Painting the town red…and blue, green, yellow…

Paint Your Pet classes, home centerpiece workshops, open paint classes, a kids’ and adults’ spring canvas class— These are only a few of the painting options at The Painted Chair, located in downtown Farmington since 2017.

After having repeated plumbing issues at her North Washington Street location, Owner Laura Berkerey recently relocated her business to 604 KREI Boulevard.

“The opportunity to move to this location happened only a few days prior to us announcing that we were closing, so we are very grateful,” said Berkerey.

The new building has an open floor plan which allows The Painted Chair’s equipment and work area to be located in the back of the business with the paint studio in the front.

“The toilet also works very well,” Berkerey added.

The new shop officially opened Jan. 28. They weren’t able to complete much preparation until after Christmas because their business schedule was packed with holiday painting events, parties, and online order fulfillment.

After a much-needed family vacation between Christmas and New Year’s, The Painted Chair’s two student employees, Kate and Nyah, packed up almost everything into boxes.

“It was just amazing to come back and see everything packed up,” said Berkerey. “They worked so hard.”

Due to delays, the new location was not ready until Jan. 9. They continued to fill online orders but were closed to the public.

Berkerey said moving was a community affair.

“We have a lot of stuff, and we also have very delicate equipment that had to be carefully moved,” she explained.

Berkerey’s husband Martin borrowed a trailer from a friend to smoothly transport all of their equipment from one location to the other. She and her son, Luke, and Beth Vogelsang, The Painted Chair’s children’s art and canvas coordinator, moved all of the smaller items from the shop to the new location over two long days.

A few changes were needed in order to prepare the new location for customers. The crew painted the new location themselves, which took about nine days and nearly 20 gallons of paint. In addition, the laser printer was so large that Berkerey’s landlord cut into the building to create a wider opening for the move.

Although they’re still painting a few areas and waiting for the addition of new windows and double doors to complete the space, the business is open for painting. Changes to the exterior are also being completed.

Although the new location has about the same square footage, it seems more spacious due to the open floor plan. There is space for at least 24 painters, with easily-accessible tables for those with disabilities. Outside, there is plenty of parking.

“This building was essentially abandoned for several years,” said Berkerey. “The landlord is putting in a beautiful restaurant space in the front which we hope to have filled with a tenant soon. Then the parking lot will get updated and the exterior of the building painted. It’s a process, and it’s all coming together.”

As for decorating, Berkerey said they were able to get creative and created pallet walls to separate their kitchen and storage area. Colorful chairs are the perfect finishing touch along the top of the pallets.

There are plenty of things to do at The Painted Chair. The business’s March calendar is full of fun options, including a ceramics class with brand-new spring options; home centerpiece workshop; open paint classes; Paint Your Pet class; and spring kids’ and adults’ canvas class.

Berkerey said they’ve added walk-in weeks when school is not in session. They also offer several smaller designs, and people can walk in to paint during certain hours without an appointment. There are small signs classes every Thursday and Sunday, and most of their wood signs— except big items such as clocks and the noodle boards— are available in these classes

“The events we’ve created have been very successful,” she said, “and we plan to offer more during spring break.”

Private parties for groups of six or more in both canvas painting and wood signs are available.

From paint parties and workshops to custom signs, youth art classes, and Miss Lillian’s Chock Paint, there are plenty of opportunities for fun and creativity at The Painted Chair. The sixth annual Summer Art Camp will be held in June and July.

The subscription box program was added to the business two years ago and continues to expand. Currently, there are four different options: a kids’ box, tiered-tray box, ladder box and fence box. There are also monthly and quarterly options with new and seasonal designs, although the kids’ option is only monthly. All materials, with pictures and instructions, are included except scissors.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an opportunity to expand The Painted Chair’s online business. About one-third of the business is their Etsy store and website store. They ship clocks, noodle boards, sleds and many other items all over the country.

“We look forward to continuing to serve our community,” said Berkerey.

For information about The Painted Chair, call 573-315-1129 or visit ThePaintedChairFarmington.com.

Laura Berkerey shows off a popular noodle board which many people love to paint at The Painted Chair.

These adorable seasonal décor items are some of the cute possibilities which are part of the monthly subscription box program. Call The Painted Chair at 573-315-1129 or visit ThePaintedChairFarmington.com to sign up for the program.

The Painted Chair has a brand-new location at 604 KREI Boulevard in Farmington. Owner Laura Berkerey is ready to welcome people to her new colorful space.