Up Close in Frodsham: Petals Vintage

Frodsham Nub News aims to support our community, promoting shops, businesses, charities, clubs and sports groups.

Over the past few months, we have been talking to some of these local businesses and organisations for our 'Up Close in Frodsham' series.

This week, we chatted to Lisa Darwin, owner of furniture painting and refurbishing business, Petals Vintage.

From tables and dressers to desks, sideboards, benches and chairs...you name it, Lisa has it, beautifully painted and ready to find its forever home!

Founded in 2018, Petals Vintage was born from Lisa's love of art and design.

"I've always been arty," Lisa says. "I did art at school and college and I was always doing things up in my own home. Eventually, my house just became full of painted furniture!

"It is just my therapy and it always has been: I find it so relaxing.

"I really wasn't enjoying my 'sensible job'," she laughs "so once I had filled my house, and the houses of my family and friends, I tried selling one piece.

"I sold a bedside table on Facebook Marketplace, and that's where it all started.

"That got me hooked, and I decided to put the money from the table back into buying more paint.

"A few people noticed the things I was selling on Facebook and wanted their own furniture painted like that, so I started doing commissions.

"I think it was December 2018 when we looked around the house and found we couldn't open our cutlery drawer because there was a dressing table in the way!

"The conservatory was full, the kitchen was full, we had two dressers behind the couch in the living room, and it had come to the point where I knew I needed a workshop."

Lisa then found the perfect space at Robert Gleaves: a workshop with a conservatory attached, great for showcasing her finished pieces.

"So rewarding"

Two years on, much of Lisa's time is taken up with commissions from customers who have been inspired by her elegant style.

"People will often see a piece that I have done and their imagination will be sparked," Lisa says.

Under normal circumstances, customers can also pop into the shop to chat through the finer details, to get ideas from the furniture on display or just to pick up one or two of Petals' lovely home accessories!

"I'm so lucky that this is how it's ended up," Lisa says.

"It's so rewarding that you can take something that has had its day and turn it into something beautiful again."

This is especially the case when people inherit old furniture, which has sentimental value but which doesn't fit in with their home.

"People have furniture that is chipped or a bit battered, and they say they are thinking about throwing them away," Lisa says. "But all they need is a revamp, something to make it theirs!

"It's hard work and it's messy, but it's a lovely thing to do."

A Family Business

While Lisa founded Petals Vintage on her own, she would be lost without her family, who can often be found helping her in and out of the shop.

"My whole family are involved," Lisa tells me. "My mum and my step-dad are absolutely amazing. I set the business up myself but my step-dad has really helped me to grow it; sometimes he's still here painting with me at 11 at night.

"My brother-in-law helps and my sister Instagrams for me. Then there's my mother and father-in-law, who is amazing at woodwork and makes all our hallway units.

"My husband does all the running round, picking up and delivering items along with our lovely delivery driver, Colin.

"He also does all the childcare on the weekends when we are busy painting, and listens to me talking about furniture 24/4 the rest of the time!

"The kids are also here sometimes, sanding down table legs, so I don't think you could get a more 'family-run business' than this one!"

The Next Chapter

While her shop is closed for lockdown, Lisa, determined to stay positive, is working on an exciting new project.

"We are busy bees at the moment," she says, adding that Petals Vintage will soon be moving to a new shop!

Now that the garden centre café has been relocated outside, Lisa has been able to take over its old indoor unit.

"I'm absolutely delighted to have a bigger space," she says. "I'm so lucky at Gleaves because they support me so much. They're always helping me out when I need.

"So I didn't want to move away from the garden centre, but it was just that my shop space was really small and I'd sort of grown out of it.

Lisa and her family are currently refurbishing the space, and should have it ready in a couple of weeks. You may not be able to visit it in person at the moment, but you can take a sneak peek through Lisa's Facebook updates.

Weathering Lockdown

Lisa will still be fulfilling orders throughout lockdown, arranging for the finished furniture to be left at the end of people's drives to ensure a Covid-secure delivery.

"We're lucky because as long as people can get their furniture out to their drives, we can bring it back to our workshop, work on it, and take it back," she says.

Gleaves have also installed a door leading right out onto the road from the back of Lisa's shop, allowing customers to click and collect items without even having to enter the garden centre.

Lisa hopes that she will receive as much support during this lockdown as she did in the first, when, confined to the inside of their homes, many people began decorating and renovating in earnest.

"I think a lot of people start concentrating on their houses when they're stuck inside," Lisa says.

"Having new furniture is a treat: it gives someone something to look forward to I think.

"This time round, the lockdown announcement happened at eight o'clock, and then at about quarter past eight I had a message from a lady asking if I would still be able to do her furniture!"

Although she misses chatting to her customers, Lisa is happy that she can quietly continue painting and creating for them until they meet again.

In any case, Lisa says, while running a business in lockdown has its challenges, it's nothing in comparison to the biggest test of them all: home schooling!

Lisa will be posting photos of her lovely pieces on her Facebook and Instagram pages throughout lockdown, so why not take a look!

You can also shop for smaller items and accessories on the Petals Vintage website, where you can find free delivery for orders over £30!

If you have a piece of furniture that you would like Lisa to refurbish, you can get in touch through Facebook, Instagram, or by emailing [email protected].