I was looking for an image to be enlarged and framed for an oversized gallery look and Google brought me to Graham at Alternative Arts. It was my first time going to an arts/framing store for such an ambitious project but after just a few minutes speaking with Graham I knew I had come to the right place. Graham was polite, welcoming and professional. He took the time to source what I was looking for, and helped guide me with making my vision a reality. The turnaround time for my piece was aprox 4 weeks which in my opinion was very reasonable- and the result phenomenal! I am very happy with the end result. Bonus - Alternative Arts was able to provide delivery due to the sheer size of the piece which I truly appreciated. If you're looking to have custom, professional artwork for your home I would highly recommend going to Alternative Arts. read more

Mr Graham, who I am assuming owns this store, is a dishonorable, unprofessional, pugnacious, repugnant, and overall repulsive personality to deal with. I terribly regret "working" with him (in quotes because he did not actually finish the job that he is so clearly incompetent at). I had paid $750 for three 14inch x 14inch artworks to be framed, on October 15, 2024. I was given in writing that this would be completed by the first week of November. After the first week of November passes, I call them on November 8 to check on the status of the order since I had not heard from them. On the call, Mr Graham notifies me that the frame I ordered was on back order and he did not have the work done yet (mind you, when I had placed the order, they had called their supplier to check regarding the availability of the frame, since it was an irregular frame). He further informs me that the work should be done by November 11. Not having heard back from him on November 15, I once again called to check the status of the order. On the phone, he gets short and tells me, "I have four customers waiting in line, I told you I will call you once the work is done." They are willing to accept new customers without completing the work for prior orders. On November 18, when I call again to inquire on my order, I told him that I will be leaving on November 22 and would need it before them. He goes on to tell me, "it should be complete by end of day today, but definitely before the end of the week." My mistake for believing that. He further tells me that I will be offered a partial refund for the delay. Come November 21, his associate, Jezzelle Westmaas, calls me twice though its during work hours so I cannot answer and call her back within 30 minutes, twice. She had not picked up but I saw she had left a 2minute+ voicemail, with no words. I assume it's to inform to come pick up the frames, since it is close to 6 weeks that I had placed this order. On November 22, I go into the store to pick up the frames. Mr Graham says only two frames of the three are "complete" and that he did not have the frame for the third. In fact, they were not complete. They did not have any hanging mechanism on the frames. When asked about the hanging wire or hooks, he tells me, "it's going to take 10 minutes to install them." I let him know that if it needed ten minutes, it could have been completed in the near 6 weeks he had the frames. At which point, he informs me, "get out of the store, I am not giving you any money back." Unlike him, I had not raised my voice or been short with him during our conversation. When I am about to leave, he tries to tell me, "let me at least give you half the money back." Mr Graham -- after the way you spoke with me and told me to "get out," why would you expect me to speak with you any further, when you are clearly at fault? Just look at the manner in which he response to people in other Google reviews if you do not trust me. Later, he texts me offering a refund (see attached screenshot). Please, Mr Graham, don't worry about the refund as I have initiated a fraud claim with American Express for the full amount for incomplete service provided by you. To add insult to the injury, see the photos of the shoddy framing work that he was able to complete. The frames are dirty and unusable. I will be finding someone else to salvage this job. PS: if you do somehow end up at this store despite all the scathing reviews, notice the utter and haphazard disarray they are in before giving them your business. read more

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Untrustworthy shop owner. While in his store, I was quoted an exact price to custom frame a print. When I returned three weeks later to drop it off, he raised the price. When I reminded him of the original quote, he instantly snapped, and ordered me to leave. As I was packing up my print, he berated me for "wasting 45 minutes" of their time during the original consultation. Appalling customer service from a shopkeeper whose lack of professionalism quickly gave way to outright hostility. read more

I've already left a Google review under the same profile, but I honestly just had to leave another comment because it's now comical how poorly I was treated here. Long story short, I came in with a broken frame, glass, and slight ripped piece. Graham sold me with his confidence and "excitement" about the piece. It has infinite sentimental value to me as it was given to me by my elderly grandfather, so when it was returned still broken, and upon getting home realizing there was ADDITIONAL DAMAGE from the framing process, he tried to gaslight me with "framing" jargon into thinking nothing could be been done and that there was no gap in the piece (photos attached). I paid additional money for the art to be fixed (I literally just wanted him to add a new background, and tape the back of the bills so they line up) he became super aggressive, verbally insulted me and the art multiple times, and physically followed me out of the store to continue confronting me. This business does not care about the customer, and will apparently try and physically fight you if you disagree with the poor work they've done. Thankfully I'm a larger gentleman, or I would've bee intimidated just by his insane aggression. Again, just comical at this point. I can't do anything but laugh because there's no way he'll give me a refund. Attached are photos. I think he's a little off his rockers now if he thinks there's no gap in the paper. Unfortunate I fell for the disillusioned vision he sold me on. He just doesn't care ... and it's sad to see.beenslightly read more

