Meet Nicole Trainor of The Louisville Reframe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Trainor.

Hi Nicole, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
From a young age, I have always been creative, loving anything hands-on or art related. My parents nurtured my interests by encouraging me to draw what I saw in my everyday environment. As I grew older, my curiosity in art grew in lockstep; I developed new skills, learned new processes, and discovered new mediums. By circumstance, I also began to absorb the basics of framing, such as the matting and mounting of artworks. While picture framing came naturally to me, I viewed it as a means to an end but nothing more.

Fast forward to early adulthood, after earning a Bachelor’s in Art and Psychology from the University of Louisville, I immediately entered graduate school intending to become a licensed Art Therapist. Only after finishing my first year of post-graduate studies did I realize that this was not the right path for me, and I made the difficult decision to step away.

Unsure of my future, I took the opportunity to move to a new city with a friend. I found work at a high-end commercial picture-framing business before settling into a traditional career in brand packaging. While picture framing continued to be an ongoing hobby, I prioritized my career in brand packaging for the next several years.

With time my skills in framing developed, and I accepted more advanced framing challenges. Once I moved back to my hometown it was not long before I founded the Louisville Reframe in 2021. Since then, I have been growing my little picture-framing business one day at a time.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like running any business, there will be challenges and setbacks.

From supply chain issues to inflation, cultivating an entrepreneurial attitude has been the key to overcoming the obstacles I have had to face in today’s economy. Also knowing when to seek out help is essential. I’m proud to say I built my company website but in hindsight, it might have been better to outsource that task.

I may look like a company of one, but the Louisville Reframe would not exist without the support and encouragement of family, trusted friends, and close contacts.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Louisville Reframe?
Compared to other picture frame shops, the Louisville Reframe does not have countless frame samples stacked floor to ceiling. Instead, the old and forgotten frames of past generations are utilized and thoughtfully matched to new works of art. The frame moulding is typically sourced from second-hand retailers. With the patron’s guidance, every frame is carefully chosen with intention.

To initiate the process a client consultation is scheduled to discuss one’s style/aesthetic. Specifics such as glazing and matting are decided but the exact frame choice will not be set. The client then places their trust in Louisville Reframe to pair a moulding that fits the design parameters previously covered during the consultation. In most instances, the client will not see the final frame until their piece of artwork is framed and ready to hang!

When it comes to larger projects, clients are also able to choose from a limited selection of wood moulding if they so desire. Offering the option of a traditional approach for picture framing has allowed the business to grow to a new level with commercial works.

During the early years, I typically framed smaller pieces for residential clients. More recently, I’ve had the privilege to frame original artworks for varying shows at local galleries such as Revelry and FifteenTwelve.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a quiet albeit goofy kid. Yes, art was a constant in my life, but I spent just as much time running around outside and exploring the neighborhood with the other kids my age.

Those same things I cherished as a kid, like riding my bike around the neighborhood or kayaking down a waterway, I still enjoy doing today.

Contact Info:

• Website: Louisvillereframe.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LouisvilleReframe/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Louisville-Reframe/100063979307008/