Kelly Riggs is an artist. But unlike most artists who confine
themselves to a single medium on canvas, he paints everything from
large walls to small end tables.
Kelly Riggs is an artist. But unlike most artists who confine themselves to a single medium on canvas, he paints everything from large walls to small end tables. His creations can virtually surround the people who call upon his talents through his business, Paint Effects.
“I’m an artist, not a painter – though I’ll also do painting,” Riggs said. “For example, I might do a faux finish on a room in a home, and another room needs painting. I’ll paint the other room, too, if the owner wants.”
For the past eight years – the last three in Hollister – Paint Effects, under Riggs’ creative brush, has been providing one-of-a kind looks to homes and businesses. These include faux finishes, Old World plaster, Tuscany-style and antiquing on walls, cabinets and furniture. He also paints murals on interior and exterior walls.
“What I do is really a niche market,” Riggs said. “I use a variety of professional products, tools and techniques to create various looks. I play around with different things. My home is the testing ground for my work. I can make wood look like marble, concrete like wood. I’ll even paint floors. People don’t think to paint their floors, but we’ll take up the carpet, put down a layer of wood, seal it, and with the different products I use I can make the floor look like plaster, stone or bricks.”
Riggs said making things look old is extremely popular. This includes the Tuscany look as well as antiquing.
“In general, people want things to look old,” he said. “The Tuscany look makes a home look like Italy. They also like things to look depressed. I can take a new cabinet and make it look old. I do a lot of cabinetry. Older homes from the 1970s and 1980s have a lot of dark wood. This is out of date. Not everyone can afford to get new cabinets. I can paint them for a lot cheaper than the cost of replacing them. I can lighten them up, make them look depressed or antique them.”
Riggs recently re-did the bathrooms at The Vault restaurant and has done walls at other Hollister businesses, often working with Gina Grasso-Germond at Perfectly Imperfect. She does the furniture and window coverings and he does the walls.
Learning what the client wants is first and foremost in creating a look people will treasure. Riggs not only talks to his clients, he’ll view their home, furniture and other styles to get a feel for their tastes.
“Some clients have no idea what they want,” he said. “I’ll show them my portfolio and some sample boards. We’ll look at their furniture, color and styles and go from there. Other clients have pictures of what they want. I can duplicate almost anything. Some will have a piece of furniture they want a look built around. We can do that too. I can help clients with design, color and textures.
“People can call me; we’ll make an appointment. I’ll come out and look at a job and call back with an estimate. When a job is agreed upon, I’ll make some sample boards for the client. They can have these boards in their home and see how it will look in the different lights of the day.”
When Riggs is finished, the look will he creates will be treasured for years to come.
To view some of Riggs’ work, go to www.painteffect.biz. For appointments, call (831) 630-1931 or (408) 512-3030.
