The new Shockoe Valley Picture Framing storefront at 1600 Valley Road. (Photos by Jackie DiBartolomeo)
In a hub of tattoo artists, blacksmiths and knife makers, Dave Hantoot is opening the doors on his first custom framing storefront.
Hantoot, who has been doing custom framework in the Shockoe Valley Manufacturing building for more than half a decade, is opening frame-making shop Shockoe Valley Picture Framing, his first public storefront, in the building at 1600 Valley Road.
The business is an offshoot of Custom Design Frameworks, which Hantoot launched in 2014.
Originally from Newport News, Hantoot previously worked in the behavioral health facility industry, overseeing safety in behavioral health units. While on the job, he learned to make ligature-resistant picture frames that were safe for psychiatric patients to have on their walls.
Finding a love for the craftsmanship of frame making, Hantoot quit his day job and opened Custom Design, which focuses on handcrafted ligature- and abuse-resistant frames for behavioral health facilities.
Custom Design’s frames have been featured in several design guides as a safe frame option for behavioral health facilities. All of Hantoot’s frames are made from scratch with hardwood sourced from a local distributor, he said.
Since founding Custom Design, Hantoot has moved his workshop around to several locations in the area. He was previously in a spot along Mechanicsville Turnpike, before settling on a workshop space in the Shockoe Valley Manufacturing building about seven years ago.
The old brick warehouse is nondescript, tucked under I-64 along a bend of Valley Road. Yet the warehouse’s interior is anything but nondescript, with a host of artisans and makers within its 40,000 square feet, including blacksmith Ashgrove Forge, knife maker Join or Die Knives, a tattoo artist, a glazier and other artists and painters.
Dave Hantoot is the owner of Shockoe Valley Picture Framing.
Though he’s been honing his craft in the building for years now, it wasn’t until recently that Hantoot decided he wanted to open a retail shop in the building.
“I just decided to open up to the public,” Hantoot said. “I think people would like to see inside.”
Now, a 250-square-foot section of Hantoot’s workshop is open to customers, with a new name to boot: Shockoe Valley Picture Framing. The public-facing frame shop will focus on regular print and painting framing, as opposed to the ligature-resistant focus of Hantoot’s other business.
The framing shop space retains much of the same look as the rest of Hantoot’s workshop, with brick and wood walls, concrete floors and a swath of his framing materials showcased for customers to touch.
“I didn’t want to put up drywall and make it look like a regular framing place. I wanted it to be a little different,” Hantoot said. “And I wanted people to be able to come in and get good framing at a reasonable price.”
The business is currently focused on diploma framing that can run from $50 to $100, along with print and painting framing. Custom frames of most sizes will go out the door for around $150 to $200, Hantoot said. Most work will be completed within a week, he added.
As a team of one, Hantoot also provides services including framing and frame repairs, custom shadow boxes, and matting and mounting pictures.
Also on display at Shockoe Valley Picture Framing is a selection of purchasable artwork from local names including Peyton Millikan, Genevieve Franco and Judy Newcomb.
Hantoot said he will keep the Custom Design Frameworks business, running it alongside the Shockoe Valley Picture Framing storefront.
Shockoe Valley Picture Framing is open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and by appointment.
The new Shockoe Valley Picture Framing storefront at 1600 Valley Road. (Photos by Jackie DiBartolomeo)
In a hub of tattoo artists, blacksmiths and knife makers, Dave Hantoot is opening the doors on his first custom framing storefront.
Hantoot, who has been doing custom framework in the Shockoe Valley Manufacturing building for more than half a decade, is opening frame-making shop Shockoe Valley Picture Framing, his first public storefront, in the building at 1600 Valley Road.
The business is an offshoot of Custom Design Frameworks, which Hantoot launched in 2014.
Originally from Newport News, Hantoot previously worked in the behavioral health facility industry, overseeing safety in behavioral health units. While on the job, he learned to make ligature-resistant picture frames that were safe for psychiatric patients to have on their walls.
Finding a love for the craftsmanship of frame making, Hantoot quit his day job and opened Custom Design, which focuses on handcrafted ligature- and abuse-resistant frames for behavioral health facilities.
Custom Design’s frames have been featured in several design guides as a safe frame option for behavioral health facilities. All of Hantoot’s frames are made from scratch with hardwood sourced from a local distributor, he said.
Since founding Custom Design, Hantoot has moved his workshop around to several locations in the area. He was previously in a spot along Mechanicsville Turnpike, before settling on a workshop space in the Shockoe Valley Manufacturing building about seven years ago.
The old brick warehouse is nondescript, tucked under I-64 along a bend of Valley Road. Yet the warehouse’s interior is anything but nondescript, with a host of artisans and makers within its 40,000 square feet, including blacksmith Ashgrove Forge, knife maker Join or Die Knives, a tattoo artist, a glazier and other artists and painters.
Dave Hantoot is the owner of Shockoe Valley Picture Framing.
Though he’s been honing his craft in the building for years now, it wasn’t until recently that Hantoot decided he wanted to open a retail shop in the building.
“I just decided to open up to the public,” Hantoot said. “I think people would like to see inside.”
Now, a 250-square-foot section of Hantoot’s workshop is open to customers, with a new name to boot: Shockoe Valley Picture Framing. The public-facing frame shop will focus on regular print and painting framing, as opposed to the ligature-resistant focus of Hantoot’s other business.
The framing shop space retains much of the same look as the rest of Hantoot’s workshop, with brick and wood walls, concrete floors and a swath of his framing materials showcased for customers to touch.
“I didn’t want to put up drywall and make it look like a regular framing place. I wanted it to be a little different,” Hantoot said. “And I wanted people to be able to come in and get good framing at a reasonable price.”
The business is currently focused on diploma framing that can run from $50 to $100, along with print and painting framing. Custom frames of most sizes will go out the door for around $150 to $200, Hantoot said. Most work will be completed within a week, he added.
As a team of one, Hantoot also provides services including framing and frame repairs, custom shadow boxes, and matting and mounting pictures.
Also on display at Shockoe Valley Picture Framing is a selection of purchasable artwork from local names including Peyton Millikan, Genevieve Franco and Judy Newcomb.
Hantoot said he will keep the Custom Design Frameworks business, running it alongside the Shockoe Valley Picture Framing storefront.
Shockoe Valley Picture Framing is open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and by appointment.
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I’m happy Dave has followed his passion and been able to turn it into viable business. but I’m also happy this article highlights Shockoe Valley Manufacturing.
I am interested to learn more about this collection of businesses. I was not able to find much information online other a Facebook page. Do they hold regular open houses like ArtWorks 4th Fridays? I would love to go see what is going on in there.
Not at this time. If you would like more info, I would suggest you contact Brent Stublefield at Join or Die in the building.
This had me googling what “ligature-resistant picture frames” are. I may be reaching out as I have another use case where these could be really helpful. thanks!