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Daily Inspiration: Meet Anette Sullivan

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Anette Sullivan.

Hi Anette, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Thank you for this opportunity! Custom painting started out of necessity…but I’ve always had a love for making old things new again. Once, I found a complete beautiful French bedroom set on the side of the road, which was definitely meant for me. My daughter needed to transition out of her baby furniture to a “big girl” bedroom set, which we just couldn’t afford at the time. Doors open for a reason! So I cleaned and sanded…repainted it countless ways and times until it was perfect. This was when I fell in love with painting furniture. I would see a beautiful dresser on the tree lawn and think, “Oh, they must’ve left that for me! LOL!” so I’d swerve over, quickly putting it in the back of my truck, taking it home to practice on. Soon, friends started to ask me to transform their pieces. What’s this?? Getting paid to do something I love? Oh, yes, please! I worked for a wonderful paint store for 3+ years until I left to open Antica Modern in Lakewood, Ohio, almost 5 years ago. We just moved into a larger space so there’s room for more paint/sundries, workshops, a work space for painting custom pieces…and even a gift/boutique area! We also have a booth space at The Blue Barn in North Ridgeville. There is a real need for repairing and refurbishing furniture, upholstery, woodworking, sewing, etc…and being part of that movement, hopefully inspiring others, is so rewarding. Offering products that are non-toxic and voc-free is also a very important part of why I do this.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There is no road worth taking that isn’t at least a little bumpy along the way -keeps it interesting and you sure do learn a lot! Making mistakes can be downright painful sometimes but you’ll never make that same mistake twice. All the mistakes I’ve made has led to me being the teacher that I am. For instance, I understand at a deep level how people get texture when they paint and I can tell them how not to get it or fix it. From start to finish, I understand painting because of the mistakes I’ve made and by being persistent. And wow, being in business, especially during the pandemic, has been an amazing teacher …pivoting was essential to keeping the lights on.
Having supportive family, friends, mentors, and amazing customers has made this all possible. You can’t do this alone. Thankfully, I’ve met so many creative and talented people along the way – we are a band of brothers and sisters!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Paint is so fascinating to me. I’m always searching for “the perfect paint” or the best technique to get the desired effect. Taking that knowledge and helping others achieve a great paint finish is so rewarding! I want customers for life, not just “the sale”. Because I’m always searching and learning about new (or old) products people know they can trust me -and that is worth its weight in gold!

What does success mean to you?
Success is a happy customer.

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