EATONTON, Ga. — Maria and David Siffert opened Dress the Walls in Eatonon in 2006 to provide the people in the community a source for affordable and beautiful artwork and framing.

“That is my motto,” Maria Siffert said. “I have champagne taste with beer pockets. I guess most people are the way I am, so that is why I created this.” 

Dress the Walls and Art of Oconee convene in the same building, which allows for patrons to purchase local art and choose a frame to display the artwork as well. There are a multitude of frames to choose from and they are all made custom to fit the artwork the customer choses to frame.

In addition to framing paintings, Dress the Walls offers custom framing. For example, a customer came into the business and wanted a golfball and scorecard framed to commemorate a hole-in-one. Siffert was able to design what the framing looked like. She enjoys the creative freedom Dress the Walls offers.

“You bring something in and it is totally different than another person,” Siffert said. “…When they bring in a very specific thing because I love it, I love creativity.”

Siffert is originally from Ecuador with a background in banking. She met her husband David, whose artwork is for sale in Art of Oconee, and they decided to pursue the idea of Dress the Walls. Siffert had a natural segue from banking to a more artistic career since most of her family has artistic backgrounds. 

Siffert found her passion for this industry when she was 14 years old. A friend asked for her to stage her house for a birthday party. 

“I rearranged the furniture and the pictures on the walls,” Siffert said. “Then I brought flowers and I staged it beautifully. Now, it is funny because I stage walls with artwork and it’s like second nature.”

For customers who purchase a frame or artwork but do not know where to place it in their home, Siffert offers to help with her keen eye to stage the artwork. One customer in the past wished to place over 200 pieces of artwork throughout their house, but did not believe there was enough wall space. Siffert found space for every piece of art the customer desired.

For the future, the Siffert’s potentially want to move on from this location in Eatonon and open another store in a different area. They hope to find someone with the same passion as their own for creativity. They intend to keep the brand of Dress the Walls and Art of Oconee.

“I think for artists this is the best creation [space],” Siffert said. “Their creative juices flow…here, because … very seldom people live on only their art but if you are creative and if you’re an artist this is perfect.”

Siffert feels that having the creative freedom to not only create artwork, but create frames, graphics and other forms of art allows for artists to blossom their career. 

In the meantime, Dress the Walls and Art of Oconee offers custom frames and a wide variety of artwork to purchase. 

Dress the Walls is located at 106 Scott Oak Dr, Eatonton.