Alternative Arts - New damage caused from the shop - Home Decor Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I wanted to have digital reproductions that I just purchased (elsewhere) printed at Alternative Arts. When the website did not allow me to upload my files, I called the owner. He suggested I email them to him. I asked about framing, and told him I needed them by a certain day. He said he did not have any generic frames that were appropriate but that if I wanted black or stainless steel, he could custom frame them by my deadline. I agreed to that and paid him in full over the phone. He told me I could pick them up the Friday, end of day. My deadline was Saturday. I came in Saturday morning. The posters were printed but not cut or framed. I asked if he was going to be able to frame them that morning. He said it would take at least 3 weeks. I reminded him of our discussion. He told me there must have been some misunderstanding. I told him that I clarified the deadline on the phone, and that it was HIS suggestion that I do a simple custom frame in black. He denied this and was inexplicably hostile. At times I had to ask him to back up because he was approaching me too closely - both from a Covid perspective, and because he was clearly becoming aggressive. I told him that I could see that he was clearly in over his head, and that I wanted my money back. He said he would charge me for the prints if I still wanted them. I agreed to that, surprised that he did not offer to refund the entire amount. He told me that he had had to turn down a $500 order because he could not complete it on time and that I should not expect framing to be completed so quickly. I told him that I was not interested in other people's orders, and reminded him that I would have made other arrangements if he had just told me that he could not frame the prints by my deadline. He then took my posters and RIPPED THEM UP! Clearly unhinged, I asked him to give me my money back. He told me he didn't know how much I paid, and to produce a receipt. He said he did not have that in his records!? As I had paid over the phone, I didn't have a receipt. He repeated that he didn't know how much I had paid. I used my phone to look at my credit card statement. When I told him how much I paid, he asked to look at it. I told him I would not show him my credit card statement. He ultimately refunded me. This did not have to happen!!! This business is clearly in over its head. The owner is not fit to interact with the public, especially as stress levels rise around the holidays. This is not the first unfortunate incident I have had with this business, but it is certainly the worst. read more

I know nothing of art and decor. But from the moment I walked into Alternative Arts, I was made to feel welcome. I don't/didn't/never will have priceless pieces of art on my walls but that didn't keep the staff from helping me realize what I did. In 2012 I won a radio contest that allowed me to see many live concerts that year. 63 to be exact (yes, sometimes it was more than one per day). I told myself that I would try to get a day bill from every show and eventually get them on my walls. Budgeting has allowed me to get a few, but Alternative Arts will be the only place to get my pieces custom framed. They weren't the cheapest option for me, but I understand and know the value and quality of their work. Thank you so much for helping me accomplish what I've always wanted. I'll never go anywhere else. read more

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I have had the pleasure of coming into this unique establishment that offers custom framing, laminating and much more. I have had a few posters made from them and simply cannot express how grateful I am to have been on the receiving end of their professionalism and patience that is constantly demonstrated by the staff with each visit. I look forward to more visits and recommend Alternative Arts to everyone! read more

Pretty awesome place that has a multitude of cool services to offer. I went there twice. Once to print off the poster for 'Gentlemen Prefer blondes' which happens to be my girlfriend's fav movie (as as bday gift) which they printed on canvas for me. She was more than happy with the result which left me satisfied as well. Secondly, during my parents wedding anniversary I had them print off a poster of a classic bollywood movie (their fav - Tere Ghar Ke Samne), again on canvas. And my parents loved it too! They have pretty cool posters as well in all ranges and sizes, and have a massive database and can access the Internet to print off pretty much anything you need in poster format on a multitude of surfaces. It's definitely an excellent find! read more

Alternative Arts - Home Decor Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Really great service. I wanted a large print-on-canvas but wasn't sure quite how big I wanted it and some other details. They were patient with me as I made several phone calls and two visits to the shop, and I'm really happy with the finished product! read more

