I was surprised to find out that a long-time friend of mine (for over 20 years) had a passion for picture hanging. I knew John was a highly skilled musician, but the only conversations we’d had other than about music was when we were both renovating ‘fixer upper’ houses. Learning a lot from him, turns out he’s an amazing tradesman too.
WORDS Greg Kane IMAGES Gregor Reid
Flaming Nora: a common British exclamation of surprise…
It’s rare to find a musician that is so practical, but they are by their nature very creative, most don’t like physical exertion or getting their hands dirty. I know why, it usually means more work and a musician’s workload is heavy enough as it is, be it preparing, practicing, travelling then performing. It takes a lot of effort to be a successful musician.
But if you have a passion for something, you give it all the graft and craft you can in order to realise your ambitions.
John Speirs (aka FramingNorah) has over 20 years’ experience of framing and hanging pictures. It was an eye-opener for me sitting down with him discussing the ins and outs of picture hanging. Who knew you needed to know so much to do it right.
Flaming Nora: a common British exclamation of shock…
I don’t know how much effort the majority of people put into hanging pictures. I’ve done the trip to Ikea, picking up a TRIXIG 85-piece hooks and hanging set for £5 (good value I thought) and setting about hammering nails and hooks into walls, usually dropping things many times and hitting my thumb at some point.
Yes I’ve done some prep, measuring, sketching, measuring again, cutting brass picture wire to within millimetre tolerances, only to be shocked, when I stand back to admire my work, that it just doesn’t look right. Then all the beating myself up about not doing it properly, the damage I’ve done to the walls. You soon realise that in the wrong hands, a hammer is not the most accurate of implements.
But in the right hands, hands with experience and skill, a nail need not just be struck in hope but skilfully and accurately tapped into place. Seeing some of the work John has done, he displays such a deft touch when it comes to picture hanging and the handling of a hammer.
Flaming Nora: a common British exclamation of frustration…
John enthusiastically conveyed to me the value of collaborating with his clients. Yes, he has done this type of work many, many times, but each time he makes a point of stressing to the client the importance of their input in the whole creative process. They need not be worried or anxious, let him deal with all the practical’s, giving them the space and opportunity to be creative. But also, you’d be foolish not to lean on his years of experience for guidance and advice. The whole job is so hassle free for the client, other than keeping the pets under control during installations.
‘John is a true craftsman at hanging all pictures and especially those big, heavy and complicated jobs. He is considerate and attentive to your needs, discussing placement and issues before proceeding. We had a number of pieces to hang in a house with various different wall surfaces. I had lots of worries about hanging them myself which meant I’d put it off for months. John has got them all done perfectly. He has the tools, all sorts of fixtures and most importantly the knowledge and experience to hang anything. It’s been absolutely worth it, a great experience.’
J. Rosie 2025
Flaming Nora: likely originated as a euphemistic, softened version of ‘flaming horror’ or ‘bloody horror’, rather than referring to a specific person.
Most people can be filled with dread when confronted with a bare wall and a multitude of different sized framed photos or pieces of art strewn across the floor. Not so with John who sees it as an opportunity to create, express and impress.
Large frames can have such an impact on a space, especially mirrors. But can the room handle it, what effect will it have on the light and ambience, will the wall even take the weight? These concerns should not worry you. You shouldn’t be put off picking up that large, coveted frame for your home, just know that John Speirs at FramingNorah will make it happen for you.
We are spending considerably more time in our homes now, they are becoming places we demand a lot more from, they need to be much more than just places we sleep, cook or watch TV in. entertaining our families and friends often in our homes, we work and study more in our homes now too.
We don’t need to be extending or expanding these spaces to get more out of them, we need to take care of them and make the most of the spaces we already have. Every detail becomes important; we need to get creative. Our walls in our homes are the most obvious blank canvases, what we adorn them with and how we present the art or photos that mean so much to us can have such a positive effect on all who see them. If they are presented professionally and with the proper duty of care and attention, it can only amplify their sense of occasion.
incidentally, if you’re wondering about the reasoning behind the name, Norah is John’s six-year-old daughter, who is also very adept at laser levelling.
Special mention must go to the FlamingNorah Instagram page, it’s informative, descriptive and at the same time surprisingly entertaining, highly recommended.
John was also very excited to tell me about a new venture he’s considering called, ‘Gordon Bennett’… (He’ll need to have another child though, preferably a boy, ideally called Gordon), but it will be something a bit special he said and he’s really looking forward to it…
That last bit is not true, it’s a joke.
