Longtime Friends Celebrate Five Years in Business on Larchmere

Though the partnership between the owners of Metheny Weir Painted Finishes is just five years old, a lengthier friendship plays an important role in the company's success.

"We met when our youngest (children) were in kindergarten," Susan Weir said of business partner Kim Metheny. "They're now both sophomores in college."

By the time their kids were in high school, Metheny and Weir decided to move their painting and remodeling business from Metheny's Chalfant Road basement to a storefront. Today, Metheny Weir is located at 13001 Larchmere Blvd.

The women opened the shop nearly five years ago, shortly before the economic downturn. The timing was right because their company offered custom designs and finishes for those who wanted to add a new spin to their living spaces instead of replacing them altogether.

"It's all about re-purposing, redoing your own house, your own cabinet," Weir said.

Metheny Weir now carries a product line to help clients complete their projects. The store is one of just three authorized sellers of Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint line in Northeast Ohio. A Decorative painter from London, Sloan brought the line to the U.S. three years ago after monster sales in the United Kingdom.

"It sticks to anything — already painted wood, metal, ceramic, anything," Weir said. "It's kind of a French, country look with a wax finish."

Metheny Weir has been carrying Sloan's products for about a year now, offering 30 colors. Before becoming an authorized retailer of Sloan, the company had only been subcontracting wall, floor, ceiling, kitchen and bath jobs, while also painting cabinets and doors at the shop on Larchmere. Now, retail has become a large portion of Metheny Weir.

"It's become like half of our business," Weir said. "It definitely gave us a shot in the arm. It's helped us focus on what we really want to do.
"It brings people to our store who never would have come to our store."

The women also host three or four workshops a month, and Metheny said they have had visitors from as far away as Canada and Florida. The sessions allow the women to present design ideas and instruction to the participants.

Metheny estimates that at least four women from Northeast Ohio have started their own businesses since attending a Metheny Weir workshop.

Click here for information on upcoming workshops at Metheny Weir.