'People want something bold': East Lansing artist gives front doors a colorful makeover

Sarah Lehr
Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING — Erin Compton didn't want her house to look like all the others.

So she commissioned muralist Adrienne Gelardi to paint her front door with swirling floral designs in purple and white.

"You can make your house look entirely different with just a quart of paint," said Compton, a Montessori teacher who lives in East Lansing. "I'm not afraid of color."

Neither is Gelardi. About a year ago, she repainted the exterior walls of her East Lansing home, sprucing up her front door and the siding near her back patio with a bright yellow dahlia pattern.

She posted a picture of her handiwork to Facebook and was floored by the positive feedback. 

Artist Adrienne Gelardi stays focused while painting a design on the front door of a customer's home on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, in East Lansing. Gelardi was a graphic designer before starting her own business making art for clients.

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She began taking requests to paint doors. Her customers are creative types who want to add a pop of color to the focal point of their homes, Gelardi said.

"People want something bold," Gelardi said. "You can have something weird and crazy. If you’re worried about selling your house, just paint over it."

Gelardi charges $150 plus the cost of materials for a two-color front door design and sets prices individually for more complicated projects.

Most of her clients live in the Lansing-area but Gelardi has traveled as far as Huron, Ohio for commissions.

Door decor became her bread and butter in 2018 after she left a full-time job as a graphic designer for Dart Container, the company that makes Solo Cups.

Gelardi doesn't regret leaving a corporate job for the flexibility of self-employment, though she did warn that freelancing is a "feast or famine" way to make a living.

"For me, it's worth it," Gelardi said. "I'm not someone who likes to sit at a desk."

Gelardi's work for Dart, which included floral motifs on disposable plates, has informed her approach to door decor. She favors loopy patterns, with an emphasis on flowers and nature.

"'I'm not a photorealistic artist," Gelardi said. "It's definitely going to have my flair to it."

Artist Adrienne Gelardi steps back to check on the progress while painting a design on the front door of a customer's home on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019, in East Lansing. Gelardi was a graphic designer before starting her own business making art for clients.

In addition to doors, Gelardi has painted murals for businesses, including Stateside Deli in Okemos. She also sells sketches and paintings, including customized pet portraits.

The doors, however, are her most distinctive offering. 

Brightly-colored doors appear to be a trend, especially in Europe, Gelardi says, but she hasn't seen any designs that exactly mirror her whimsical approach.

"The patterns are unique to the family," Gelardi said. "It’s kind of like bringing little tiny murals to neighborhoods.”

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Contact Sarah Lehr at (517) 377-1056 or slehr@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGLehr.

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