This store is a gem. I've had multiple framing jobs done there, each of which had been competed with a high standard of craftsmanship and style. There's also a certain charm and energy among the staff, which I appreciate. A visit there tends to be both enjoyable and productive. Over the years, I've had had 5-6 large prints framed at the shop, as well as purchasing some frame kits and the occasional poster. No complaints. Prices can range toward the high end at times, but multiple options seems to be available to suit different budgets. Even though I live in a different neighborhood, I travel to Alternative Arts for all of my framing needs. It's well worth the trip. read more

Excellent! With the pandemic in full swing this past Xmas, shopping for gifts was especially challenging. And these guys really came to my rescue! I needed 3 posters printed to give as gifts. I uploaded 3 pictures to their website (super easy to use) and got to choose the sizes I wanted. They got back to me to discuss my order, and even found better versions of what I wanted within their own database. The quality of the prints were fantastic, the sizes were perfect and I picked up them up just in time for Xmas. And the people I gave them to loved them! I will definitely be contacting them again in future. A big thanks to Alternative Arts! read more

My BF and I worked with Graham to print out and frame some digital art as a wedding gift for my brother. Graham was very efficient, kind and accommodating, and we are over the moon with the final result. We will be back... read more

My experience here was very decent -- I brought in a vintage poster to be framed and Graham was helpful and patient going over options with me to find something in my price range. They called me when the job was ready and I picked it up. Easy. It makes me think that the reviewers on here who say the service is terrible are difficult and demanding customers. In my job, I deal with lots of these people who are completely unreasonable and rude, but if you don't kiss their ass, they walk away saying they got bad service. Anyways, AA did a great job with my poster and I now have a beautiful framed piece that I will enjoy for life. Custom framing is not cheap by any means, but our society has lost the art of hand-crafted work and I was glad to spend the money to have a beautiful job done. Thanks very much for the excellent work! read more

A great place to go if you're looking to develop your patience. The product and prices are good, but the service has been forgotten. The issue is not with individual service or attention to detail, it's with the wait. They would benefit from hiring someone to take care of routine transactions, getting some seats so people don't have to stand around, scheduling times for customers to come in, and/or having tickets for customers so they know how long their wait will be. I think the person who runs it is an artist not a business person. They care about their customers, but the service is thoughtless (i.e., their intent is likely good). You have to see it to understand. read more

I have ordered custom prints, bought gifts, and introduced my friends to the shop. There is nothing they would not try and do for their clients. If they don't have the print, they will try and get it for you. I definitely recommend this shop to everyone. if you are one of those people without an empty wall in the house, let me tell you - it ain't empty till it's empty !!! So come to Alternative Arts and shop, shop, shop. (And no, I do not work there - I truly am a client.) read more

These guys know their stuff. I have taken very tricky framing issues to them which they tackled with aplomb. And the work comes back to me looking 200x better than anything I could have imagined. I now know a crappy framing job from the real deal and I wouldn't dream of going anywhere else. read more

Almost laughably bad service and incompetence. Avoid. I ordered a print as an Xmas present that ended being almost a month late, and one time when I came to check to see if it was in the owner checked and said it wasn't, but it turned out it was there all along. When he finally found it he e-mailed me to tell me to come get it, but without apologizing or offering a discount. When I came to get the item it turned out it wasn't printed in the way I wanted, and to get it done properly would take weeks more. He offered only to discount me the price difference between the kind of printing I wanted and what I got. We then proceeded to have a 15 minute dispute in the store, where he oscillated from petulance to indifference. It was bizarre and I'll never go back. He did give me some money back though, but only after a fight in the store. In case you're wondering why the other reviews are good, make sure you check the 'not recommended' reviews. They're clearly legit and for some (suspicious?) reason have been flagged. Buyer beware. read more

I was looking for a specific print. The owner (friendly at first) told me he could find it online and print it himself, professionally. I proceeded with the order. When the order arrived, the print quality was subpar at best (very pixelated). I asked the owner if he could fix it, and I offered to pay for the item to be fixed. The owner's mood went from calm to angry and he seemed very personally offended that I did not like the print. He told me that if I didn't like it, he would sell the item to someone else. He then told me to leave (essentially kicking me out of his store). I was so in shock I just stood there for a minute, processing everything. There was another employee working there (I think she may have been his daughter). She was really nice throughout the whole experience (I initially told her the print didn't come out as expected). When the owner told me to leave, she had a look on her face of embarassment, like she'd seen this before. Judging from the other comments (many of the negative ones have be suspicously flagged but you can read them below if you click "non reccomended comments"), this isn't uncommon behaviour at the store. The owner is selfish, unpredictable and rude. Above all, a horrible waste of my time and a personal mistreatment. read more

