Palette’s Richmond location at at 5813 Grove Ave. (Photos by Michael Thompson)
A Richmond retailer has re-branded and expanded to Charlottesville.
Palette, known until recently as Rue, last week opened a location at 325 W. Main St. in Charlottesville.
Under its previous name, the paint, art and furniture store launched three years ago at 5813 Grove Ave. in the West End. The expansion and name change coincide with a new business direction, owner Stephanie Snyder’s said.
Snyder started Rue as a store for furniture and local art. The shop still sells those items but has ramped up efforts to cater to the high-end interior residential paint market – hence this year’s name change to Palette.
“We didn’t feel the previous name reflected who we are today,” Snyder said. “We feel like we’ve figured out who we are.”
Palette carries brands including England-based Farrow & Ball and Vermont-based Fine Paints of Europe. Gallons from those brands sell for $92.50 and $135 each, respectively. Paintings and artwork at Palette range in price from $200 to $6,000.
Snyder, who described her company as “an unusual paint store,” said the new focus was driven as much by national companies looking for a foothold in the region as by consumer demand.
“We’re the only store that sells high-end paint until you get to Florida,” Snyder said.
Snyder said it’s a good week at Palette if she sells 40 or 50 cans of paint. The shop also ships paint daily, mostly to customers along the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic.
The business relies on interior designers who recommend the distinct finishes to their clients and professional painters, such as Richmond-based H.J. Holtz & Son, who specialize in mixing and applying high-end paint.
With her company already making weekly paint deliveries to Charlottesville, Snyder said that opening a store there seemed like a logical step. She has hired two employees for the new 1,100-square-foot location and has six employees working at her 1,800-square-foot Richmond shop.
A Palette display for English brand Farrow & Ball.
Palette’s Richmond location at at 5813 Grove Ave. (Photos by Michael Thompson)
A Richmond retailer has re-branded and expanded to Charlottesville.
Palette, known until recently as Rue, last week opened a location at 325 W. Main St. in Charlottesville.
Under its previous name, the paint, art and furniture store launched three years ago at 5813 Grove Ave. in the West End. The expansion and name change coincide with a new business direction, owner Stephanie Snyder’s said.
Snyder started Rue as a store for furniture and local art. The shop still sells those items but has ramped up efforts to cater to the high-end interior residential paint market – hence this year’s name change to Palette.
“We didn’t feel the previous name reflected who we are today,” Snyder said. “We feel like we’ve figured out who we are.”
Palette carries brands including England-based Farrow & Ball and Vermont-based Fine Paints of Europe. Gallons from those brands sell for $92.50 and $135 each, respectively. Paintings and artwork at Palette range in price from $200 to $6,000.
Snyder, who described her company as “an unusual paint store,” said the new focus was driven as much by national companies looking for a foothold in the region as by consumer demand.
“We’re the only store that sells high-end paint until you get to Florida,” Snyder said.
Snyder said it’s a good week at Palette if she sells 40 or 50 cans of paint. The shop also ships paint daily, mostly to customers along the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic.
The business relies on interior designers who recommend the distinct finishes to their clients and professional painters, such as Richmond-based H.J. Holtz & Son, who specialize in mixing and applying high-end paint.
With her company already making weekly paint deliveries to Charlottesville, Snyder said that opening a store there seemed like a logical step. She has hired two employees for the new 1,100-square-foot location and has six employees working at her 1,800-square-foot Richmond shop.
A Palette display for English brand Farrow & Ball.
Paint is one of the key design choices for my husband and me, and we’ve always insisted on using great products because you can definitely tell the difference! I’m so excited to see Palette doing well in our market and bringing such quality products to our community!