Andy Tullis / The BulletinDeb Spicer inside Eastlake Framing in Bend on Friday.

Eastlake Framing celebrates 30 years in business in December, a feat for a shop that provides what Eastlake owner Deb Spicer describes as something of a luxury item .

The recession that arrived in 2007 reduced the number of framing shops in town by about two-thirds, she said. Eastlake rode out the bad times without losing any employees.

“We have a huge following of ultra-loyal fans,” she said Friday. “During the downturn, they were incredibly loyal but they came in only once every two years rather than twice a year.”

With the 2007-09 recession in the rear view mirror and interior design on homeowners’ minds once again, business is picking up for Eastlake Framing. Friday, Spicer consulted with a client on the best way to reframe two oil paintings, the largest of them 8 feet long by 4 feet high.

“You know you’ve done it correctly when the frame is the bridge between the artwork and its environment,” Spicer said.

Mike Putnam, a professional photographer in Bend known for his landscape photographs of Central Oregon, makes Eastlake Framing his go-to shop. Eastlake has framed his work for all 15 years he’s been a professional photographer, he said.

“They’re the best frame shop I’ve ever worked with and I’ve worked with others in the past. They’re efficient, they’re fair, and they’re super reliable,” Putnam said. “There are some small sort of tricks to the trade that separate average framers from great framers. Their corners are tight and they’re very precise compared to some people. Everything they can do, they do very well.”

Spicer’s employees, Denise Beutler and Diane Offenfeld, with a combined 36 years experience, are among the best framers around, Putnam said.

Framing is not Spicer’s only skill. A former photograph retoucher who removed the blemishes from faces in thousands of high school portraits, today she’s a certified oil painting restoration specialist, which includes restoring original frames. She stores the needed chemicals in an office cabinet but works on each project at home in a dedicated room off her garage.

“It’s more scientific and detailed than you think,” she said.

The value in a piece of art or photography, for most of her clients, whether in framing or restoration, is often measured in sentiment, Spicer said. However, she said she learned after one painting restoration that the piece was valued at $1 million.

Spicer said she takes nothing for granted. “This is the healthiest year since the downturn, although you can’t keep comparing it to the peak. We may never see that again,” she said. “I’m so thankful.”

She plans an anniversary party 5-9 p.m., Dec. 12 at the shop. Photographers whose work Eastlake Framing has showcased in its Artist Spotlight events are expected to attend and live music and refreshments are planned.

With 30 years behind her at Eastlake Framing, Spicer said she sees no end in sight.

“The biggest difference between us and our competition is this is our passion,” she said. “This is what gets us up in the morning.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7815, jditzler@bendbulletin.com

Q: What styles are popular now in framing?

A: Deb Spicer: Mid-century modern mixed with repurposed industrial. It’s all about mixing materials now, (for example) stainless steel with the welding bead exposed mixed with distressed wood with glass thrown in the middle. … Most everything has a clean line to it, not a lot of fussy detail.

Q: How do you learn the techniques associated with pairing the right frame with a piece of art?

A: You’re either born with it or you’re not. There’s a lot with this job that you’re not able to be taught.