Business: Color Me Mine
Address: 2835 Showplace Drive, Naperville
Phone/website: 630-778-1000, www.naperville.colormemine.com
Owner: Katherine Ashby, 55, of Naperville
Years in business: 16, six under Ashby’s ownership
What does your business do? “We are a paint-your-own-pottery studio. So, you pick a piece, paint it, leave it with us. We fire everything (in a kiln) and return to you in about a week. … After it’s in the kiln, it’s all nice and shiny and dishwasher-safe,” Ashby said.
Where do you find all this pottery? “I have suppliers I order from. There are 400 to 500 pieces (from which to choose).”
How did you get into this business? “We bought this from someone else. It’s been here 16 years. We’ve owned it six (years). When we bought the studio, our mission was to a be a light in our community. We want to offer a safe, creative environment for everyone. We have people driving here from an hour away. It’s great. … We’re all here to create together. … Anybody can do this if you can hold a paintbrush. … Our youngest customers are babies. We do (their) handprints and footprints on pottery. And, we have customers who are in their 90s.”
What did you do before this? “I was a stay-at-home mom for 17 years. My kids were in high school, out of high school. My husband Todd and I always wanted to buy a business. Our oldest daughter, Hannah, worked here when she was 16. She got us into this mess. No, I’m kidding.”
What are your hours? “We are open every day — 11 to 7 Monday through Thursday, 11 to 8 Friday and Saturday, 12 to 5 on Sunday.”
When are you busy? “The weekends are usually busy. We will be busy during spring break. We do a lot of birthday parties. Moms will come in and say, ‘I’ve got to come in here with my girlfriends.’”
What do you like best? “The coolest part of the process is when they come in to pick up their pieces. Most especially when a young child sees their piece. The look on kids’ faces when they unwrap it. They’re so excited, so proud of their work. It’s very cool. Very rewarding. … It’s fun to see the wheels turning. Someone the other day painted a frog with a butterfly on its back. You can have an orange frog, polka-dot. … I love the customers. My husband and I love to work here on the weekends and get to know people.”
How did the pandemic impact your business? “When COVID hit, we had to do a pivot. We had pottery to go. We paid our rent, that was about it. I was the only one working. … Customers would drop off pieces to be fired. We let it sit for 24 hours before we touched it. … We were heavily supported by people. One woman, who had been here before, called me from South Carolina to order something.
“We saw a big change in the customer base. We went from kids, ages 5 to 12, to now having Gen Z in the studio. The artwork, some of it is stunning.”
Do you have an artistic background? “I’ve always loved art. My grandma did ceramics when she was younger. I have her manger scene with donkey, the cow, wise men, baby Jesus. She made that in 1967.”
What does this cost? “You come in, pick your piece. There’s an $8 studio fee that covers the paint, the glaze. Prices range from $20 to $35 for each piece. … You can rent the entire studio. It’s $300. They you pay for the pieces. … We also do events off-site.”
Is there a time limit? “No. One woman was here from when we opened at 11 until 5 o’clock.”
Is it soothing? “Yes, for most people.”
Any advice? “There’s no such thing as a mistake. Only happy accidents. You know who said that? (Late PBS artist) Bob Ross. Anybody can paint.”
Is this a franchise? “Yes. There’s one in Geneva, one in Burr Ridge. They’re opening one in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. Can’t wait to see that. There are about 120 studios around the country. Founded in California.”
Any favorite stories? “There was a woman about a year ago painting with her husband. Nice couple. … She had stage 4 terminal cancer and they chose to come here, paint and have fun at a time when their lives were turned upside down.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “Build a good team and don’t be afraid to add people, like a good bookkeeper, a good social media manager.”
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. If you know of a business you’d like to see to profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at metschmsfl@yahoo.com.
