Mantua – Renee Siperke discovered her love of creating beautiful artwork by first working with preschool-aged kids. The freedom in their work helped her to unleash her love of color, which is evident in the ‘reloved’ hand-painted vintage furniture pieces she created for her own home. As she worked on her techniques, she discovered Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® to take her own projects to the next level, and shortly thereafter, she began selling her work.
According to Siperke, Chalk Paint® is easy to use, very low VOC, dries quickly on almost any surface, and comes in 32 vibrant colors that can be mixed in a variety of shades. “I fell in love with Chalk Paint® during a how-to class. I bought lots of paint and started my home-based business.” Initially focusing on her own pieces, she began to find a variety of wooden furniture to ‘relove’ with Chalk Paint. She began taking on custom projects for clients at her home workshop. Shortly thereafter, she jokes, “The house started getting very crowded,” so she looked for a storefront to display her work. She also became an Annie Sloan distributor or ‘stockist’ to make Chalk Paint available for sale locally and to host how-to workshops to help local DIYers to create their ideal paint finishes, color combinations, washes and waxes for their décor as well.
The storefront she shares with Noah Blue Photography on Main Street in the heart of Mantua gives her plenty of space to host technique workshops such as Painting 101; she also hosts a variety of classes, including a painting and stenciling workshop where participants decorate a rustic planked ‘Ohio’ shaped board, or bring their own small piece in to paint it in the studio. “To find out about my latest classes,” Siperke adds, “ visit Renee’s Reloved Furnishings on Facebook.” She can also be reached at reneesreloved@gmail.com or (330) 357-8233.” If the posted class dates don’t work for you, don’t worry. Siperke can book private events for up to six or more guests for the project of your choice, and can even custom make stencils with enough notice.
If you’re looking to update the look of your home and have solid wood pieces, she advises, “You’re not going to get the same quality if you buy new items. With Chalk Paint, you can paint an item in the morning, wax it in the afternoon, and update your look quickly.” Chalk paint is also a low-cost kitchen remodel, since kitchen cabinets work well with the Chalk Paint and wax techniques. In addition, her shop features an ever-changing collection of hand-painted pieces, vintage items, original accessories, gift items, mini project kits and other unique finds for the home.
She also sells work by local artisans, including wood and metalwork, birdhouses, kaleidoscopes and clocks. “I usually have a ‘stockpile’ of things that haven’t made it to the shop floor yet,” she explained. “These items are upcycled, artsy items you won’t find elsewhere, often made with items diverted from landfills, that can add a distinct look to your home.” Renee’s Reloved Furnishings plans to participate in Art on the Hill in July; in addition, they’ll be adding additional classes and workshops during the summer months.
Find out more online at Facebook or Pinterest; or go old school and call or stop by the shop.
