Merlin Frame Maker

Reliable services with high quality work. Thank you!

Not sure if they are running a serious business. Tried to visit store several times on Sunday using posted opening hours on Google and on their own door sign but was shut. No sign of activity.

Been using Merlin Frame Maker for the last 5+ years and never been disappointed. Joe & Diana are super knowledgable about all things framing and always give good advice on the various options available to effectively conserve our paintings for the long term. I would highly recommend Merlin for any works of value, either from a financial or sentimental perspective - there is no one in Singapore better.

TLDR: bad customer service +++ This was an email written to the manager who did not reply. Dear Diana, I'm writing to you as the manager of Merlin Fame Maker at River Valley Road, unfortunately to highlight our experience with Joe Choy earlier today. When we arrived that the shop at 4.30PM, Joe was tending to another customer. He cleared some space off one of the tabletops for us to lay down our map (our item which we wished framed). Whilst he attended to the other customer, we busied ourselves with choosing frames off the collection on the wall, pairing it to our map. We tried asking Joe a couple of times how long he might take till he could assist us, but we couldn't really converse much as Joe was understandably preoccupied with the other customer who was there first. At around 5.15PM, the other customer left, and we were left with Joe, whose attention we finally managed to secure. It turns out, however, that we not only needed a frame, but also a mount to be placed around the map. Furthermore, the 2 of the 4 frames that we had short-listed were out of stock. Thus, we were back at square one, with the task of choosing a frame + mount (or double-mount) from a myriad of combinations, at an hour already past closing-time. During this time, apart from some brief instructions of us needing to choose a mount for the framing, Joe was occupied with tidying up and closing up shop rather than assisting us. After explicitly requesting for more guidance in the process of choosing a mount + frame, Joe did divert his attention back to us, although we felt it to be in a rather disinterested way. For instance, he would suggest colours we could choose for the mount without physically bringing out the said colours and showing it to us. When we asked for more options (of combinations of various mounts), he actually declined to present anymore. It was not that he was rude or unpleasant.. but he was supremely disengaged and unhelpful. It was almost as if he was hoping that he'd do a bad enough job that we'd get frustrated and leave... which we eventually did. I understand that the closing time of the shop is 5PM (a fact that Joe took care to remind us of as we were leaving). However, we were waiting for him to attend to us since 4.30PM. If he foresaw that he might not have the time to guide us through picking out a frame, perhaps he could have told us so when we entered, or even 10 or 15 mins in--we would have happily come back another day. What I'm quite upset about is wasting over an hour at Merlin, and being treated in very disinterested way by Joe. I've previously had a good experience with another one of your colleagues at the Paragon branch, and hope that this might perhaps be a once-off slip up. Nevertheless, this incident may warrant your attention.

Great service from Joe & Diana. Very knowledgeable advice. Wide range of frames

There's a wide range of framing & mounting options. Eventually settled for a frame, along with a high quality glass for a good price. The results were impressive. Thank you Diana for your good recommendation. Will surely recommend my friends to Merlin Frame Maker

I would like to thank Diana and Joe's excellent customer service. I came to Merlin with an old Chinese ink painting which passed down from my late mother-in-law. without knowing the value or the creator of the painting, I initially wanted to have it framed for sentimental reasons - a reminder of my wonderful MIL for us all. Joe took the time to educating us on the origin of the painting, it turns out that the work is done by the famous Singaporean artist Liu Kang and it can easily fetch for 5 figures in public auctions. We are very pleased with this piece of information, we decided to go for the conservation framing to persevere the artwork.

My wife and I visited Diana this afternoon to seek help taking canvases off their wooden frames so that we could mail to our relatives overseas. We were blown away by Diana's patience, expertise and generosity. We spent around 1 hour with her detaching canvases from frames with pliers and then she helped to repackage everything into protective packaging taking care to ensure that nothing would get damaged when sending overseas. This is an excellent store with outstanding service. We cannot recommend enough! Thank you, Diana.