You are the consummate professional and that pride and expertise shines through the work of your associates. Thank you for so greatly exceeding my expectations.
- John Lazar, River Forest
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Archive for August 2012

Professional Help with Color Selection Gives Peace of Mind!

As painting contractors in the Chicago area, we offer color design consultation to our clients. Today, we had a vivid experience of the true value of this service for our clients. At 8:15 this morning I get a frantic call from someone who had just found us on the web. Bonnie said: “ I have a paint color problem. There are three painters who just started painting my house and one of the colors does not work for me and I do not know what to do.” Having agreed on a fee of $75 for a thirty-minute consultation, I was ringing her doorbell at 8:55.

Color Fan Decks Are Intimidating

It turns out that both her and her husband are quite sensitive and attuned to color. However, both of them get shell-shocked when looking at a fan deck. Bonnie was happy with the siding color they had selected. The trim color was the one at issue, which is where we focused our attention. I then brought up the idea of painting the front door a third color. They both liked the idea.

After we selected a door color they both liked, Bonnie’s husband voiced the concern: “what will we do if the door color turns out a little too dark?” First of all, I recommend that they ask the painter to do some samples of the three colors on the actual surfaces. Additionally, I recommended that the painter gets a quart of the door color and a quart of a medium base of the same paint, so that he can lighten the door color if need be. The client felt very comfortable with my suggestions.

At the conclusion of the color consultation, Bonnie hands me a check for $100 and tells me: “ I added a bit more to the check because you gave me Peace of Mind today.” Those were golden words for me, since it is an integral part of the promise we make all our clients. She was absolutely delighted and so appreciative of the color advise she had received. I asked her to call on us any time she needs painting and decorating services in the future.

A Red Door for Jonathan’s Custom Playhouse – The Meaning of Red Doors

A four-year-old boy named Jonathan is now the lucky occupant of this custom-built, custom painted and landscaped playhouse. His parents were the winning bidders at a recent auction for The Ronald McDonald House Charities. We were asked to contribute to the project by donating the custom painting services, including the color consultation for this good cause. We gladly accepted.

Custom-Painted Playhouse

The house where Jonathan previously lived had a red door. After the family moved to their new house, Jonathan told his mom how much he missed his old house’s red door. During the color consultation, his mom asked us if we could find a way to incorporate a red door in our recommended color scheme. We said that it should be no problem. Jonathan got to have his red door. He was overjoyed!

This week, I attended a presentation where the speaker talked about the meaning of red doors through time. I thought it was interesting, so I did a little research on the web. I will pass along some of the information I came across.

A red door means “welcome”. The tradition of red doors dates back centuries. In religious circles, the red doors of churches indicated a place of sanctuary, refuge and safety. Those inside of the walls of the church would be protected, both physically and spiritually. In Feng Shui, a red door symbolizes “the mouth of the home”. By painting the door red, you invite positive energy into the home. In China, doors are often painted a fresh coat of red just before the Chinese New Year to invite good luck and happiness. And then, there is Albert Einstein who painted his door red, so he could find his house more easily!

As color consultants and house painting and decorating contractors in the Chicago area, we recognize the power of color to improve the quality of life for our clients and are committed to make that contribution available through our painting.

The Play “Anything Goes” is Off to a Great Start in Chicago’s Northwest Suburbs!

Anything Goes- Scene 1

Anything Goes - Scene 2

In the past week, as volunteers, we had the pleasure and privilege of doing the painting and decorating for the sets of “Anything Goes”, a community play performed by the Fremont Street Theater Company . The play premiered on Friday August 10 and will be performed through August 19.

The set painting had to take place during a very narrow time frame in the past week. On Sunday, we met with the producers to discuss the scenes and their vision for the look and feel of the sets. From that color and concept consultation, right on the spot, we developed a color scheme and decorative elements that would meet the stated needs.

On Monday, I talked to our local Sherwin Williams store to request a large discount on the paints needed for this community painting project. They gladly accepted to support the project. Later that afternoon, I dropped off the paints at Cutting Hall in Palatine. All the painting and decorating took place during the afternoons of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The dress rehearsal was on Thursday evening. In spite of the very tight time frame, everything came together very nicely.

For Sandy Sandquist and his wife Colleen, the founders of the Fremont Street Theater Company, it was the first production of their new theater company. The play is a homerun in every way. As painting contractors and members of the community, we are thrilled to have played a small part if the play’s success.

Custom Paint Job for a Unique Playhouse – All for a Good Cause!

Custom-Painted Playhouse

A custom-built playhouse, in an elegant Hinsdale backyard, complete with its own landscaping, surely deserves an exterior paint job that matches its bones and surroundings. The owner was the successful bidder of the playhouse at a recent fundraising event benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Charities for a whopping $14,000. Our painting and decorating company was invited to decorate this very special fantasy house for a lucky four-year old boy.

Sandy and Chris, the owners, wanted the color scheme to be fun for their son, as well as blend with the colors on the family’s house. After getting initial color input from our clients, we went about developing a color scheme that would meet their needs. Once the seven-color scheme was approved, we went about executing the exterior painting.

Jonathan - The Happy Occupant of the Playhouse

All the trim on the playhouse is cedar, including the five custom-built windows. The ceiling of the canopy and the front door were made out of fir bead board. We chose a solid-color stain from Benjamin Moore, called Arborcoat, for all the surfaces to be decorated. The execution of the work took about twelve hours to complete. Take a look at the completed project! Jonathan, the occupant of this special place, seems to really enjoy having dinner in his new surroundings.

Our house-painting company delights on this type of personal and custom decorating, where the clients’ desires are at the center of our efforts.