Color Design & Consulting

"What color do you want it?" the "color consultation" phase of a painting project often enough. Choosing the right colors takes a bit of time and thought, but helping you reveal and define your personal color instincts is one of my favorite aspects of the color design process. A one-hour consultation is included in all painting projects and is usually sufficient. Supplemental and stand-alone consulting is also available, please contact me to talk through your project.

Painting and Restoration

C. Crowder Painting works primarily with residential customers who want high quality painting for reasonable prices. As a sole proprietor, I will work with you through the project from start to finish. I do all the work myself, and that helps keep down cost while maintaining a consistent level of excellence in execution. In addition to the regular sort of interior and exterior painting you might expect, I also have expertise in several specialty areas that most painters either don't know how or don't want to deal with.

.... And Wallpaper Too!

I love hanging wallpaper, and now that “exuberant walls” are back in style, I’m delighted to find that there’s a lot of interest in everything from contemporary non-wovens to luxe grasscloth and hand-blocked papers. I’m proud to have completed a number of fully-lined Cole & Son installations, including the iconic hummingbird paper in a grand old 1930s house in Bethany. There are so many cool papers and great textures available now that can be used to great effect as an accent to a new paint job, or to completely transform a room.

But let’s talk about peel & stick wallpaper

Peel and stick can be a great choice for renters and college students
who will need to remove their flair when the time comes to move out.
It can be a great option on a single wall with no obstacles such as windows and doors too. But while it can be a fun option for you to install, it gets oddly expensive to have it professionally installed. Why is that? Well, the instructions usually say that you need two people to hang it, so automatically my costs go up if we need two people on the job site. It is also extremely sensitive to any stretching and pulling (a lot more than paper “paper”) so it makes it extremely difficult to successfully ease it around obstacles like window and door frames, or vanities and toilets. And, because it’s such a fiddly material, hanging each strip simply takes a lot of time — a lot more time than is normal for a more traditional wallpaper. So while the wallpaper industry is marketing the heck out of peel and stick “paper” right now, there are an absolute ton of really terrific non-woven papers out there these days that are very reasonably priced and very easy to hang.

Historical Restoration

Old houses are both a pleasure and a challenge to work with. One of the primary difficulties, of course, is the lead paint that was ubiquitous in the construction trades before 1978. But aside from that, it's always fascinating to try to "read" an old house--to think through what modifications might have been made, when, and why. I have a lot of experience working with historic homes, and can bring particular expertise to the repair and stabilizing of Horsehair Plaster. I can also help you solve the problem of that Calcimine Ceiling that keeps peeling no matter what you do to it. There is nothing so beautiful as light reflected through old wavy glass windows. There are compelling reasons to preserve and restore Old Window Sash, and it's surprisingly easy and cost effective. Ask me whether it would be worth considering for your project!

​The "Homeowner Helper"

​Do you have "project ADD?"
More time than money?
Want to put some sweat equity into your project?

If so, the Homeowner Helper Special may be right for you. If you have the time and energy, I can bring my tools, knowledge, and skills to work with you to get your job done and save you a few bucks too. Forget about rolls of tape and hours of hassle and let me do the cutting while you roll - and we'll do all the prep work together. Projects priced on a time and materials basis so you can even start with me and finish on your own. If you want to do most of the work yourself, but wouldn't mind some advice on how to deal with particular issues, I'm happy to schedule a DIY consultation where we can talk through what products and techniques might work best for your particular job.

​Rental Turnover Painting

Rental properties usually need a slightly different treatment than a primary residence. Regular turnover affects product choices, and there is usually a time crunch between tenants. Call as soon as you know a vacancy will come up in your unit, and I can schedule dates to fit your exact window. I am expert at getting great value out of quick jobs. Over time I can increase the curb appeal of your property by efficiently tackling discrete projects each time the unit turns over. ​