Thursday, March 12, 2009

Newspaper Article, I made the Front Page!

There was Joanie Siewert, pouring over hundreds of silk flowers on display at the department store trying to find the "perfect" arrangement for her kitchen. She had been there a long time. Jean Kirst, of Markesan enters the aisle grabs a few of these, some of those, a couple of that and walks away with a beautiful arrangement to die for.
"Stop right there, how'd you do that?" Siewert called.
Kirst, with an eye for colors, and artsy-craftsy background and a knack for visualizing a room's possibilities, explained that she was considering starting a business to help people with home decorating.
"I'll be your first customer!" Siewert offered.
And so it was in the fall of 2004, Jean Kirst started "Decorating on a Dime" a low-cost decorating service that helps people work with what they have or finds low cost solutions for living with or letting go of clutter.
Whether it's organizing your stuff, turning trash into treasures or taking on the challenge of making your home presentable for sale, Kirst can provide everything from consultation and color coordination, to customized handmade accents.
"I'm really striving to work with in people's mean and with existing things. I want to make your home more comfortable and relaxing. You should like what you come home to after a hard day's work," Kirst said.
Joanie Siewert's plain, white-walled entry way was transformed with a deep, rich color that she would've never considered. The room is now a spectacular showplace for her antiques, plants and special art work.
The chance meeting at the department store, turned into a lasting friendship.
Over in Portage, Lola Allen hired Kirst to make her newly constructed home match her furniture and wall hangings.
"People come into my house now and they comment on how much they like the colors and how beautiful my home is," Allen said.
Another customer Dustylee Gray, of Poynette agrees.
"Jean has a way of looking outside the box when it comes to decorating. What a person may initially scoff at in concept, translates absolutely beautifully in reality," she said.
Kirst says the success of both her craft business (Krafts by Kirst) and her new decorating service she attributes to her family.
"They are really proud of me and very supportive, I couldn't do it without them," she said.

That was in 2004, now my business has expanded I have to hire painters to come in, I no longer do the painting, I work with several clients at once, I shop for furniture, pick out flooring, work with a window treatment company, on top of decluttering , organizing and just simply redecorating. I even had to purchase a van for halling furniture and all my goodies I buy for clients, sporting my Decorating on a Dime logo on it. My goal is to be on TV some day, may be a high goal, but it's my goal...... lol

1 comment:

  1. Jean you ARE AMAZING!!!! Thanks for sharing and congratulations on your growing biz! Can't wait till I can use your services ;)

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