Ordered a print of Walt Disney Fantasia Mickey Mouse there in print form in oil.. about $250 on the "artx" printer... neat... don't underprice yourself... skilled labour to stretch canvas is expensive. Also had some posters laminated on particle board with edging... $250 or so.. for two... they don't hang straight but nicely done... can I have a star trek poster? I'll pay... Also do you print photos on CDs in JPG form to the oil printer on canvas? If so... there's an upside squirrel in a feeder I'll like to have mounted (not stuffed)... A. Thanks Andrew (c) Copyright 2017. Andrew M. Walduck. Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. read more

Frames turned out well but it was a terrible experience. Worked directly with the owner who was nice at first, but quickly changed when told about the issues with customer service that I was experiencing. The uncomfortable thing was he left me some pretty demanding voicemails to "call him back and work things out" and some emails "refusing to let me share my experience with others". Worst part about all this was that our order was a few weeks delayed, promises were made that couldn't be kept, and we were rushed for payment before the job was even completed! Would have loved to go back and get a few more pieces done, but after that experience I'll be giving the business to someone else. I'm reading Ben's comment and laughing because I essentially experienced the exact same thing. read more

Terrible job done on a simple project. Insanely imprecise framing job. Picked up their finished work, brought it home and discovered it was all wrong. Brought it back and had to really push the guy to understand why it was wrong. He didn't write anything down the first time so no wonder. Brought it home and discovered more problems. I won't even bother trying to get them to fix it. Also work wasn't done on time and they never called to tell me it was done. read more

I've had really great experiences with this supplier. I'm a decor specialist and sometimes projects have unreasonable deadlines, but Graham has always gone above and beyond to meet my needs. His expertise is unbelievably helpful and unwavering patience is much appreciated. read more

Very poor service... We bought our first large piece of art from this place, and we were very excited! As a young couple, spending $500 on something for our home was a pretty big deal. We chose a 16th century map which we were told would be fitted to a 70" X 44" canvas. Delivery was expected after 2 weeks. First of all, the delivery was put off by a week but that was no big deal. When we received it, the delivery guy did not stay to wait until I removed the protective paper. I thought he should stay to make sure we were satisfied. The work is done beautifully .... but the canvas is only 59" X 41"..... we paid for 70" X 44" When I called to ask about the mistake in sizing, the owner got extremely defensive and told me I was wrong and that I must be remembering our conversation incorrectly. I politely ended our conversation, and waited for my boyfriend to get home and ask him. He said the exact same thing as I did, which was that he thought we were getting a 70" X 44" ..... I called the owner again, and he once again was defensive and told me I was not remembering our conversation correctly. We kept the map because the owner refused to refund us and also refused to replace it with a larger version without charging us an additional $150. We will never bring our business back there again. We spent what we thought was a pretty good amount of money to have our first big piece of art created for our home... it's unfortunate that we weren't delivered what we were promised and that we both seem to have "remembered incorrectly" when it came to the measurements. I would strongly encourage anyone who is purchasing from this business to have them indicate measurements and all details on the receipt and sign for it. read more

I brought some Photos on a USB to the shop and was shown them blown up on a computer. Although the original photo taken was not great quality, they managed to blow them up to the perfect size and the colours are amazing. I am beyond happy with my experience here and will be happily returning. read more

I would give a zero if there's such choice. I've experimented very rude owner and the worst shopping experience ever in this stupid store. I set my sight on a picture but the canvas looks so old and shabby so I ordered the same picture on a new canvas but need to wait to pick up. They said they would call me once it's ready. Then I waited for 2 months and they never called. That made me. It want it any more. When I took my receipt to the store, the guy owner called me a lier saying my receipt is invalid. I was shocked and trying to defend myself then he started yelling at me and literally said get the fu_k out of his store. Clearly, that moron didn't even realize the receipt they wrote by themselves. I was so pissed off and had an argument with him. This is definitely the worst worst worst shopping experience in my life. Never going to the stupid place again! Suggest people paying attention to their service if you still feel like to go. read more

