Kristin Paton, Kristin Paton Interiors
An Interview with Renowned Boston Interior Designer Kristin Paton of Kristin Paton Interiors by Jeff Cadey of A Street Frames

Q – How did you discover A Street Frames?

I discovered A Street Frames over 20 years ago when I was first living in Boston and working for Reid Canavan, the then “IT” Boston Designer! A Street was excellent and we used them for all of our projects.

Q – Tell us about your first project with A Street Frames.

My first personal experience with A Street was when I had just returned from Florence, Italy doing graduate work in Palladian architecture. I had purchased an expensive architectural print of San Marco Square in Venice and I took it to A Street to frame what was then my most prized possession! I was “student poor” and couldn’t afford proper framing so I went on a Saltines diet for a couple weeks, saved my pennies and treated my print to the full A Street professional treatment.

Q – We work with galleries, artists and art consultants. As an interior designer, what do you think makes a great frame?

A great frame should complement the actual art, not be overbearing or competing with the piece itself. You want the frame to enhance the art not overpower it.

Q – You’ve lived around the world. What is the most unusual thing you’ve seen in a frame?

One of the most memorable experiences I had was a weekend in Nice, France. We spent the morning at Foundation Maeght, the incredible museum in the hills above the French Riviera that houses works by Modigliani, Giacometti and Matisse. Afterward we had lunch at The Colombe D’or restaurant in St. Paul de Vence. The artists that lived in the area and that were on exhibit in the Museum had traded their work for meals when they were just starting out, so the restaurant was filled with some of the finest artwork by matisse, renoir, picasso and the like, beautifully framed and casually strewn about. It was one of the most surreal experiences to be dining surrounded by these elegant paintings and the ghosts of the artists that ate at these tables before us.

Q – We’re currently framing some photographs for you. Where did you find them?

I found some fantastic antique Mark Shaw photographs from the 60’s on 1st dibs. I love the cross section of fashion and interior design, its all about great style. The photographs are being framed in silver leaf that has a very art deco feeling so it enhances the patina of the photographs and lets the images really stand out.

Q – What keeps you coming back to A Street Frames?

As with all the craftspeople and trades people I work with, I have learned to whittle my list of vendors to only the best. They are the true professionals who treat their art like a business, who stand behind their work and deadlines and who enhance my project in some way. I like to have your opinion when I am selecting a frame or a mat or deciding on the amount of mating to be shown. You enhance my thoughts and helps me execute the best of my vision for a project.