Sister Act in Kenosha

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A lampshade created from old neckties. A bench that was once a baby’s crib. An old door turned wine rack. A tour of Sister Act reveals dozens of items like these — home furnishings, once unwanted and collecting dust, transformed into unique pieces ready to grace homes with one-of-a-kind style.

“People may realize they have a good piece, but it just doesn’t work the way they want it to, or it no longer matches their home’s décor,” said shop owner and decorative painter Sharon Buege. “We help them think outside the box with what can be done with it. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of throwing a coat of paint on something to make it work again.”

A fresh coat of paint, it turns out, can even give a career a fresh start.

While living in Indianapolis, Buege worked part time for a woman who did interior and decorative painting. When Buege returned to Kenosha, she teamed up with younger sister Ellen Paielli and began offering similar services on the side in Kenosha. Pretty soon, the pair realized the business opportunity before them.

“My sister and I decided to give it a shot,” Buege said. “She’s very artistic, so between the two of us we were able to make a go of things.”

That was 11 years ago. In addition to basic interior painting, Sister Act offers an array of artistic painting effects and faux finishes, including the appearance of built-in cabinetry, metal and even exposed brick, all done with paint and various painting texturizers.

A former financial lender, Buege isn’t surprised she now earns her living as a painter. The painting “gene,” she said, runs in her family. Her father was a painter, one of her two brothers is a painter and three of her five sisters, including Paielli, are painters.

“We each kind of have our area of expertise,” Buege explained. “Ellen is very artistic and has a good eye for detail. I look at myself as the one who comes up with the ideas.”

Buege’s other younger sister, Charlene Feczko, handles the day-to-day business details and runs the shop when Buege and Paielli are out on jobs.

Feczko said every day brings a new diamond in the rough into the store.

“People will bring in something that’s been handed down from generation to generation, but they don’t really know what to do with it,” she said. “But once they talk to Sharon and walk out of here, they have a brand new piece, a piece that’s tailored specifically to them.”

Paielli also praises Buege for her knack of turning trash into treasure.

“The whole point is to make it custom to the customer’s personality and what they like,” Paielli said. “By the end of a piece, Sharon’s built a relationship into it and the customers feel like friends.”

“Putting the funk back into your junk,” is the tag line the store likes to use to describe its mission. The popularity of DIY projects and “upcycling” helped spark interest in their work, especially with people who love the DIY concept but are unsure how to execute it themselves.

“Just because something doesn’t work for you now the way it is, doesn’t mean it’s a waste,” Buege said. “Our job is to let people know their options. There are a lot of different things that can be done to a piece outside of just painting it.”

New knobs and handles, wood appliqués, wallpaper, hand-painting, artistic finishes and varnishes are just a few of the tricks up the sisters’ sleeves.

For the customer who doesn’t have an old piece at home, the store carries untouched furnishings that can be fully customized according to the customer’s preferences. Sister Act also carries distinctive gift items and work from local artists.

Like many small business owners, Buege’s challenge isn’t finding new products and ideas to sell, but encouraging people to shop local.

She created Ladies Night Out last May as a way to give her store and other small businesses in Kenosha increased exposure, as well as expose shoppers to the treasures in their own backyard.

Held on the third Thursday of each month, the $5 event transports shoppers via limo bus to a variety of locally owned businesses. Generally, participating stores offer light refreshments and special promotions. Along with Sister Act, past participants include Andrea’s, Encore Consignment, A Piece of Mine, Sunnyside Florist, DeBerge’s and Peacetree, all in Kenosha.

“It surprises me how few people know about all of these hidden gems,” she said. “This gets them in the door and lets them know what these places are all about.” {