After painting with the famous Chalk Paint for a year and a half, we decided it was time to carry it our antiques space and online. I confess: I thought it would be fun and a great way to expand our business and brand, but I had no idea how wonderful it would be to help my readers and customers in person.
After much prayer (MUCH) and thought, we’ve decided to open our own studio & shop. Having the paint both in our garage and at the antique store isn’t as practical and efficient as it needs to be. The ladies (and gents) there have worked so hard to help us & for that, we’ll be forever grateful to them!
I also can’t describe how good it will feel to clean out all of the projects out of our home! While I love working here, I know it will be wonderful to have an “in-progress” drop zone that doesn’t include my dining room table.
Plus, Natalie and Anna Lauson will be there day to day, and I’ll be able to continue blogging and writing the new eBook, etc.
I’m thrilled to have a place for my beloved paint, to teach workshops, and guess what? We’ll be carrying my sweet friend, Miss Mustard Seed’s, new paint, too!
More than anything, we want our shop to be a destination, an experience.
I want it to be a physical representation of our style and of this blog. A place to carry out our mission statement…
Perfectly Imperfect began as an imperfect girl’s hobby. Somewhere along the way, it became a mission. To provide real families with real inspiration for real homes. To share easy DIY projects, room redo’s, & furniture painting tutorials, but it will never stop there. Perfectly Imperfect is all about the home, not the house…the life behind all the stuff. We want you to grasp that you have the ability to have the home you want…now. We aim to inspire you to pick up a paint brush, nail some boards to your (perfect) walls (if you so desire), to celebrate life’s imperfections and create amidst them anyway. To go for it…in your homes & in your life. Whether it’s the blog, or the online shop, one of us shipping paint, or the new studio adventure…we know that you are what this is all about. Your homes, your families, your lives and the imperfect beauty that lies within all of them.
source
I cannot wait to share this journey with you guys, and to be able to hang out with so many of you in the studio.
We’ve settled on a space, and it needs some work, so until it’s time to show you where we’re heading, I thought we’d take a look at some of the inspiration for the space. I’m praying we make our holiday deadline…but there’s a LOT of work to do.
My greatest inspiration comes from places that mix neutrals beautifully. Found by domestic bliss certainly has this down.
In addition to our paint, wax, books, and brushes, we’ll be carrying home decor and accessories. I really want to carefully choose each line we bring into the shop. Mixing old and new is really important to me, as it’s what I do in our home.
Another great thing: the space has tons of existing built-ins and display…that I can paint however I’d like! Um, yes.
Matt will be building us a massive shop counter of my design, and I’ll show you the sketches soon!
We must have chalkboards everywhere!
And no shop of mine would be complete without a fabulous coffee station
*Stay tuned for all of our studio-opening adventures. All of these posts will be tagged under “shop talk” so you can easily find them all! We’re headed to market in Atlanta this weekend, so I’ll try to snap some pics if I have time to think about it.
Congrats!…just beautiful photos. I have a marble top very similar to the coffee station marble under the alabaster lamp. I’ve been waiting for over a year to find a bottom for it, but this photo gives me a different perspective on how I could use it. Thanks so much and good luck. Sara, Ohio
Thank you, Sara!
shaunna
YAY! Congrats!!!!!
Thanks, Anna-Ruth!
shaunna
I am so excited for you! Congratulations- be very proud! I’d love to visit!
Thank you so much, Megan! We’d love that!
shaunna
SO utterly charming. Wish I could drop in every week, just to peruse. Congratulations!
Thank you, Susan! Maybe someday!
shaunna
How exciting! Congrats and good luck!
Congrats!! Well deserved:)
how very exciting!! Congrats to you and Matt. I know your space will be fabulous!
Exciting! Assuming it will be in Troy? Will you still have ASCP at Troy Antiques until you open? Can’t wait!!
Congrats! Congrats! Can’t wait to see pics as you get into your shop and it grows!
Oh my gosh congratulations that’s so exciting!
Very excited for you and your new venture. Wishing you all the luck in the world
So excited for you…and a little jealous!
Can’t wait to see what your life has in “store” for you!! ~Kim
Oh gosh! Congratulations. I see some furniture I love …. I have weathered round piece from wooden telephone spindle. I have been thinking about adding words to this piece. I do see some ideas at the studio. Smiling…..
What a wonderful journey you are about to embark upon! I’m sure it will be successful and rewarding… but most of all have fun!
Congratulations on the exciting news. I am sure you will have a very successful store and I look forward to hearing more about the progress.
