glass off the wall, with a frame all around.
So instead of wall, matting, art, glass — I wanted wall, airspace, glass, art, glass.
And the glass sandwich would be off the wall 1″ with that «airspace» offset created by a bulky frame around the perimeter of the work.
Also, I didn’t want the glass to be glass — I wanted it to be clear acrylic.
I thought this was going to throw a wrench in the works but they had a product called «Optimum Museum Acrylic» that was perfect.
And they can custom cut it to size in-​house.
All that times five separate art pieces. Some of which were vertically oriented, and others horizontally — just to make it even more confusing.
The staff was *very* patient with my requests and totally bent over backwards to make it happen.
Note — for custom work, they are not cheap — but the service here is excellent, and they are able to handle out-​of-​the-​ordinary requests like mine gracefully.
Next time I promise to just have a normal order with a frame, a mat, and glass :-)

WOW! I am surprised these jerks even get the 2.5 stars rating that is currently on Unilocal. I called to see how much to foam core 4 large posters, they tell me $ 26 each. This seemed a little on the low side so I call again later and get a different person on the phone, they quote me $ 26 each, I ask if they will trim them, they say yes!
On my way over to have them do the work, I call one more time… just be sure! The girl on the phone quotes me $ 26 each. I am so excited to have them foam cored I drive over to Aaron brothers which is out of my way. When I get there I am greeted by the same girl I had just spoken with, she measures the posters, which are exactly the same size I told her on the phone and she then quotes me $ 41 each!!! I tell her we just spoke and you quoted me $ 26 dollars, she says I SAID-​STARTING AT $ 26(which wasn’t true, she lied).
The girl then got super rude, wouldn’t listen, interrupted and basically was a JERK! BAIT AND SWITCH! The thing is $ 41 still isn’t that much for the project but i refuse to give me money to a JERK! All the people on the phone told me the SAME PRICE, I get there and it’s different, this is JUST BAD business!
I took my art and went over to Micheal’s, I don’t even care if it costs more there, Ill pay to not have to deal with JERKS and BAIT AND SWITCH sales tactics! HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE. The RUDE girl is surely in training for her future at the DMV. But my question is why was I quoted the same price 3 times, then I get there and it’s different, is this a sales technique?

I drove to my usual Aaron Brothers in Pinole and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t there anymore. I exhausted my options at Target and Walmart, but both did not carry the specific frame size I was looking for. I made my way down to the Emerville Aaron Brothers on Bay Street. The store is about the same size or a little smaller than the old Pinole Store.
As an ex graffiti writer, I was surprised to see all the graffiti items they now carry, including Montana Paint and caps. It’s so strange to see the illegal art supplies so easily accessible. Granted, the items are pricey, but why wouldn’t they be. all locked up of course.
Anyways, I browsed around for my frames and had some friendly assistance by one of the employees. She helped me find the frames I was looking for and even helped me figure out the exact style as I had forgotten. Prices are moderate to pricey, but you’re getting a better build than a frame from Walmart. Additionally, Aaron Brothers stocks just about any size you need that you can’t find at a department store. Furthermore, they have «value» frames and sales going on all the time.
Note: Visit their website to print out coupons including 50% off a single item.

People People! Why so little love for the awesome Aaron Brothers? This is where I come for all of my framing needs, and I have need of a lot of it.
Jonathan U. had it right, my dears. Jason is the man to go to if you have any questions and/​or need assistance when you’re here. He’s got a keen eye for colours, composition, and value. I’ve never met anyone more patient, helpful, or knowledgable in the art of framing. Plus, he’s a hardcore Firefly fan, which gets him 5 extra stars in my book!
And framing truly is an art all in its own. Any good photographer knows and understands that. I do a lot of photography, so am always looking for the perfect frame and mat to make my works pop. To Aaron Brothers I go.
Last eve, it wasn’t one of my photographs we were looking to frame. No, it was something much more precious — a fan digital graphic of the Firefly crew. It was to be a birthday gift for our brother-​in-​law (I really hope he’s not reading this, or it would spoil the surprise lol). We searched the racks for the perfect frame, and came upon one we were fairly happy with. Not in love with, but it was ready made and I was going to cut the mat myself. Only, my bro and I couldn’t quite agree on what colour mat to get. Jason to the rescue.
He saw us perusing the mat racks together, and saw that we were trying to frame the Firefly graphic. We bonded. Up and away he took us, beyond the Border planets we were so used to, and showed us what true magnificence looked like. First, he pulled out the mats, and we were stunned. Then, he disappeared for a few minutes and came back with the perfect frame. It was love at first sight. Not only that, he checked, double-​checked, and triple-​checked that he had the right mats to accomplish the goal we were after, plus cut us a huge deal. So we got the frame for half off, double custom mats, and labour for a steal!
My sweets, truly, if you have something you want made into a WOW factor for your home, office or gallery showing, this is the man you should ask for. Jason will meet all expectations, then go above and beyond. You really can’t ask for better customer service anywhere. And if you go, tell him the Firefly girl sent you.

This store might be a little easy to pass by; it sits under the AMC Theater and is next to Sephora… just among a handful of stores that may be ten times as popular. Poor thing.
But! I’m so glad I came in! They specialize in framing, and they have a million pieces of artworks to choose from. Their art supplies section is the smallest section they have, but it is a mini art wonderland! I have an obsession with drawing pencils and double-​tipped art markers, and they have the two brands that I love the most. The markers are less expensive than at other stores like Blick or Utrecht. Awesome selection of sketchbooks and watercolor papers. The staff was nice and helpful, super friendly and professional.
I purchased a sketchbook and a set of graphite pencils. Happy much! Off to Sephora!