Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Venema.
Hi Hannah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up working in my family’s small town hardware store, giving me a base for many things “handy,” and was often found crafting some kind of artwork out of chicken wire and solder or whatever I could put my hands on. During that time, I attended Kendall College of Art and Design, where I explored my passion in the arts. Graduating with a Bachelors in Fine Arts Painting, I quickly found myself in retail management also due to my many years at the hardware store.
I’ve always found some form of creativity in my jobs but being behind a desk doing computer work was draining and left me craving to utilize my degree and expertise. I seized my opportunity to finish several remodeling projects on our 1922 Craftsman home with the 2020 lockdown and loved it.
Throughout the years I had been hired many times to paint friends’ and families’ rooms but never thought of it as a career. After the lockdown I knew this was the path to fulfillment in a line of work. My husband was eagerly supportive and with that, I bought a web domain and registered my LLC. Within a week I had my first job scheduled and have been growing since.
After 3.5 years and some leaning into my true areas of expertise, my business is now Walls and Whatnot, formerly The Handywoman Eclectic. Allowing me a better representation of my expertise and passions, “Walls” represents all I can do with interior painting and wallpaper installation, while the “Whatnot” is for all the other little things I can take on to make a home beautiful, unique, and exactly what my clients want. I have finally found my way to best connect with my community and clients.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’ve been very fortunate over the years to be celebrated as a woman in the industry. I have never been happier in life so I know this was the best thing I could have done for myself and my family, but there were some struggles. Mostly, I struggled to say “no” to jobs in the beginning that felt out of my comfort zone resulting in a few bouts of imposter syndrome. At this point, I now know that clients don’t expect me to be able to do everything and are much more appreciative of my upfront honesty than to be dragged along and not know if the project can be completed to its fullest.
Then there were the first bits of slumps in my schedule and I would get nervous that I wouldn’t fill the days and provide. I have since learned to embrace time off and know that there will always be more opportunities and jobs in the future. I am usually booked out a few months at a time but do my best to work with last minute reschedules or emergency needs.
We recently bought a new project home so I packed in a ton of jobs before the move and I was able to take two months off for remodeling. It was stressful but very rewarding and I am so grateful that I was able to do that with my schedule.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Walls and Whatnot?
At Walls and Whatnot, I do mostly smaller residential interior painting and wallpaper installation among other odds and ends. I am a great alternative to larger companies who might not give you the time of day if you are looking to have just a small bedroom painted or an accent wall created.
I connect with my clients on a personal basis, allowing for natural, low pressure discussions about their visions. Being a female in the industry is a huge draw for many different people who may not feel comfortable with a male in their homes for a multitude of reasons and I am happy to provide that. I am sober, respectful and detail-oriented. I love animals, especially cats, so I have created a series on my social media where I post my #handyhelper of furry friends where I am working so everyone can see the cuteness!
I have pretty incredible patience (with everything except waiting for dinner) which is key for wallpaper installation, so I am able to do really intricate cuts creating some amazing results. Wallpaper is such an impactful way to change a space and I love the instant satisfaction of it.
I worked in a large retail paint store, so that combined with my degree, gives me an edge with painting and product knowledge. Though, I will be honest and say that I have a fear of heights, so I still have my limitations as a single-person operation.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I moved to Grand Rapids for college back in 2004 from a small village up in Leelanau County “the pinky” ifykyk, so at this point I have lived here longer than my home town. So in short, I love it! It is just big enough and has this effect of growing and yet getting smaller every year as I connect with more and more people. I love all the different options Grand Rapids has to offer when it comes to events, activities and food.
I am sober and have been for over four years. Being “Beer City” it was/is a challenge to step away from that scene with it being such a prominent part of the culture, but the longer I am sober, the more I find outside of drinking like nature walks, greenhouses, rockwall climbing, concerts, plays, art galleries, farmers markets, and even pink salt therapy!
My husband and I bought a new house that is still in the city, yet has all the conveniences and close to all my clients, but has acreage so that is pretty special to us. I love seeing the plant and urban gardening movement throughout Grand Rapids and were fortunate enough to be included in the Creston Garden Tour last year at our old home. We look forward to diving into some more major urban homesteading and see how else we can support our community that way.
This city has a huge array of experiences that continue to expand and change every year and that is what makes living here so amazing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.WallsAndWhatnot.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WallsAndWhatnot/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WallsWhatnot/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahvenema/
Image Credits
Brittany Renee Photography