Congrats!!! This is such exciting news. You guys are going to do great. I wish you lived in Ohio. I would wish I lived in Alabama but I don’t think I could handle that southern heat
sounds wonderful! can’t wait to see everything as you get the shop all put together! congrats!
What an exciting journey you are embarking on! As a former small business owner in a creative field, make sure you enjoy it! If you start to feel like your are just a salesperson, or a middle man, take the time to be creative. It sounds like silly advice, but I never would have thought I wouldn’t love my business. It was my baby after my babies. And there’s a lot of work involved. Delegate and keep yourself creating! Working with your hands – and stocking shelves doesn’t count!
Good luck! I cannot wait to see the progress!
I knew it was coming, I mean what else would those big PI letters from Nashville be for? Can’t wait to visit! Congratulations, I am just stressed trying to get my booth open much less an entire shop. LOL
Shaunna,
I can’t wait to stop by your shop on my drive through Troy. I drive through once a month do go to Panama City, Fl. I love your inspiration photos and hope to see a lot of those type items in your store. Please keep us posted on your opening!
Congratulations Shaunna!! This is so exciting!! Can’t wait to hear more!!
Congratulations Shaunna! Am so excited for you and your family! Can hardly wait to see what all you do….Love your projects and your words. Thank you for sharing…will be praying all goes well.
Yay! I’m so glad you’re going ahead with this dream! I think you’ll be a wonderful shopkeeper
(I’m going to drop you an email in a couple minutes, fingers crossed it won’t get lost in all the congratulations emails!)
Congrats Shaunna! I’m so excited for you! I opened my home decor store 6 months ago and as much as it’s been a labor of love, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. There’s something very gratifying about sharing your love of a beautiful home and translating it into helping others. Best of luck to you and I can’t wait to see what you come up with!!
Rachel
xoxo
Where will your shop be located? City and state would be helpful at this point. Thank you.
Hi Kathy, we’re in Troy, Alabama.
shaunna
I’m so excited for you and wished I lived closer. I know you’ll be great.
Congrats, Shaunna! I don’t anyone more deserving than your family! I would love to share some of our handmade distressed frames with you & maybe you could sell in your shop. You are such an inspiration! I will definitely be visiting your shop!
Amazing!!!!!!!!! Congratulations and all the best of luck in the world! We all can’t wait to come along on your journey
) Much Love!
Congrats!! How very truly exciting and I know you have worked so hard towards it. Hubs and I keep tossing back and fourth on the idea of a shop but with the boys still so young and having no family near by it would be too hard on the family to run a brick and mortar shop so online and out of my garage I will stay….at least for now. I can’t wait to drool over your designs!:) You always come up with fabulous things.
I’m super excited for you, West family! I know you have God’s favor and pray his blessings all over your expanding business! xoxo
Oh boy!! How very exciting for you, and all of us! I too carry Chalk Paint and Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk paint. It’s so nice being apart of two wonderful companies and new adventures! Having a physical shop is sooo much fun, but a ton of work. Good luck to you and have a blast!
Julie
Will pray for guidance in this new adventure for you. I cannot wait to visit your new shop!
I’m so excited for you and this new adventure! I only wish I lived closer ~ Seattle is a bit far!!! I love all of your inspiration photos and already know it will be a beautiful and welcoming place to go to. I can’t wait to see how it all comes together, and am praying for blessings in the whole process!
SO excited for you, Shaunna! Thrilled this is happening for you.
It’s perfect. ;} SO excited for you.
We seem to be living parallel lives…my husband and I just opened a little resale shop (out of a business park) my goal is to one day open a store that looks just like what you posted — a mix or old and new, furniture redos, little signs/sayings everywhere, chalkboards, even art/crafts from local folks…..beautiful/artsy things at reasonable prices
Congrats on your space – I’ll be living thru your adventure hoping to be there soon!!!
Congrats!!….and wishing you great success……I love how you take your time and reply to some of the posts…again….congratulations!!!
Congratulations! Alway glad to hear about talented people succeeding! I’ll definitely be visiting the on-line store and would love to stop by the brick and mortar one if we’re ever in the area. Such inspiring work!
Sooooo excited for you! You will be so successful and have so much fun along the way!
Wow- I am so excited for you! You are living the American dream- and doing something you love and surrounded by beautiful things! “You did build this!” I wish I lived nearby so that I could come see your shop and come to your workshops. Congrats and I’m a fan- not only of the beautiful things that you create but also of your positive, Christian life! Thanks for your example!
I am getting caught up on blog reading. haha This is very exciting! I will live vicariously through you for now…