Photos courtesy of Rob Joseph
Fleurish Home, located at 2125 W. Fifth Ave. in Marble Cliff, is a gift, home décor and paint shop all in one.
“Not only do we offer a great paint brand, Annie Sloan’s popular Chalk Paint, but items that will empower our customers to be creative,” said owner Debra Campbell. “We really want people to flourish, so we help them make beautiful flower arrangements and table settings, and teach them how to tap into their inner creativity by using Chalk Paint on just about anything.
After completing her bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising at Bowling Green State University, Campbell started her career in visual merchandising for retail stores. At the same time, she was mastering the art of decorative finishing (gilding, faux finishes, glazes, murals). Traveling for her merchandising job became difficult after starting a family with her husband, Doug Campbell. So, in 2000, she started her own decorative finishing company, showcasing her skills in model homes, designer show houses and hundreds of homes and commercial projects. She won multiple national awards for her work.
In 2008, Campbell decided to use her knowledge, talents and experience by opening a studio and school to teach others the art of decorative finishing. It was here that a student introduced her to Chalk Paint.
“It was a complete game-changer,” Campbell said. “The more I used Chalk Paint, the more I liked it. What makes the paint so different is its quality and properties. It seldom chips, cleans up with soap and water, and ‘breathes’ with the piece being painted. You don’t have to prep the surface, and Chalk Paint will cover just about anything you have: furniture, plastic, oil paint, concrete and even wax.”
Campbell became a distributor of Chalk Paint via retailers and trade shows.
“Demand for the paint grew so much that it became obvious the studio setup was not working. I needed a store with regular retail hours. Doug, who was an electrician by day and helping me with large jobs and deliveries in the evenings and weekends, left his day job in 2013 to help me open my first Fleurish Home in Springboro, Ohio. We had always wanted to work together, so making this our family business was a dream come true,” said Campbell.
In addition to selling the full Annie Sloan line of Chalk Paint, they decided to offer home décor and gift items that add a refined rustic quality to everyday living and entertaining.
“We sell many items made by fellow artisans and network with creative people in order to find unique handmade things for our customers,” she said.
In June 2014, the Campbells opened their second Fleurish Home in central Ohio.
“We chose Marble Cliff for our Columbus store based upon a friend’s recommendation. We love the Tri-Village area, as it feels right for our kind of customers,” Campbell said. “I have a great Columbus staff eager to help our customers with painting projects and gift selection.”
In 2015, they opened a third store in Cincinnati, and they will open a fourth in Hamilton later this year. That store will have more painting space and a workshop where Doug can build furniture and restore antiques.
“Although we live near Dayton with our four children – ages 21, 16, 8 and 1 – we get to our stores frequently. I enjoy meeting the people drawn to our stores,” Campbell said. “Whether they are singles buying paint to fix up their place or married couples updating their décor, I believe our paint and home items will help them flourish in their lives and look beautiful while doing so.”
Bill Johannes is the administrative assistant for the Village of Marble Cliff. Feedback welcome at hbealer@cityscenecolumbus.com.
