Courtney SmithWhen I crossed the threshold of Brick Street Cottage I was first greeted by a very pleasant aroma, a blend of new and vintage, paint and elbow grease. The owner Lisa Haney-Bammerlin also greeted me from behind a piece of furniture she was currently painting. Regular visitors to Brick Street Cottage know they may find Lisa in the back of the shop, and they will likely be ushered back to check out her latest masterpiece. Lisa works on refinishing and re-purposing pieces in the back, and she is never too shy to explain her process and share her latest project with you.
A Cincinnati native, Lisa discovered her love of repurposing at the tender age of thirteen. She spent summers with her grandparents in Florida, and worked alongside her “junkman” grandfather. One day she found a discarded STOP sign in the junk pile and took it home. Repainted and repurposed as a Do Not Enter sign, it found a new home on her bedroom door. Lisa decided she wanted to use her mechanical ability and apply it to a creative career when she was older.
When Lisa discovered HGTV in her twenties she decided to study interior design and earned her Applied Science Business degree in Interior Design. Her intention was to work in the field, not necessarily run her own business. After a couple years living in Philadelphia, Lisa and her young family relocated to Marietta to be closer to relatives. For a few years she worked as a stay-at-home mom, but when her kids were in school full time Lisa yearned for a creative outlet. She started sewing with a machine her mother-in-law had given her as a wedding gift. Then Lisa discovered Pinterest, along with the many blogs devoted to painted furniture. Inspired by those blogs, Lisa had an epiphany and decided to return to what she had always loved: repurpose furniture.
She bought two chairs on Craigslist for $5.00 and reupholstered them, then continued to find more items to paint. In 2009, Lisa participated in her first “Merchants and Artists Walk” in downtown Marietta, setting up her display in front of H. Rietz Antiques. Lisa expressed her appreciation of Shana for graciously hosting her. Asked how the Merchants & Artists Walks helped her share her work with the community, Lisa answered “By allowing people to see the real item instead of photos on social media or through emails. They could see that I was a real person with real items, and they felt more connected”
After selling American Paint Company paints in SWAGG for a while, Lisa decided she needed her own store; working on projects in her home was not very conducive to a functional living space! In September 2013 she opened her store on Gilman Avenue in Harmar Village. Although the location had adequate car traffic, Lisa wanted to increase foot traffic so just nine months later she opened Brick Street Cottage on Front Street, her current location.
Lisa has always drawn inspiration from other creatives, and now her children are providing inspiration as well. She spoke of how her children keep her young and how she is happy to see her daughter gravitating toward creative hobbies as well. In an effort to share what she loves to do, Lisa now offers paint workshops. I’ve had the privilege of attending one, and loved every minute of it. Lisa helps from beginning to end of the session, from selecting the piece to using the products. She supplies the paints and pays close attention to the details of the projects.
Lisa explained that the workshops and the store “allow me to share my passion with more people, especially those who might not otherwise see value in the pieces”. If you’ve browsed the shop or followed her on Facebook, you have seen how Lisa can repurpose old or discarded items into amazing, one-of-a-kind statement pieces.
Stop by for a visit to Brick Street Cottage—along with Lisa’s unique creations, you will find merchandise from local artisans and other unique finds. You can also buy paint from the three product lines that Lisa carries and uses in her own projects. Brick Street Cottage is on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and brickstreetcottage.com.