At Art & Home we are a brother and sister team who are proud to boast of our roots. In 1958, our father, Leslie opened the doors for the first time; serving the local community with a different kind of paint, the decorating kind! Shortly after, he expanded the business to incorporate his hobby of picture framing, which proved incredibly popular. This in-turn brought him in contact with many artists who asked if he would consider stocking artist materials. It was a natural progression which prompted a name change of the business in 1978 to Art & Home and this has steered the business in the destination it heads today; some 65 years later. Now run by us, John and Emma, (son and daughter of Leslie and Maureen). Like our parents, we each enjoy artistic pursuits.
At the age of 16, John joined the family business, working for his father as a Framing Apprentice. Around the same time, the Fine Art Trade Guild launched the Guild Commended Framer programme. This was to ensure consumer confidence in the Framing industry. Naturally John was enrolled to be assessed and became the youngest at that time in the UK to gain accreditation. This is a professional qualification that is today used as THE benchmark of a quality picture framer. It is a qualification that few in today’s industry possess locally.
At this point, three of the four members of our family were working in the business. Emma, the youngest member of the family, pursued her studies while working in Art & Home on Saturdays. She later graduated from University as a Bachelor of the Arts and pursued a career in Marketing. Here she learned many valuable skills which have proved invaluable to us today. Leslie’s ill health brought Emma back to Art & Home where she belonged. We have shared the same vision to offer the best service and product range available locally. We are incredibly proud of the brand Art & Home, it is in our blood! Our father once coined the phrase, “New customers soon become old friends”. This sums up the ethos of Art & Home perfectly, where we enjoy our customers, many of whom have become friends.
Sadly our father passed away in 2008 and our mother in 2015. For us, this ethos of un-wavering customer service and friendship remains the same. We still feel the watchful eye of our father over us as we take on more challenges and fun projects in the world of Art. Though neither of us live in Holywood, it is home, where we have spent most of our lives, with friendships and a standing in the community that our whole family has enjoyed.
The professional bit..
Art & Home are Founder members of the British Institute of Frame Makers. Our Fine Art Trade Guild Commended Picture Framing service offers bespoke framing solutions for all mediums of artwork, including oil, watercolour, pastel, acrylic and mixed media; embroideries, photographs etc, as well as memorabilia and sports shirts. Based in Holywood, just outside Belfast, Art & Home is Northern Ireland’s oldest art store. The two storey store stocks the leading art brands including Daniel Smith, Pan Pastel, Golden, Schmincke, Belle Arti Canvases, Winsor & Newton, Daler Rowney, Michael Harding, Clairefontaine, Caran d’Ache, Arches Aquarelle to name a few! The adjacent Art Gallery is an informal space housing original artworks from local and international Artists.
If you’re in the area please pop in. We look forward to meeting you! If by chance you can’t find what you are looking for on our website, just give us a call!
Thank you for reading!