Everything in life comes full circle. I've seen it myself and I'm sure you'll find that Al Barto, owner of Barto Decorating, agrees. Some of his early experiences involved paint and wallpaper and although he hit the corporate trail in search of fame and fortune, by 1981 he was taking a walk down memory lane while starting what would become one of Wooster's premier painting and papering companies. During a recent visit, Al spoke of what I believe is his one true love;
When I was just a child of six years old, my dad would buy properties to fix-up and resell. At that age, it was just fun being with my dad so he began to teach me how to trim wallpaper by hand. All of the paper in those days had serrated edges needing to be trimmed on a paper hanging table and I would trim while my dad did the installation. By the time I was twelve years old, I was hanging paper and painting for his friends and other contractors who had investment properties. They knew I painted and papered and they knew I didn't charge very much!
One of my early customers hired me away from painting and papering and I entered the world of retail. I got a seventeen year taste of corporate life and in 1981, rather than moving to New York or Chicago with the company, I decided to return to Wooster and to what I had learned from my dad. Once my son Allan got to be around twelve years old, he followed in the family tradition by starting to learn the business. Allan is a graduate of Akron University with a degree in Industrial Management and Management Information Systems and still work with me today.
Barto Decorating specializes in painting, wallpapering, power washing, staining and varnishing, and faux finishing for both the residential and the commercial sectors. Our reputation for quality workmanship has filled our list of customers with names like Wayne County National Bank, Wooster Brush, Smuckers, and Wayne Savings Bank in addition to many of the local churches and downtown businesses. Our customers demand the highest quality workmanship available and we've built a business on satisfying their needs.
We handle both interior and exterior work with ease and have the ability to apply a delicate faux finish inside and to paint the entire way to the tops of most downtown buildings outside. Our services are customized to the needs of our customers and we're equally comfortable working "after business hours" or working during the day while the businesses are open. As a matter of fact, in 1990 we handled the entire redecorating of Freedlanders Department Store while they stayed open for business. The key to our success is doing each job correctly the first time and we've found that our customers recognize top quality workmanship and customer service. Over the years, Barto Decorating has built a reputation for doing the best work in the area.
A faux finish is a finish that appears to be something it's not. For example, faux finishing can make a wooden fireplace mantle appear to be a piece of marble or make a painted wall appear to be wallpapered. Many times our customers aren't exactly sure what they're looking for in a faux finish so I try to get a feel for what they have in their mind conceptually both in texture and in color. Next, I'll prepare sample boards that reflect the input they've given and provide us with a visualization that can be fine tuned according to their preferences. We can do stripes, rag finishes, and sponging as well as implement techniques that utilize brushes, aluminum foil, and saran wrap. Faux finishes are exciting because you're only limited to what the mind can imagine!
Some of our customers want a firm price before we begin their project and others prefer that we work on a "time and materials" basis. At Barto Decorating, we try to accommodate both styles while delivering the quality our customers have learned to expect. While we don't have our works on display in an art gallery, if you walk down Main Street and just look around, you'll see our painting everywhere!
Al Barto has become a success by making sure his customers are never disappointed. Get a bid from a true professional by calling Barto Decorating today and don't forget to tell Al that The Advocate sent you!
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