Studio Faux gives Vinton a touch of style
Every day for three months, Vinton residents and workers drove by the small Washington Avenue building, watching it slowly transform. The boring gray façade slowly turned a rich brown; intricate window boxes filled with flowers were added to the upstairs windows; furniture and home décor pieces were carted inside. Finally, after months of waiting and wondering what was happening to the shop, they saw the name, painted in attention-grabbing cursive above the door: Studio Faux Interiors.
For lifelong Vinton resident Tonya Weaver Kirk, the outside of her new storefront is just a small sample of what she can do to a room. As a faux finish artist, she has spent the last twelve years covering people’s walls with all kinds of effects: leather, glaze, marble, stencil, and every combination of colors under the sun. And with the opening of her store in September, she finally has the chance to flaunt her talent to a wider audience.
Tonya Weaver Kirk recently opened Studio Faux, a faux finish design business and retail shop located on Washington Avenue. Photo by Kristin Adams
“My main business is, I’m a faux finish artist, and I wanted an outlet to talk to people about that,” Kirk said. “The shop is a way to show it off.”
A small corner of Studio Faux is dedicated to Kirk’s faux finish business, with sample boards of painting techniques, photos of some of her previous work, and brochures explaining exactly what she does. The rest of the shop, though, is dedicated to Kirk’s hobby: reverse shopping.
“I’ve been into junking my entire life,” Kirk said. “I even went to Goodwill before it was cool.”
She finds used items—such as home décor and furniture—at yard sales, estate sales, Goodwill, and even on the side of the road. After cleaning them up, which for some pieces takes a lot of elbow grease, she re-sells them. Kirk has had booths in stores such as Olde Salem Mercantile for years, but with the opening of her own shop, she gets to highlight both her faux finishing business and her love for second hand goods, all at once.
“I really feel like it’s recycling,” Kirk said. “Nothing in here is new.”
The outside of Studio Faux is just a small taste of the types of faux finishing Tonya Weaver Kirk can do in someone's home. Photo by Kristin Adams
The shop, with its striking façade and its eclectic selection of antiques and art visible from the street, is quickly making a name for itself. Only open three days a week and by appointment, she still has people stopping by the rest of the week, hoping for a chance to look around. Still, Kirk and her friend Audra Bailey—a mosaic artist with a workshop inside Studio Faux—do not have time to keep the store open all week. They are too busy with their main jobs: faux finishing and mosaic art.
Even though it is a relatively unheard of style of home décor, Kirk has a thriving faux finish business. In fact, it’s been that way since she first faux finished the walls of her Vinton restaurant, the Wishing Star Café. When she sold the business, she went to a faux finishing school in Atlanta.
“That was 12 years ago, and people keep calling me,” Kirk said.
It might be how a faux finish such as fake marble or stenciling adds depth and personality to a room, or it might be Kirk’s gift for painting, but faux finishing seems to be catching on in the Roanoke Valley.
“Painting is the least expensive way to change the look of a room. It’s cheaper than a sofa. Sometimes it’s even cheaper than a pillow,” Kirk said. “I tell everyone, life’s too short to have white walls.”
Kirk offers a free one hour consultation for those interested in faux finishing their home. She also faux finishes furniture, and offers to help customers find pieces for their homes. Bailey, who has much of her artwork—including vases and ornaments— on display inside Studio Faux, also teaches mosaic classes.
Studio Faux is located at 1301 East Washington Avenue in Vinton. The store is open Thursday and Friday 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday 12:00 to 4:00. For more information, please call 309-9524.
Tonya–just read the article about your new shop. I am so proud of you and all you have done. You have so much talent and so many good ideas. After the first of the year I want to come to Vinton and visit your store. Congratulations!!
Katharine
Hi Katharine It is so good to hear from you! and can’t wait to see you!