In Store | Big vs Small Business
While scrolling through our instagram feed we bumped into an amazing post by fellow small business owner Kristi from North Carolina. She custom paints furniture and wrote a lovely post about Big vs Small business that resonated with us.
"Theirs is $3,727+tax. It’s beautiful! It’s not solid wood & has to be assembled. Mine is $755. It’s beautiful! It’s made of solid wood, painted by hand with lots of heart, does not require assembly and the profits help our little family buy groceries & take care of our babies! Both pieces will have some wear & tear over time. Both may show rings if you leave a drink on top. Both may scratch if you drag your keys across them or chip of you ding them with the vacuum. You are welcome to choose the product that works best for you. Just know there’s an actual person behind a small business...and that person will be so happy & grateful if you shop small. Thank you to all of you that have purchased not only from me, but from any small business. Our hearts burst with gratitude!!!"
At Painted Swan we upcycle found objects and interesting pieces of furniture. What does that mean? We turn old stuff, sometimes beloved items, or on the flip side, someone else's trash, into something new. Above you have one of our favorite upcycled pieces from last year. It is a partner desk, we used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Athenian Black as well as sanding techniques to breathe new life into the piece. This one quickly found a new home right here in Brooklyn, NY.
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Why purchase from big business when you can support local makers, painters, and small businesses? Our pieces last a lifetime, have special character, and if you want to try, you can even paint one yourself. We are here to walk you through that process, and are more than happy to give you tips and tricks!
Another wonderful example of a distressed piece using
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.
You can upcycle so many different things. At our studio we love to fix-up and paint all sorts of objects, and always encourage you to do so as well! It is not only amazing for your local shops, but pretty great for the environment.