Portraits Restored in Oklahoma City: Museum-Quality Framing and Canvas Work Under One Roof
Portraits Restored combines conservation-level art restoration with custom framing and gallery sales in a single 2,500-square-foot space on Northwest 23rd Street, serving collectors, estate holders, and institutions across Oklahoma City who need work beyond what mall framing shops offer.
What Portraits Restored actually is
The business operates as a hybrid: part restoration studio, part fine-art framing workshop, part retail gallery. The owner, trained in canvas consolidation and pigment stabilization, handles oil paintings, watercolors, and mixed-media pieces from 18th-century portraiture to contemporary works. Unlike franchise framing operations, the shop does not mass-produce frames; each project receives a condition assessment and a conservation plan before work begins. Restoration projects typically stay on-site for 4 to 8 weeks depending on structural damage, mold, or pigment loss.
Services and pricing
Restoration assessment costs $75 and is applied toward the full project cost if the client proceeds. Small canvas repairs (tears under 6 inches, localized cleaning) run $250 to $600. Full restoration of a 24-by-36-inch oil painting with varnish removal, inpainting, and lining typically falls in the $1,200 to $2,500 range; larger works or pieces with active mold or severe lifting cost more. The shop will provide a written estimate with photographs before starting any restoration work.
Custom framing starts at $200 for a simple mat and frame around a print and reaches $800 or higher for museum-board mounting, acid-free glazing, and hardwood frames on valuable pieces. The shop stocks over 400 frame profiles and can source specialty materials like linen liners or Japanese tissue for archival mounts. UV-protective glass costs an additional $60 to $150 depending on size and type.
The gallery displays finished restorations and estate paintings available for purchase, with asking prices ranging from $300 for small still-life watercolors to $4,000 for unsigned 19th-century portraiture. Inventory rotates every 4 to 6 weeks.
How it compares to other Oklahoma City options
Most chain framing (Michael's, Hobby Lobby) offers assembly-line work suitable for posters and family photos but lacks the materials and expertise for valuable or damaged work. Portraits Restored differs in that it does not shy away from conservation-grade decisions: it will recommend against varnish removal on a piece where risk outweighs benefit, or suggest consolidation instead of full relining if a canvas is stable enough. For clients with inherited or museum-quality pieces, this conservator-first approach distinguishes it from retail framers.
The Gilcrease Museum in nearby Tulsa offers public conservation services and a conservation lab, but turnaround there often exceeds three months and is reserved for donors or research affiliates. Portraits Restored serves the general public and prioritizes faster turnaround on smaller, non-research projects.
Who it suits and who it does not suit
The space works well for estate executors managing inherited art, collectors with damaged pieces, and people who have paid serious money for a painting and want it properly stabilized before display. Clients with sentimental but non-valuable artwork (mass-produced prints, student work) are better served by lower-cost framers; the shop's expertise and materials cost justify higher prices for pieces worth protecting.
What the first visit involves
Walk in with the piece or photograph if it is large. The staff conducts a visual inspection (no obligation to move the work if it is fragile), discusses condition, and outlines options without pressure. If the work stays, you receive a written condition report and estimate. You can call or email updates weekly, and the shop emails before-and-after photographs at completion.
Hours, parking, and logistics
Open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday. Street parking is available on Northwest 23rd; confirm current hours by phone before a long drive, as seasonal hours or event closures do change. The shop does not offer shipping services directly but can recommend insured couriers for pieces you cannot transport yourself.
Portraits Restored has built a reputation for refusing quick fixes that compromise long-term preservation, making it the right choice for anyone holding work worth keeping.
