Topeka Vendors Market: The Painted Edge

Photos by Emma Highfill, Rose Wheat Photography

Vicki Claassen and Kristan Smith are The Painted Edge. The two offer a mix of furniture and decor in their booth at the Topeka Vendors Market, pieces transformed through the power of paint into one of a kind designs.

“We try to find interesting pieces that could make a statement in your home or upcycle a simple desk or dresser that will become a family favorite,” Smith said. “We can also transform a well-loved furniture piece you already own and give it new life with our paint. We love the pieces we do and have a hard time letting them go after thinking, ‘that would actually look great in my house.’”

The Painted Edge got its start when Claassen and her husband decided to take on a kitchen remodel/quarantine project in the spring of 2020. She painted all of her kitchen cabinets and the original hardware, and when Claassen and Smith saw the results, they were hooked, and began painting all of the wood furniture they could find.

“When we started to run out of room for finished products in our ownhomes our husbands joked we needed to start selling some of the pieces to support our new-found hobby,” Claassen said. “Likely they just wanted to free up some space in our garages! The timing of Topeka Vendors Market’s opening was perfect and gave us the nudge to start our new business.”

Claassen and Smith were ready for an opportunity when they saw an article about Todd and Nicolle Konkel and their idea for Topeka Vendors Market. They decided to go to an open house for prospective vendors and they liked what they saw. For The Painted Edge, leasing a physical space seemed preferable to selling exclusively online.

“A store space gives us a dedicated area to stage our furniture and allow people to picture it in their own homes instead of seeing it in pictures in our homes,” Smith said. “Plus, we both work full time jobs, and leasing space allows us to leave the management of the space to TVM.”

Claassen and Smith have found a community of support for their new business at Topeka Vendors Market. The vendors all boost each other, knowing that everyone succeeds when buyers are drawn to the market. Claassen and Smith have enjoyed getting to know many of their neighboring vendors and have benefited a great deal from the variety of small business owners in the vicinity.

“We have been tagged in social media posts by other vendors and in turn we tag them in some of
our posts as well,” Claassen said. “We have traded ideas and discussed tricks of the trade. Several of our neighbor vendors have been in this industry for years and had booths in other locations so they have provided some guidance and insight to help us as we are just starting out.”

So far, Claassen and Smith have been pleasantly surprised with the response to their booth and their sales. Customers are sending requests for custom pieces, too, work that is sure to keep The Painted Edge busy and challenged for some time to come.

"We love that people have tagged us on Social Media telling us they are happy with their purchase and even showing it in their own home," Smith said.