Frame It Yourself Preserves Artwork

After working in banking for years, Ken Ernst and Jackie Mahler decided it was time for a change. Though Ernst went to school for business management, he had spent 10 years working for an art supply company.

About 10 years ago, the owner of a framing shop in Westwood was looking to sell his business. Ernst and Mahler knew his nephew and quickly learned of the opportunity.

“We came by and looked at it on a Sunday afternoon when it was closed and liked what we saw. We liked the location, we liked the opportunity and so we decided to buy it,” Ernst said. “And we liked the environment, it gave us a hometown feel.”

Ernst and Mahler lived in Manalapan and commuted to Manhattan when they were in the banking business. Now that they own their own framing shop in Westwood, the commute from Hillsdale couldn’t be more convenient.

Ernst’s experience with art made the transition from banking to framing easier. The couple found they liked this change in lifestyle.

“There was plenty of money in banking, but there wasn’t enough of a lifestyle where it just took a lot out of us,” Ernst said. “It was a lot more competitive in the banking world. The competitiveness is a lot different now that we own it. There’s a value and a benefit to that, compared to working for someone else in a large corporate environment.”

Since buying the framing shop in 2003, Ernst, Mahler and employee Ahmad Amin have been focusing on custom framing. has 2800 different kinds of frames on display. Simple black frames, mainly used for certificates, are the most common according to Ernst.

“It depends on the type of art but basically black wood is the typical frame that we use,” he said. “When you start getting into the more fancy frames, they become a little bit more difficult to sell because of the uniqueness.”

Different frames accompany different types of art.

“Customers come in with their artwork and we help them design their pieces,” Ernst said. “We physically create the frame and its components around the art.”

They’ve found custom framing successful because of the work they put into each piece.

“We’re involved in the day-to-day. We do a good job and we have customers that say thank you and they pay us. If we don’t do a good job we don’t see them again,” Ernst said.

People bring in a wide variety of items to be framed: graduation diplomas, family portraits, vacation memories, family heirlooms, sports memorabilia and sports jerseys, among others.

“It’s an array of things that people find have value in their lives and they want to preserve that,” Ernst said.

It’s this respect for their customer’s memorabilia that keeps people coming back to Frame It Yourself.

“People need to trust who they’re leaving their artwork with, and they trust us,” Ernst said.

But framing is not a cheap business.

“We’re not the cheapest place in town,” he admits. “But we give a great value to what we do. We preserve artwork.”

He said people place value on different pieces. A person who spent five dollars on an item is not going to spend a lot to have it framed.

“You can do it the cheap way and just pin it up on the wall or put it in a plastic frame, but the value is not there,” he said. “So yes, it’s a little expensive but well worth the end result.”

In 2008, The Bergen Record, along with 201 magazine, named Frame It Yourself of Westwood best frame shop. Ernst and Mahler have also entered contests for True View Glass and won.

“But more important than any award is getting customers to come back,” Ernst said.

Come to Frame It Yourself at 89 Westwood Ave. or visit them online at Frameityourselfofwestwood.com.