It’s been a crazy couple of weeks here at Club Solutions. Last week our walls were transformed from a decimating gray to a lively mustard yellow. This week we had our buzzing fluorescent lights converted to non-buzz can lights.
With workers coming in and out of the office, distractions were inevitable. However, with all the distractions, the end result is simply amazing.
It’s hard to imagine how much a little paint and upgrading lights can do to a space. When you read magazines like Dwell, or other home improvement mags, they tell you paint is the cheapest route for a face-lift.
Granted, it may be cheap, but it still comes at a price — and, I’m not referring to the actual cost.
While painting occurred for a few days in our office, we dealt with extra noise from the painters, the smell of paint and being randomly removed from our offices (preventing us from reaching our computers). We could have done the painting ourselves, but that may have meant working on weekends, or spending time on projects that aren’t helpful to you, our reader.
Regardless, it appears to me that hiring labor is the best solution. It may be slightly more expensive, but in the end it’s worth you and your staff’s sanity.
Paint prices vary and they can easily be evaluated by driving to the nearest Lowes or Home Depot. You can also get swatches just about anywhere. We would tear each swatch from the rest and hold it up to the wall to get an idea for the best tone.
You can certainly purchase small amounts of the paint you’re interested in and paint a few lines on your wall. Many times you’ll see this done in commercials or TV shows. However, we knew the colors we wanted and moved quickly on deciding the exact tone.
When choosing the tone, be extremely careful. If you want green walls, but you’re scared they will be too seafoam green, make sure you test the color prior to your selection. In many cases, your fears may cost you a dark green room that turns into a cave. Not only is your green not what you wanted, but also from a distance people will think it is black.
Of course, once you have the project completed, your club will have a sense of renewal. However, as members do, they may have a tendency to complain about the new paint smell. The website “Squidoo” provides several ways to remove the smell of paint. Although, most of them may not be possible for a club, it does suggest leaving the windows open to let the vapor particles out. If windows aren’t an option, put fans in the vicinity of the paint and let it be circulated up and out of your gym through the exhaust system.
It’s crazy the effect a little splash of paint can change the perception of a space. This spring, take some down time to have painters come in and upgrade your paint in the locker rooms, on the cardio floor, or go all out and do the entire club. Your members will notice the change and note it as an upgrade. Give your members the high-end club they’ve been searching for.
Tyler Montgomery is the Editor of Club Solutions Magazine. Contact him at tyler@clubsolutionsmagazine.com
