Back in December, I found myself in front of a truly inconspicuous address in downtown Ottawa. If you aren’t looking for it, you’d completely miss it. If fact, I’m sure hundreds of Ottawans walk past it every day without even a glance or a thought.
But despite it’s covert appearance — basically it was a window amongst offices and shops, with one worker sitting behind it — this wasn’t just any address. This was a portal to the Prime Minister himself.
I was sent down to this mysterious place in the hopes of delivering a package to our new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and his wife Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau. Annie Sloan and I had thought that they might appreciate a little house-warming present. With 24 Sussex undergoing major renovations, it seemed like a great opportunity to introduce them to the world of Chalk Paint™.
So, with very few words exchanged between a speaker connecting me to the worker behind the window, I took a deep breath and fed my basket of goodies to a metal box under the window. I never saw the basket actually move behind the window. I was given no confirmation of my delivery. The worker had no advice or words for me.
I really, truly thought the package would never make it to Justin Trudeau.
So, you can imagine my surprise when I received this lovely note, about 6 weeks later.
As wonderful as it is to hear that my package actually arrived, what I really want to know is whether we’ll see any pieces of furniture at 24 Sussex being updated and refreshed during the renovations. I’m sure there must be some beautiful pieces in need of some love. Perhaps a coat of Annie Sloan’s Old White or Paris Grey…or Versailles may be a fitting choice?
Why do I care? Well, I’d rather see some pieces saved and revived instead of cast aside for new pieces. Here’s the letter I included in the package. It explains where I’m coming from.
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December 1st, 2015
Dear Prime Minister Trudeau & Mrs. Grégoire-Trudeau,
I own a small business in Ottawa called Malenka Originals. A unique combo of shop and workshop, our main focus is to help our customers refresh and revitalise their old, tired furniture; turning old pieces into works of art, all the time doing something creative and fun.
The product I use is called Chalk Paint™ decorative paint by Annie Sloan. A talented, decorative artist from Oxford, England, Annie Sloan developed Chalk Paint over 25 years ago (but we’ve only had it in Canada for about 5 years). Low VOC’s, water-based and non-toxic, Chalk Paint is an eco-friendly product that can be used inside the house. What’s more, Chalk Paint requires no stripping, sanding, or priming, cutting down on the amount of work previously required to refinish furniture, and also cutting down on chemical usage.
As I write this, the Paris Climate Change Conference is happening; I have been following it with much interest and concern. I realise many of the solutions to this crisis need to be on a large scale, but I also believe there are steps we as individuals can take.
One of the main reasons I started my business was to try and cut down on the needless waste of solid-wood furniture. I would regularly see beautifully made, solid hardwood furniture on the side of the road, waiting to be put in a landfill (while all the time the business of flat-packed, MDF-made furniture was booming). I started to pick up old pieces, and brought them back to life using Chalk Paint.
We’ve now sold many, many cans of Annie Sloan’s paint in Ottawa, which I’m confident equals thousands of pieces of furniture being refreshed and given a new life. Nothing makes me happier than having a customer come in and tell me that they rescued a piece of furniture from the side of the road, or decided to take Grandma’s old dresser that no one else wanted.
As you embark on renovations of 24 Sussex, I can’t encourage you enough to consider hanging onto some of those older pieces that might not be looking their best anymore. In this housewarming kit, we’ve included a few of our products to try yourself, but I’d also be more than happy to come show you how it’s done, or refresh some of your pieces for you.
If you’d like to pop into the shop, we’d love to have you…but please note, we’re currently in plans to move from Britannia Village to Hintonburg in March 2016, taking up the spot where the Honourable Catherine McKenna had her campaign office. (Fitting, we think, for a business focused on re-use and recycling to take over the spot of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change!).
With all the warmest wishes,
Katrina Barclay
Owner, Malenka Originals
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So, Mr. Prime Minister, what do you say? Can we save a few of those beautiful pieces you have hanging around 24 Sussex by giving them a new life with Annie Sloan’s paint? Or, how about you, Sophie and Catherine McKenna join me for a workshop at our new location in Hintonburg this Spring?
Everyone and anyone can make a difference with the small choices they make. Even if it’s just choosing to update an old piece of furniture instead of buying a new one, or picking up one thing at the side of the road destined for the landfill — it does matter.
And plus, painting with Chalk Paint™ is ridiculously fun too. Let’s not forget that.