Custom framing, wood frames only
At our studio at 29 Derech Beit Lehem in Baka, Jerusalem, we do custom framing, and every frame we make is wood. Bring in a painting, a rolled canvas, a family photo, a poster, a puzzle or any object you want framed, and together we'll work out the perfect framing, profile and glazing for you.
Custom framing means building a frame for one specific piece, so it looks good on the wall and stays in good condition for years. At Bemisgeret, a family studio at 29 Derech Beit Lehem in Baka, Jerusalem, the work is done by Mordechai (Mouki) Cohen and the painter Esther (Eti) Agasi Cohen. Mouki builds the frames and Eti advises on the design. All our frames are wood, some made in Israel and some imported from Italy, and every mat we use is acid-free.
Custom framing means the frame is built to special measurements, and the materials and colors are chosen with care to match the piece itself. It's the exact opposite of a ready-made frame, where the artwork has to fit a frame that already exists.
We work with wood frames only, and there's no plastic framing here at all! We're strict about the quality of our profiles, some made in Israel and some imported from Italy. The range covers a wide spectrum of design styles: smooth modern profiles, classic profiles and decorative museum profiles with carving, patterns and grooves, in many widths, wide and narrow. There are colored profiles and profiles in gold, silver and bronze.
We also carry solid natural wood profiles: oak, maple, cherry, African walnut, American walnut, poplar, pine and wenge. From all of these profiles we also build custom mirrors.
Mouki and Esther have many years of experience in custom framing and in caring for art, and they specialize in working with private clients, painters, art curators, architects and interior designers. Mouki builds every frame by hand, with real craftsmanship. You can read how the two of them came to this work in the story of our studio.
The type of framing describes how the piece sits inside the frame. It can be close to the glass or set well back from it, surrounded by a mat, or floating above the backing.
In a float mount the artwork looks as if it's hovering inside the frame, with a visible gap between it and the frame profile. There's a float frame with a profile made for canvas, and with work on paper we raise the piece above the backing so it floats and its edges stay visible.
A shadow box (also called a box frame) is a deep frame where the glass sits well away from the piece and never touches it. It suits objects with depth, and pastel and charcoal drawings as well.
In double-glass framing the piece floats between two clear panes of glass with no backing behind it, so you see the wall around it. It suits work on paper, fabric, parchment, papyrus, rice paper and more.
Rectangular, square, round or oval mats, or mats with several openings. A mat is a thick, rigid, acid-free paper board that doesn't yellow. We cut it on a special machine with a bevel blade that leaves an angled edge. The cut makes a window of the right size that surrounds the artwork and keeps it off the glass. We cut rectangular, round or oval windows, and for a collage of several photos we cut a mat with several openings.
An oval frame is a wood frame in the shape of an ellipse, made for lovers of vintage style. An oval frame goes beautifully with portraits and old photographs.
A ready-made frame is a good-quality wood frame in a standard size that you don't need to order ahead. It's the quickest and most affordable way to frame a painting, a certificate, a photo, a print or a document. The frames come in a range of sizes.
Framing a painting starts with what it was painted on, because canvas needs different handling from paper or parchment. We frame every kind of art, from oil on canvas to pastel and charcoal on paper.
Canvas stretching means pulling a painted or printed canvas over wooden stretcher bars so it sits flat and taut. You can bring us a rolled canvas, say a painting that came home with you from a trip. Once it's stretched, the canvas can hang as it is, or you can add a floating frame around it. Oil and acrylic paintings on canvas are usually framed without glass.
Works on paper go behind glazing, with a mat that keeps the sheet away from the glass. Pastel and charcoal leave loose pigment on the paper, so they get a deeper gap. Parchment reacts to humidity and changes shape, which is why we mount it in a way that lets it move slightly.
Esther paints in oils on canvas, and in watercolor, gouache and pastel on paper, and Mouki stretches and frames her work, so we know these questions from both sides of the counter. Esther Agasi Cohen's paintings are on sale in our gallery.
Object framing means mounting a three-dimensional item or a piece of fabric in a deep frame, usually a shadow box. We'll frame almost anything you want to put in a frame. You choose the backing from several fabrics (silk, velvet, cotton or canvas), and textiles can be framed with or without glass.
If an item is damaged, we repair it before framing. The details are on our art restoration and repair page.
What we frame besides pictures
Conservation framing means that every material touching or covering the artwork is chosen so the piece lasts for years without yellowing or fading. All our mats are acid-free, and so are the backing materials. Ordinary board leaches acid into paper over the years and leaves a brown line that's hard to repair.
Glazing is the other half of preservation, because sunlight fades color. We offer four kinds of glazing.
Four types of glazing
We frame pictures for private clients and for professionals who work with art. For exhibitions, we match the frames to what the artist and the curator ask for, and we meet the exhibition's schedule.
Interior designers and architects get framing that fits their clients and the space they're planning, and businesses and organizations get the same advice. For art traveling abroad, we build wooden shipping crates and handle the shipping itself.
Private clients come to us from Baka and the neighborhoods around it (the German Colony, Talpiot, Katamon, Arnona), and from all over greater Jerusalem. Couples come in to decorate their first home, parents bring their kids' drawings, and grandparents bring photos of their grandchildren. Everyone gets a warm, professional welcome. Anyone looking for original art at great prices will find original paintings by Israeli artists in our art gallery.
