Bob Dean, and his Kirsten are owners of Art By Design in downtown Laurinburg. Recently, the business moved from Roper Street to 325 South Main Street.
Photo courtesy of Stephanie Walcott
LAURINBURG — A downtown Laurinburg business helps families preserve cherished memories.
Have you ever needed to figure out a way to display great-grandma’s hand-sewn lace christening gown or a golf ball from a hole-in-one?
Art By Design, a custom framing shop, recently moved to 325 South Main Street after many years on Roper Street.
Owners Bob and Kirsten Dean, who both majored in art at college, opened the store, along with friends Crawford Fitch and Carole Lee, in March of 1998.
The original store was at 102 South Main Street, where Ricky Evans ran Artworks and another business.
When Evans retired and left town, the four friends, who all worked at Artworks together, saw an opportunity to fill a void in the area.
“The original store, and the one on Roper Street, was more like an art boutique. We had yard art and a lot of local artists on consignment. We did the framing then, too- we were just more diversified,” Dean said.
When asked about the recent move, Dean replied, “We’re downsizing, and we wanted to get back on Main Street.
The Deans have been the sole owners since 2018 and decided to focus on the custom framing aspect of the business.
“Our prices are very competitive in that niche,” he said.
The emphasis will be on design and originality.
Dean said they could find a way to frame and display various objects besides paintings and photos.
“I’ve done a railroad tie before,” he said. “We’ve done firearms and swords, immigration papers, and WW1 discharge papers. We have the triangular flag display cases. I can do hexagon and pentagon-shaped frames. They’re challenging (and pricy), but I can do them.”
Art By Design offers archival, museum-quality conservation glass and acid-free mats to safely display artwork and cherished heirlooms.