Its unassuming location between a beauty salon and a discount clothing store on Koreatown's bustling Third Street belies the history and reputation of Ted Gibson's as an expert frame shop, one that first opened in 1946 near the once-posh MacArthur Park. Now run by Ted Gibson's son, Richard, the shop serves artists, collectors, dealers, galleries, museums and locals — some of whom have been clients for decades, or are children and grandchildren of original customers. They return year after year because Gibson bestows personal attention on each order. He and his longtime staff add value to the art by crafting the ideal frame, often handmade with fine or exotic materials such as wormwood or chestnut. In addition to custom framing, the shop handles painting restoration and a variety of other services. Work samples abound — an oil painting of a girl in lace within a gilded frame, an exotic garment displayed in a shadowbox, a tall mirror set into a Chinese wooden panel. Take time to browse the art and curios for sale. 4271 W. Third St., Koreatown. (213) 382-9195, tedgibsonframes.net.

—Daina Beth Solomon

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