For Susan Kaulbars, owner of Framing Solutions in Edina, being in the framing business is about much more than just finding the right frame for a photo or painting. It’s also about sharing in her customers’ special memories.
“People bring in an item that they’re proud of or something that captures a moment in time that they just relish, and I get to help preserve that for them,” she says.
Early in her career, Susan had a customer who wanted to refresh a watercolor that her late sister had painted. “She wanted to frame it in a way that would honor it better,” she says. “When we took it apart, on the backside of the canvas was a second watercolor that her sister had painted when they were together on a beach on vacation and she remembered her sister painting it. It was like getting a gift from her sister from the beyond, and no matter how many wonderful moments I've had doing this, there will probably never be anything to top that one.”
She especially enjoys it when customers bring in loved ones’ military memorabilia. “They take something out of a box or a drawer and don't know what to do with it,” says Susan. “So, we create something to display them and now their loved one is always with them, their items hanging on a wall being honored, cherished, and telling their story to anyone who comes by. Whether it's military, firefighters, or police - those are really the ones I'm most honored to do because I know the emotions with them are so strong.”
Today, when it comes to photos, many people have them stored on phones or their computers, where they can easily be forgotten or overlooked. Framing the really important ones gives them a whole different exposure.
“When you see a special photo every day framed on a wall, it embeds into your memory,” she says. “It's not like having to scroll through your phone to find that perfect moment. I transform what they have into something that they're proud to hang on their wall, put on their mantel, or give as a gift.”
These framed photographs will also most likely be passed along to multiple generations. “That's the thing about pictures on Facebook and our phones - they don't get passed down,” says Susan.
Sometimes when customers come in to have their special pieces framed, they’re anxious because they’ve never done it before or don’t have any idea what they want to do.
“I want to put them at ease,” she says. “It should be a fun process. It’s all the creative thoughts that go through somebody's mind that allow me to use moldings and design like some people use paint. It's all about the person and what they're bringing in. It's a collaboration. What is it that they want? Once I know this, I can then put my special twist on it.”
Susan defines her aesthetic as unique, innovative, and unconventional. “I carry framing options from many different vendors, but I have curated their samples because I don't want you to walk out of here looking like you’ve had something done at a big box store,” she says. “I really try hard not to duplicate something that I've done before. Every design is created for a particular piece.”
Along with custom framing, Framing Solutions offers a few ready-made framed art for sale, as well as photographs from feature photographer Lisa Rudolph from Richfield. “I'm blessed to have her images on my gallery wall,” Susan says.
After being in the framing industry for almost 20 years, opening up her own business in 2015 was also a blessing. “I’m grateful to be a survivor in business,” says Susan. “Getting past the three-year hurdle, then the five-year hurdle, the COVID hurdle, and just the rollercoaster of being self-employed and a solo employee.”
She is so thankful that she gets to do what she loves every day. “I was always creative. I was always drawing or coloring, and my side interest in high school was science fairs. One of the things that I taught my kids is that it’s more important to know why something needs to be done than how it needs to be done.
“So, why do I put the composition the way I do? What is the balance between the mat and the frame, or the art and the frame? There's a composition component, so I need to know why it needs to be done. In my case, obviously, I also need to know how to do it well.”
Susan is also very thankful for her family – her husband of 42 years, their two grown children, a daughter-in-law and her beautiful granddaughter. Susan and her husband lived in Bloomington for 40 years before moving to St. Louis Park a couple of years ago.
“I’m so grateful to be able to do what I am really passionate about doing, which is using my art form for somebody else's enjoyment,” she says.
Framing Solutions recently won a 2023 Best of Edina Award for picture framing and Susan couldn’t be prouder.
“I’m so grateful to be able to do what I am really passionate about doing, which is using my art form for someone else's enjoyment,” she says.
To learn more, go to FramingSolutionsMN.com.