When I first called, I knew that I would be steered in the right direction having received excellent service before; from the time Graham and I spoke on the phone to the minute I walked through the doors, he immediately put me at ease. I knew what I wanted to get for my husband's birthday, so I was on a mission, but it was his creative guidance (including opportunity to search through rare databases together to find the perfect print), and bang-on suggestions for framing a ca. 1972 print of a certain rock legend, that truly made my experience stellar. Thank you, Graham! Will definitely visit you again! read more

I will not be returning. I have now had 4 bad experiences and think I have given them enough chances (each time I dealt with a different person, and thought that maybe, it would be better than the last). 1. Most recently I took a poster and a newspaper article in to be mounted. I stressed over and over (at least 5 times) that they needed to be the same size - when I brought them in, this meant them trimming about a quarter of an inch from either side, and leaving the top edges alone on the newspaper. I explained that I wanted them to do it since they had a large cutter there, and I would have had to use free-form scissors. I asked over and over as the girl seemed confused, but she said yes, they could do it. I showed her exactly what I wanted. When I picked them up a week later they had trimmed the newspaper so much that, not only was it far from the right size, but it had cut into the words on the side. 2. Previously I have gotten posters mounted there - the last time I got them back, they were badly dinged and chipped. 3. Their prices are extremely inconsistent. I always get the same sized item mounted, and depending on the day/cashier, they end up varying in price by up to $7. I don't know how this is as they look in a book that lists sizes by price. 4. When I tried to get a small print framed, they refused to listen to what I wanted done. The girl was insistent on me getting a large matte, even though I told her I didn't want one at all. She outright told me what I wanted would look terrible. I told her that I used to work in a framing store as well (which is true) and that I had posters framed the same way at home- I wanted them to match. She kept arguing and trying to add extra costs on top, making this small print cost $300 to frame. I told her that I would be happy to use a ready-made one if there was one the right size. She said there were but continued to argue with me, so I left without framing the piece. This is on top of general rudeness and being ignored 90% of the time I'm in there. I will not be returning. read more

Super fast service. Great quality. Lots of options available. Fun place to browse, be in and buy from

Horrendous customer service! Very irresponsible and rude people! My husband and I had a few small photos mounted on plaques first and things were OK. So, we went back for 3 movie posters to be mounted on plaques. We spent about 30 min with the owner Photoshopping 2 of the posters, paid and were told the posters would probably be ready after Christmas, which we were OK with. A week later, he called saying that he had forgotten what the changes were and we needed to call him or go back. We tried to get hold of him but he didn't return our calls, so we went back and spent another 30 min on one of the posters. A month later, when they were finally ready, one was done on a black plaque and the other one on brown while we had ordered two matching brown plaques!They blamed it on the company that does the framing and to our surprise didn't even apologize! Anyway, we waited and waited and in the meantime I called the store several times to follow up but most of the times, their voicemail was full and I couldn't leave a message and if I was lucky and someone picked up the phone, they said they knew nothing and I had to talk to Graham. So I left messages for him asking him to call me back as we were about to leave the country for a while and needed to get the pictures. Eventually after another month, one day I managed to talk to Graham and he said oh your order is ready. I asked: so why didn't you call us or return my calls? He said he had called us, which is not true as we check our phones and messages every 5 min! As for the messages I'd left him, he claimed he'd not received any and worst of all, he still would not even apologize! Yesterday, I went to the store for the last time and finally picked the plaque up. The guy who was working there was the most apathetic person I have ever met. I asked him if he'd passed on my messages to the owner and he mumbled a few words, which I didn't get! Then I explained to him how disappointed I was in the service and the fact that nobody even apologized to me and to my shock, he said " I don't know why you are telling me this; Graham is the owner and I just work for him!" He saw himself completely disassociated with the business he was working for, which days a lot about the business itself! I am very happy I spoke my mind right before I left and hope this time he passed it on! read more

Great place to go for custom framing and unique images, including customized drawings, pictures, photos, etc. I have been going for close to 20 years - service is professional and timely. In particular, their extensive framing options are excellent - as is the execution of this type of work. For all the framing jobs done, I have always been very happy with the results. read more

I became a member of yelp specifically to write this review. I have gotten many things framed and have purchased multiple pieces time again and have now promised myself to never go back. The staff there are EXTREAMLY RUDE and portray the worst customer service I have ever encountered. DO NOT GIVE THIS STORE YOUR BUSINESS - THERE ARE MANY PLACES THAT ARE CHEAPER AND MUCH MORE FRIENDLY. the owners and staff members want nothing to do with you even after you drop $200+. read more