The building is a rambling 3 story 1850 gristmill. The exterior is an unassuming door in a stone wall in the lowest level. My foot traffic is antique shoppers as the Mill is an antique center.
The fluorescent lighting is out of my control - landlord - I added the track lighting.
The floor is paint on cement that is in terrible condition. The stars are stencils done by my wife.
Behind the curved windows (that simulate the admiral's cabin in HMS Victory) is the pit where the water wheel resided. Now its my workshop.
The tassel's are part of my wife's gift sales. They sell at a pretty steady pace.
My counter is my design table. I pull up a sheet of foam core as a neutral background for design work and I pull out an easel to work with those that have trouble with the height of my counter.
I have developed into a relatively low volume higher end shop - suits me fine as a framer retired from my lifelong flying career. The Abe Munn and Regence samples and the Munn foot long chop samples seem to appeal the most to the antique shoppers. Those Ross engravings behind the ship in Regence rosewood frames recently sold for $1500 apiece. I've sold those 2 engravings 7 times before in comparable but different frames. I believe that high end frames are sold best by showing sample art in those frames. I also specialize in display cases, made from picture frames, for model ship builders and other collectors. The Victory model is in such a case.
I think I broke every rule for retailing that I was taught at LJ's framing school. And, contrary to other's advice, I discovered that you can sell expensive framing in Sussex County, NJ.
Pat
