Grand Rapids Local Painting Co.

One of my good friends just bought a new spot downtown Chicago, but the mood inside was a little dreary with the way the shadows worked on the previous tone, so we brightened it up!

It was a team effort, as you can see from the multi-color prep, they gave me a solid tape foundation to work with and I just reinforced a handful of spots as needed! This also saved some crucial time so we could get to the most important part of this project…spending time with Salem the kitty. 🐾

Also, we were busy talking about super important things, obviously, and I totally forgot to take the “before” pictures in the kitchen, soo I’m making up for that by adding pics of Salem and I hanging out. 🎨🐈‍⬛

Chicago, IL

First off, shout out to ToughBuilt kneepads for making the best knee protection (with the most longevity) I’ve bought in literally fifteen years. If you spend a lot of time working on the ground, 12/10 recommend these.

These homeowners have been rebuilding their entire upstairs into a new unit for rent, and they made it all the way to painting before they realized it was time to throw in the towel and call for help. I appreciate the headstart they gave me by getting the borders done around the walls and windows in a couple rooms - that’s totally okay - I can work with that!

We kept it simple and elegant, going with a slightly brighter gray tone from Sherwin-Williams for this three-bedroom upstairs apartment, and the time flew right by with a little company from my FrogTape mascot buddy…a hard-rockin’, stogie-smokin’, crowned and caped skeleton king that mildly resembles Bender from Futurama.

(My process: I like to let the inspiration strike me naturally as I pull the tape up, I never know what I’m gonna make until I start to see what shape the ball is taking naturally. And yes, I leave every client with a handmade, one-of-a-kind masterpiece like this. 😂)

Much love to all my clients for having a good sense of humor and putting up with me!! 🤘🏻💀🤘🏻

I’ve got openings in March still, reach out if you need some work done!

Grand Rapids, MI
Eastown

This one was near and dear to my heart, one of my best friends’ big sister and her partner just got their new home in GR and wanted to get a few projects out of the way before they even got the furniture settled, so naturally I was glad to help!! 🖤

This was primarily a full kitchen remod, (along with a handful of other projects around the house) so as you might expect, we redid all the cabinetry, using a high-quality enamel from Sherwin-Williams. What you might not expect though - is that I also painted that marble countertop on myself too, using a pro-grade DIY kit from Giani Granite.

We knew the cabinets were going to look great with a couple fresh coats on them, but we weren’t quite sure what to expect from the countertop kit…but I have to admit, I’m beyond impressed with the final finish and how it all turned out and pulled our entire project together.

We also blacked out two fireplaces with Krylon Spray Paint Max Heat paint (rolling the flat faces and spraying the grates) and both types worked impeccably well. I was also incredibly impressed with how well it still made perfectly clean lines using FrogTape, despite how viscous it gets while drying…I was afraid it was going to stick to the tape as it dried and ruin the edges, but it did no such thing.

Add two more small bathroom vanities, an accent wall in the bedroom, and some odds ‘n ends touch-up, and this project was a wrap…they’re ecstatic with their new kitchen, and I’m ecstatic that I can add something new to the repertoire! If you’ve got an old laminate countertop that you’d like to bring to life on a budget, then reach out! I have time open in January still, and I’m glad to stop by and take a look!

Wishin ya’ll the most amazing holidays, and wherever you are, I hope you get to share some time with loved ones in whatever ways possible!! See you next year!! ✨🎄🪩🥂🍾✨

Grand Rapids, MI

I’ve been incrementally redoing the entire first floor exterior of this Eastown home over the last two months, and I’m absolutely ecstatic to finally see it all finished up!! 🏡

I’ll admit, this project was another feat of patience and perseverance, and I’m definitely gonna be giving my shoulder a few days off…but there’s a particular satisfaction that comes with catching a perfectly timed rooftop sunset right as I put the last touches of paint on a job like this. 🌤

This is what 200hrs of hard labor looks like…but this job was for a friend who’s helped me with a lot of work through the years, and refers me to others consistently, and I’m exceptionally grateful for that. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect on the house to show my appreciation.

It’s genuinely painstaking work, and it’s never pretty ’til the very end…but it’s worth every second when I get to stand back and see the final results, and even more fulfilling to see how happy someone is with the work I did on their home. 🖤

We have officially started interior season, so please reach out if you need some work done, or feel free to refer me to any friends or family who need work done too!! I seriously appreciate all the tags, shares, and mentions - soo immensely. That’s literally what keeps me going, so thank you!! 🙏🏻🎨

Grand Rapids, MI

A 2003 study from Minnesota State University, Mankato called, “The Effects of Room Color on Stress Perception: Red vs. Green,” pretty much perfectly sums up why we went with this cozy forest green tone for a brand new apartment + a brand new baby on the way!

