Hugh’s Room: Hand-Painted Furniture and Custom Room Design

Clever Parents loves Hugh’s Room for one-of-a-kind, hand-painted pieces and custom room design. Owner, artist and art teacher, Ashley Peay-Bettini delivers on her promise, ‘If you can dream it, we can create it!’While driving home from work one day from an unsatisfying job, Ashley asked herself, “What are you passionate about?” The answer was immediately clear — children and art — and the next day she was on the phone with the Meredith College art department enrolling in classes. “Two and a half years and 72 credit hours later, I received my degree in Art Education and have been teaching ever since.”

After the birth of Ashley’s son, Hugh in 2004, she combined her love of children, painting and design to create her own business designing children’s rooms and nurseries. The result, beautiful and one-of-a-kind pieces ranging from nightlights and painted frames to shelves, tables, rocking chairs, keepsake stools and custom paintings to match your child’s room décor.

One of the unique things about Ashley’s services is that she encourages customers to be a part of the design process. Would you like to ‘immortalize’ your child’s first piece of artwork in a personalized step-stool? Perhaps you already have a theme for your room, but would like to add original and fun accessories to finish the look? Maybe you already have a piece of furniture you’d like to have personalized and spruced-up? Consult with Hugh’s Room on colors, theme and your inspirations, and watch the creativity process embark right before your eyes.

Clever Parents caught up with Ashley to talk about inspirations, do-it-yourself painting parties, involving young children in art projects and the shoebox Barbie dream house.

Clever Parents: What is your background? Have you always been creative?
Ashley Peay-Bettini: I received an English degree, with a minor in art (concentration in graphic design) and concentration in professional communications from Meredith College in Raleigh and an Art Education degree – certification K-12 – also from Meredith.

Yes, I have always been creative and have always loved working with my hands. As a child I spent more time creating Barbie furniture from shoeboxes and other household items than I did actually “playing” with the dolls. I played the flute in the band in school, so I never got the chance to participate in art classes after elementary school, but loved taking afterschool workshops and some community art classes here and there.

CP: What are your favorite mediums?
APB: As an art teacher, I must admit that I like to “dabble” in all mediums, but probably if I had to choose one or two, I would choose painting. I also enjoy creating small clay pieces and working with stained glass.

CP: Tell us about Hugh’s Room.
APB: Hugh’s Room is my small business that specializes in personalized décor for children’s rooms and nurseries. All of my services involve paint! I offer services as small as painted photo frames, wall letters, night lights, and lightswitch plates, but also paint small furniture, canvas chair covers, cornice boards, headboards, and large canvases. I am glad to paint on previously owned pieces or supply the piece myself. I love to help parents design wall art or entire nursery or kids’ room themes around inexpensive bedding or pieces that they already have on hand.

Another service that I am REALLY looking forward to is “Do-it-Yourself” painting parties. These parties will be for baby showers and mom & tot play dates or birthday parties. I bring all supplies, creative juices, and clean up all of the mess! I will consult with expectant moms ahead of time to discuss nursery colors and themes and then prepare all of the decor items that she is interested in for painting. Guest will simply show up and be prepared to paint on a “paint-by-number” designed my the new mom and myself. This way, they can be a part of helping their friend out with preparing for the new little one, but in a relaxed environment and with no pressure to be creative themselves.

CP: How did you come up with the idea for Hugh’s Room?
APB: I came up with the idea in an effort to make some extra spending money while staying at home with my son Hugh and soon-to-be new addition, Alex. I enjoyed designing Hugh’s nursery and his “big boy room” so much and have had several friends ask for my help since. A good friend of mine, Mandy Vick, was in the process of starting her own monogramming business, Mini Monograms, and she inspired me to move forward with all of my ideas. I probably owe “Hugh’s Room” to her as she has been such a huge support in this endeavor. My ideas for products are coming faster than my paintbrush can paint…So, “Hugh’s Room” was born and will hopefully grow as my boys do.

CP: Tell us about recreating a child’s artwork on a piece of furniture.
APB: I am an extremely sentimental person and love to hold onto everything of any sentimental value. This is where the idea for “Keepsake Stools” was born as I was trying to think of a way to keep, preserve, and DISPLAY Hugh’s very first painting. I thought that it would be neat to incorporate it into a piece of furniture that was “lasting” in terms of style – one that I could use for many, many years and was not necessarily “kid oriented.” So, I worked to figure out how to scan and reproduce the artwork (while preserving the original) and then incorporated the monogram in as an accent – using Hugh’s first brushstrokes as a back drop. I look forward to being able to create a stool for someone that has a “family portrait” painted by a child on it…how much fun would that be?

CP: What’s next for Hugh’s Room?
APB: I hope to eventually develop a “brother store” called Alex’s Attic that will be consignment for old nursery and children’s bedding in an effort to build up inventory in a “warehouse” that can help with the design of rooms for Hugh’s Room Designs.

CP: What are some creative ways you involve your preschooler in art projects?
APB: Preschoolers love to explore and, of course, this is how they learn. I feel that a lot of parents are “afraid” to involve their little ones in art projects too soon, probably a little bit because of the mess. I don’t think that it’s ever too soon and Hugh loves to paint! He created his first painting at 16 months. I think that the best way to involve him in art projects is to simply get out the materials, prepare myself for a mess, and let him have fun getting to know the materials. Also, if I am involved in a “craft” project and he seems interested, well, then I always allow him to join in by giving him some of the “same” items and letting him work along beside me. For example, stickers are a favorite for him when I am working on his scrapbook. By letting him work beside me, I hope to teach him that creativity is definitely contagious!

To see more of Hugh’s Room projects and furniture, visit www.hughsroom.biz.

Bettini family picture (top right) courtesy of Robin Cotten Photography, Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina.