Refocusing ReChic; More of What You Love, Less of What We Don't!

When I started painting out of my basement in 2013, I never anticipated the tremendous growth we would see in just over 1 year - I have been blessed with so many awesome clients, and more recently, an amazingly talented business partner.

Things have grown so much that we rarely have time to evaluate business practices and the day-to-day stuff that helps us function.
With the demands increasing, it has become apparent that we cannot do absolutely everything we want to, and do it well.

Through many discussions, and perhaps some tears, Jenn and I have learned what works best for us as individuals, as well as ReChic as a business.

The following changes reflect what we need to do to protect our love for this business, encourage our creativity, and best serve our clientele.

Change # 1
ReChic will now operate our location as a STUDIO and not as a STORE.

What does this mean for you?

This means that we will no longer have "official" business hours on a weekly basis, however clients are welcome to come in and view pieces we have for sale/pick up/inquire about workshops. We would encourage you to message us or call us before you head out, just to ensure we have not left on a delivery, etc.
We anticipate working from the store regularly Monday-Friday (no longer open Saturdays as of May)
Pick ups and viewing times will remain flexible and can be on evenings/weekends as required.

Why the change?

Realistically, we cannot keep a clean storefront that is presentable for walk-in traffic.
We want to reduce the expectation that we are a storefront that looks pretty ;)

Also, since there are only two of us, sometimes we have to run in and out of the store for deliveries and/or to get supplies. We have found that having official store hours has placed unnecessary pressure on ourselves, since only about 10% of our business is walk in traffic , and 90% are people who have contacted us to arrange to come in and/or pick up items they have purchased online.

With the messy, noisy nature of our work, we need to have the ability to close the door, buckle down, and ensure you have some fantastic new pieces to choose from on a regular basis!

Change #2
ReChic Will Primarily Offer Ready-to-Purchase Pieces, and Not Custom Painting

What does this mean for you?

Sadly we will not be able to take in pieces that you already own, and paint them in your colour/finish preferences.
However, we will be increasing production of one of a kind furniture pieces that will be ready to purchase.

Why the Change?

We have been super fortunate to have received many requests for custom orders, and this has allowed us to grow as much as we have. However, in our experience, even working with the best clients can create a challenge, when abstract ideas need to come to life on a piece of furniture.
Two pieces are never alike, finishes are never exactly the same, and ideas don't always get communicated clearly.
I am a people pleaser, and not being able to get something 100% correct, 100% of the time, is difficult for me!

And again, we have had amazing clients, however, the uncertainty of whether or not someone will be happy with an unknown outcome, has seemed to create more stress for us than what is necessary.
Jenn and I have realized that we work at our very best when we can freely create and go with the flow of a piece, and without the outside pressure that it has to look a certain way when its done.

Will We Ever Do Custom Work Again?

We are currently looking to challenge ourselves and our skills by taking on special event design and/or larger on-site jobs.
Although we don't anticipate taking on smaller pieces as custom orders, we are always up for a new challenge and you may find us doing some more wedding venue work, photography props, in-home accent walls, etc.
We are happy to look at larger custom jobs and take them on if it is the right fit for both ourselves and the client.

Although we are not currently taking single-piece custom orders, we work with a wide variety of credible painters in the Region and beyond, and we are HAPPY to offer you a referral to someone who can meet your needs in a timely manner :)


Ok, so that is it for now!

At the end of the day, I LOVE creating and painting...I want to keep that love, and the love I have for our business.
Stress and inefficiency at meeting demands creates an environment that takes away from the true passion of what our work was intended to be.

We have the absolute privilege of making a living doing something creative, and we want that to continue.
We would be doing YOU and OURSELVES a disservice if we allowed these small stresses to wear us down to the point of complacency. We want to continue to put everything we have into this business, and flourish through keeping our passion and focusing on what we love most: painting, designing, and creating.

We thank you for your on-going support, and for following us in our journey!

Amanda & Jenn