A little while ago, I stopped by Portola Paints and Glazes at 8213 West 3rd Street (right next to Toast) to see what makes this paint shop different from say, Home Depot, when looking to refresh your interiors and exteriors. I’m not a homeowner and don’t have much experience in this area, but co-owner Casey Davis was there to educate me in his friendly, laid-back manner. First off, Portola is unique in that it creates custom colors all done by hand and eye (this is all computer automated at the chains): “A color might look different at 1pm than it does at 6pm,” Davis explains. “We account for that here”… (A look at Portola and more on the store after the jump.)
(The shop’s interior—check the painted cement floor!)
You’ll also find unique non-toxic water-based finishes and lime washes much like those found in Europe, considered an “old fashioned paint,” which gives that lovely variation in colors. All paints come in a can, here, which keeps the paint stable, and extends its shelf life. And, in addition to interiors and exteriors, the paints can be used for just about anything—furniture, floors, and art included. They even sell little seven-ounce pots of paint for $7, stirring up the craftiness in me.
Of course, what I really wanted to know was how much all this special mixing and matching costs: “The average price per gallon is about $55,” Davis says, “The cheapest you’ll find at a Home Depot will be about $20 per gallon, with higher quality at $30 per gallon.” So, it is more, but he also makes a solid point about the cost. “You’re going to spend several thousand dollars on labor to paint your house, so the additional cost for quality of the materials is relatively small in the big picture.”
Also, it’s just a nice experience in Portola—the rustic-meets-modern interior of the shop with antique pieces and hand-built tables. It may also be in part because the business is a family affair, owned by Casey and his brother Jamie, and inspired by his father’s work as a contractor for high-end homes (dad’s worked on a Frank Gehry home to get an idea).
In terms of Portola’s move from Studio City to West 3rd, Davis says they’ve garnered lots of new business via foot traffic. Existing valley customers are willing to make trek over the hill as well, including one that popped in while I was there, clearly relieved to have found her go-to paint experts. They’ll even let you know what’s on-trend: “Brighter pinks and cherry reds, and lots of people are combining bright colors with neutrals.”
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Shops – Portola Paints Opens on West 3rd
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Thank you guys so much for this lovely post on our fabulous store! This article is so well written and really highlights all the great things our paint store has to offer. You will visit us for you paint needs but you will also leave feeling as if you got individual attention and help from our friendly and experienced staff. Our staff is young and hip and boy do we know our stuff! So please stop on by and let us help make your home improvement and/or art endeavors an enjoyable and much less stressful experience. Let us bring out the artist in you!
Also, don’t forget to check out our store on an upcoming episode of Kimora Lee- Life in the Fab Lane…dates will be listed on our website/twitter.