A little bit of paint can change an entire room though, truly - reach out if your white walls need a splash of color, (or even if your color walls need a cover of white) - interior season has begun! 🪜🎨

(Source:
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1172&context=jur)

Kentwood, MI

Whether it’s a full house, or just a few doors - I’ve got you covered!!

Here’s a couple smaller projects that I’ve done over the past couple weeks, from daytimes rustproofing exterior doors to midnights waterproofing interior countertops!

Much love to The Chop House for letting me bring some life back to their central hub/water station! (Drawers and cabinets are next, we just have to do that project one night at a time so it doesn’t disrupt the dining room.) 🥃🥩

Reach out if you’ve got a project in mind, I’m glad to help!!

Grand Rapids, MI

These homeowners actually just stained their deck last summer, but the brand they used started to crumble and chip away over the winter…so this job consisted of fully stripping the top coat on all flat surfaces using a stain remover, then sanding and prepping the entire deck so the new stain can properly soak in and adhere. (We’re gonna redo the flower boxes and the upper part of the deck next year, so I just blended the edges in for now with the vertical surfaces.)

These jobs are always pure elbow [and knee] grease, from the heavy scrubbing and scraping during stain removal, to hand sanding every board (and testing for foot slivers with my hands) - to finally using a big ol’ heavy deck brush to push stain between every crack and crevice, and make sure it gets deep into the wood grain so it can actually protect it. There’s no way around it, sometimes the job just takes pure effort…but the end results always make it worthwhile.

The homeowners are super pleased with how their deck turned out, and I can’t wait to come back and enjoy a drink with them this summer once they get the patio furniture up! 🍻⛱

If you have a deck, porch, or patio of any sort that needs some work, send me a message, I’d be glad to come take a look this week, I have some availability still!

Grand Rapids, MI

I‘ve been working on this basement weight room with my dad bit by bit over the last year, and I’m super happy to finally show you the finished project!

(Almost all recycled/waste materials from other builds - this is resourceful DIY at it’s finest. 🌐)

Spring Lake, MI

Spent a couple days helping a friend get her new home a few steps closer to her grand vision, so we brought some subtle new tones into the kitchen and spare bedroom…and she absolutely loves the difference!

If you’ve still got some interior work you’d like done, reach out soon! Exterior season is coming up fast, but I’ve still got some time open this month before the weather gets nicer!!

Muskegon, MI

You don’t always need a full makeover…sometimes just patching the scrapes and screw holes, then putting a light coat over the top makes a world of difference on blemished walls.

Nothing too wild here, this house is going up for sale, so the homeowner didn’t need anything too extensive. I just lightened up the kitchen a touch (from dull yellow to pearl) and freshened up the entranceway + some upstairs trim…but what a big difference the little differences can make. 🙌🏻

Whether you’re a homeowner, landlord, renter, or real estate agent…if you ever need a quicker “clean-up” kind of paint job, I’m always glad to help! As much as I love full makeovers and bold changes, sometimes a quick touch-up coat is all you really need. ✨

Grand Rapids, MI

Had an absolute blast painting with such lively colors, and I’m beyond ecstatic with how this Benjamin Moore paint locked together so seamlessly…real talk, I was genuinely excited to watch this paint dry. 🎨

Previous owners had some old wallpaper beneath all the plaster in the stairway, and some spots started cracking and peeling - simultaneously, the house is slowly shifting, so the wall + ceiling joints we’re all cracking and crumbling, so I picked up some plaster and got to mixing, one small batch at a time. I’ve got nothing but respect for plasterers, what they do is an absolute art form - not to mention, under pressure with a time limit.⏳

So much love to Sarah and Nate for trusting me with their beautiful historic home, and for all the perfectly timed caffeine refills and good talks!! And of course, much love to Joanie the cat for sneaking through the barrier to come give me my mid-afternoon break too. ☕️🐾

I’m always glad to support community members and businesses who are trying to make a positive impact, so I was beyond happy to help freshen up this retail space last week so they can keep moving forward with putting their new shop together. Soon enough, this will be an affordable children’s clothing store, inspired by the owner’s mission to help other local parents!

I’ll share more info once the shop is up and running!! Wishing them all the luck, I absolutely love to see ideas like this come to life! ✨🙌🏻✨

Spent a couple days working on this entranceway/stairwell/basement studio for a lovely couple and wrapped it up just in time to catch the ball drop on NYE! ✨🙌🏻✨

I still have some availability for interior work this month and into the beginning of February, so feel free to reach out - or share this post / tag a friend if you know someone who has a project they’re looking to get done!!

Sending allll the healthy and positive energy, Happy New Year!! 🎉

Grand Rapids, MI

Got some interior work you want done after the holiday? Message me anytime up until Christmas to set dates for any January project, and secure a special $25/hr rate today!!