The price of framing depends on the size of the piece, the frame profile, the type of glazing and the mat. Our price range is wide, from simple smooth wood frames to decorative ones with gold, silver or painted finishes, so you can find a frame that fits your budget and your taste.
You can get a quote at the studio, by phone or on WhatsApp. For a quote from a distance, send us a photo of the piece and its measurements. The frame profile itself is best chosen at the studio, with the artwork lying next to it, because nothing beats seeing it with your own eyes. If you really can't come in, we're happy to help by phone too. Our phone numbers and opening hours are on our contact page.
Bring the artwork itself and, if you can, a photo of the wall where it will hang.
We lay samples next to the piece and see what suits it. Esther and Mordechai advise, and you decide.
We measure and give you a price before any work starts. If it's over your budget, we swap the profile or the glazing and price it again.
The frame is built to the measurements of your piece. We tell you the completion date when you place the order.
Collect the finished piece from the studio at 29 Derech Beit Lehem during opening hours.
The price of framing a picture or painting depends on the size of the piece, the frame profile, the type of glazing and the mat, so there's no single price. Bemisgeret's price range is wide, from simple smooth wood frames to decorative frames with gold, silver or painted finishes. You can get a quote at the studio at 29 Derech Beit Lehem in Jerusalem, by phone at 02-6714005 or on WhatsApp. It helps to send a photo of the piece and its measurements.
It depends on the job and on the materials you choose. A ready-made frame in a standard size doesn't need to be ordered ahead, and you can take it home on the spot. Custom framing needs a check first: if all the materials for the frame are in stock, it takes 2 to 5 working days, and if materials have to be ordered it can take longer. We give you an estimated completion date when you order, once we've seen the piece, know what you've chosen for it and whether anything has to be ordered. For exhibitions, we work to the exhibition's schedule and meet it. If you have a date coming up, tell us at the start.
Regular glass is clear but reflects light, and non-glare glass diffuses reflections but slightly softens detail. Museum glass filters UV light, keeps art from fading and shows almost no reflection, which is why it's used for original work. Acrylic (Plexiglas) is light and shatterproof, so it's a good fit for large pieces and for shipping abroad. At the studio we'll help you choose based on the piece and the wall it's going on.
An acid-free mat is a very thick paper used in conservation framing, so it won't yellow or damage the paper it touches. A mat made of ordinary paper leaches acid into the artwork over the years and leaves a brown line that can't be removed. A mat also keeps the artwork off the glass. At Bemisgeret in Jerusalem we only use acid-free mats, with rectangular, round or oval windows.
In a float mount the artwork looks as if it's hovering inside the frame, because there's a visible gap between it and the frame profile. With a canvas we leave a narrow space around the edges, and with work on paper we raise the sheet above the backing so you can see its edges too. We do several kinds of float mounting, with regular glass, museum glass or acrylic, depending on the piece.
Yes. We frame just about everything: objects and textiles, usually in a deep shadow box where the glass doesn't touch the item. People bring us wedding ketubahs along with the broken glass from the chuppah, embroidery or puzzles, shirts or flags, medals and coins. A book or a rug, a plate or a tile can go into a frame too, and we've even framed a TV. You choose a wood or foam-board backing covered in fabric like silk or velvet. Bring the item to the studio in Baka and we'll work out together how to display it.
Yes. For exhibitions, we match the frames to what the artist and the curator require and meet the exhibition's schedule. We also work with interior designers, architects, businesses and organizations. For art shipped abroad, we build wooden crates and handle the shipping. To arrange a job, call Mouki at 050-8149090.
Bring the piece itself, because the frame profile and the mat are chosen while lying next to it. A photo of the wall and the room where it will hang helps too, and if the space is tight, its measurements. You can bring a canvas rolled up and we'll stretch it. If it's hard to bring the piece in, you can start with a phone consultation or send a photo on WhatsApp to 052-5413669.
Our gallery, inside the framing studio in Baka, has original paintings by Israeli artists. Most of what you'll see are oil paintings by Esther Agasi Cohen, the house artist and Mouki's partner, alongside lithographs by great artists such as Nachum Gutman, Moshe Castel, Yehudit Yellin and Yosl Bergner. There are also canvas prints by Esther, which she finishes with touches of paint (giclée), and limited-edition serigraphs on wood by Adriana Nave. An online catalog is in the works, so for now you see the work at the studio itself. Some pieces are already framed, and the rest can be framed on site.
Art gallery in Baka, Jerusalem: original paintings, lithographs and prints
We repair oil paintings that have torn or yellowed, works on paper with mold and stains, and frames that have broken or lost their gilding. We look at the piece first, explain what can be fixed and give you a quote. After the repair, we can reframe it here with materials that protect it.
Painting restoration and frame repair in Jerusalem
Made-to-measure mirrors in Belgian mirror glass and solid wood frames. You choose the profile and color from a huge selection of profiles, the same ones we use to frame pictures, so the mirror can match the style of the frames already hanging in your home. Our mirrors are rectangular or square, and they always have a frame.
Custom mirrors in Jerusalem, made to measure in wood frames
Talk to us
The studio is at 29 Derech Beit Lehem in Baka, Jerusalem. We're open Sunday to Thursday 9:30 am to 6 pm and Friday 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. For a quote, call the studio at 02-6714005 or Eti at 052-5413669. You can also send a photo of the piece on WhatsApp to Eti's number.
29 Derech Beit Lehem, Baka, Jerusalem · Sunday to Thursday 9:30 am to 6 pm · Friday 9:30 am to 1:30 pm
