The Faux Finisher - Winter 2003

The Sunny Side of Paint

The Faux Finisher
Winter 2003

The “Sunny” Side of Paint
By Diane Capuano

Sunny Goode and Dede Davis have what may be considered at first glance, to be an ambitious dream. They want to become the “Ben & Jerry” of the decorative painting industry.

Actually, it’s not such a far-fetched dream when you consider the parallels between these two decorative painters and their ice-cream industry counterparts. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were two childhood friends who started their very own ice cream company in Burlington, Vt., on a shoestring budget. Just 25 years later, they have people from coast to coast craving such flavors as Cherry Garcia and Chunky Monkey, available in pint-size containers emblazoned with the widely recognized “Ben & Jerry” logo.

In the case of Sunny and Dede, you have tow friends who have known each other since college starting their very own paint company in Richmond, Va. – done with a minimal investment. The company, Sunny’s Goodtime Paint Products, features a line of premixed, ready-to-use glazes, color washes, and patinas. Offered in 21 delectable “flavors”-ranging from “Bahama Blue” to Rosey Rosey”-this paint line is available in easy-to-use quart containers with a distinctive logo that, given the right exposure, could become easily recognizable. While not available coast to coast yet, the product is certainly headed in that direction. Currently, the product is available in select paint stores, gift stores and home furnishing stores in 10 states-from Oklahoma to Connecticut-and there are plans to introduce it on the West Coast. In fact, consumers from anywhere in the United States and beyond can order products simply by going on-line at www.sunnysgoodtimepaint.com.

“When we say we want to be known as the ‘Ben & Jerry’ of paint, what we really mean is that we want to be known for having a quality product that people can count on for their painting needs,” Dede explains.

Already, Sunny and Dede are meeting with success in this quest. They are getting a lot of attention as well. In amazingly short order, the company has achieved major publicity coups in such publications as This Old House, Rosie and The Washington Post.

Sunny and Dede were immersed in their successful decorative painting careers when they had the idea for developing Sunny’s Goodtime Paint Products. The idea came about as a result of a photograph featured in the Summer issue of Windows & Walls magazine. The photo depicted a tone-on-tone stripe that Sunny had done for one of her clients’ homes. Since her business was listed in the source guide at the back of the magazine, Sunny was deluged by phone calls-more than 250 total-all from consumers wanting to know how to replicate the look in the room. “We couldn’t mix it for everyone,” Dede explains, “so we came up with the idea of doing premixed glazes.”

This turned out to be such a great solution that Sunny and Dede decided to create an entire line of premixed glazes. With the addition of color washes, patinas, and even a few large-scale stencils, Sunny’s Goodtime Painting Products was born.

A la “Ben & Jerry,” Sunny and Dede originally considered using both their names for the company. The company name they considered was not “Sunny & Dede” but rather “VonStock and Kaiser”-their respective maiden names.

“Then one night, I was lying in bed,” Dede reports, “and it came to me-Sunny’s Goodtime Paints.” The next day, Dede shared the name with Sunny. She assured Sunny that having her own name as part of the company moniker wasn’t important-they’d still be equal partners, after all. So, the twosome moved forward with the name and a bright yellow, sunshiny logo. “We wanted people to know from the name that they are going to have fun,” Dede reports.

Sunny and Dede developed the paint themselves, submitting wet samples to a manufacturer. The manufacturer produces and packages the paint under the Sunny’s Goodtime Painting Products label. Now Sunny and Dede are running a paint company, which is quite a departure from their lives as decorative painters. “We went from being painting chicks to office chicks.” Sunny says with a laugh. “It’s different. I still like to keep my hand in decorative painting. In the corporate world, everything is hurry up and wait. It’s nice to slip a painting job in that has a definite beginning and end.”

In fact decorative painting remains important to both Sunny and Dede. Sunny, who studied art history in college, has spent 12 years in her decorative painting pursuits. Dede has been doing decorative painting for six years. She also has an advertising and marketing background, which has turned out to be an asset in promoting and gaining exposure for the product line.

The product line is particularly appealing to consumers because it is water-based and user-friendly. “Our product has struck a chord with consumers because you don’t have to mix it.” Dede reports. “You can get an immediate result in one step-it’s shake, dip and go.”

The product also has appeal to painting contractors and professional decorative painters who use it and love it,” Dede says. “Even though they can mix their own colors, many of them prefer to use ours because it’s easier and saves time.”

Sunny sees the products as especially well suited for those just starting to do decorative painting professionally. “For those trying to break into the business, we’re hoping this will be a good launching pad for them,” Sunny says. “I wish there had been something like this when I was starting out. It’s a great time-saver.

As Sunny points out, many newcomers to the field have families, so any product that saves them a substantial amount of time is mush appreciated. “I have three kids myself,” she says. “I know how important it is to make the most of your time. If I can help people by giving them shortcuts to make their lives easier, that’s so rewarding.”

Recently, Sunny developed a unique tool that makes Sunny’s Goodtime Paint Products even easier to use. The tool is a deck of cards-cleverly called deck-o-rator cards-that give consumers and idea of how the final color will look on their walls. “There are 36 cards in all, and they come in a box like playing cards,” Dede explains. “Our glazes and patinas are shown on clear acetate, so the can be held over any base color to see what they will look like.”

In addition to the 23 cards on clear acetate, there are 13 white cards that feature the company’s color washes. Some cards feature a single product-like ruby red glaze-while others feature a mixture that is listed right on the card-i.e., “cinnamon = 6 oz. Original Patina + 18oz. Take Me to Tuscany Patina.”

The cards help DIY consumers who are working on their own. But they also are excellent tools for professional painters. “It’s great for professionals to be able to show their clients what the final color will look like,” Dede reports. “It makes communication very easy.”

Sunny and Dede are looking forward to growing the company in the years ahead. They hope that, as is the case with Ben & Jerry ice cream, consumers will have a lasting appetite for their products. “We hope that someday Sunny’s Goodtime Paint Products will become a household name, as far as decorative painting is concerned,” Sunny says. “The fact that we started this a year ago and have come this far is pretty amazing.”