Wishing everyone the most amazing holidays, however you may celebrate - may the rest of your 2021 be filled with family, festivities, and fond memories!! 🎄❄️

Managed to catch some of the last nice days before the weather switched up, got this new rooftop deck protected from whatever Mother Nature throws at it now! 🌬❄️

Homeowner said she loves the contrast between these two tones of stain, and I couldn’t agree more…super pleased with how everything looks! I’d love to do some more multi-tone projects in the spring… ☀️

Grand Rapids, MI

This will be a two-part post - but not until I finish the rest of the house in the spring! Got the front and back entryways patched up and put a couple fresh coats of paint on each…then got the first round of stain on the new railings to protect them through the winter. Can’t wait to see how this all turns out once the rest is finished!

Grand Rapids, MI

This job was a challenge from the start - the previous contractor literally destroyed half the trim he installed earlier this year, all while simultaneously throwing spackle *everywhere* without sanding any of it (as you’ll see.) No worries though, I always love a good challenge…

This one ended up taking a little longer than anticipated due to the added difficulties, but I’m super grateful that the homeowners let me really fix and detail the trim for them…they’re elated with how it turned out.

I’m super happy with how this whole project went, though I did have an incident with my foreman (Marvin) that I had to handle: he started peeing on the trim in the closet right after I painted it, so I had to let him go…straight out the front door. 🐾 😂

Lansing, MI

PART 2

And I thought painting the wood shake on the peak was labor-intensive…

Finishing the rest of this house took me almost a month, and I was doing ten hour days almost every single day, minus weather delays. Good work takes time, and if I’m being honest - almost every second of it is painstaking. Doing this kind of job definitely takes a toll on the body, but I genuinely could not be happier with how everything turned out, and I’m so glad they appreciate it all just as much as I do.

I’ve spent so much time working here that I now hold this entire family as friends - their hospitality and kindness was more than I ever could’ve asked for. I’m incredibly thankful to have met them, and to be trusted with a job of this magnitude…this is absolutely one of the projects I’m most proud of, without question. 🤘🏻

Grand Rapids, MI

Opened up this whole living room/office combo with a touch of white…and let’s be real, I was more than happy to get rid of those borderline UofM colors for this homeowner. 💚🤍

Lansing, MI

PART 1

I’m gonna post this project in multiple sections, this first part being the peak of the house and the front patio, which had just been raised and leveled…but definitely needed some work still.

I had to hustle to get these new handrails and spindles protected before the snow hit, but we made it work. I put a phenomenal amount of time, effort, and elbow grease into this house, and I’m absolutely ecstatic with how it all came together…and so are the homeowners!!

(In exchange, they also spoiled me with the most amazing homemade meals, as shown. 🙌🏻)

Grand Rapids, MI

Reasonably quick one-day project, just sprucing up this bedroom with a top coat, getting it ready for a well-known local musician who also happens to be a close friend. Super glad she’s happy with how it turned out! 🎤

Rockford, MI

New Year’s Day came with a new year’s look for a good friend’s spare bedroom…and what a world of difference. Super glad to see this whole room come to life! 💙

Grand Rapids, MI

Another cabinet project!! As tedious as it can be to retrace every single grain of wood twice on every cupboard and cabinet…the results are always amazing when you take the time to do it right. I’m just as happy as the homeowners with how these turned out!

Grand Rapids, MI

Just a bit of touch-up and a quick top coat over some drywall repairs that were made…it’s like they were never there!! ✨

Hartland, MI

A new roof was about to get put on, so I only did the first floor exterior on this house, but what an incredible difference it made!!

The homeowner was in the process of fixing everything up before some new tenants moved in, so we had a tight deadline here - but we got it all finished, fixed, and freshly painted for them! (Just before the weather changed too… ❄️)

Grand Rapids, MI

Always happy to help a friend and fellow artist, especially my friend Abbey who runs The Hot Spot in GR!! A couple of the exterior walls just needed a little bit of scraping and touch-up, good as new!

(If you’re interested in learning about welding, metalsmithing, or jewelry-making, or if you’re an artist looking for space to create…she is absolutely the human to speak with. ⚒)

Grand Rapids, MI

The new deck off the back of this house needed some protection from the nonstop direct sunlight it takes all day/every day…and after three 90+ degree days working on it, I can tell you that it would’ve been more efficient to literally paint the sun protection onto myself as well. ☀️

Kentwood, MI

Had some help building these racks, then I turned this garage into Spartans Parking Only. I foresee a large block ‘S’ on one of these walls in the near future… 💚💪🏻

Spring Lake, MI

I absolutely love how much life these natural earthy colors brought to this kitchen/dining room/sunroom combo - this was so satisfying to stand back and check out once I finished up.)

(This project brought you by Bell's Brewery and Valspar.)

Grand Rapids, MI