Locally owned do-it-yourself craft store Hammer & Stain moved to their new location on West Parrish Avenue this summer. The location offered them a larger and more accessible space, and it allowed them to create a “Splatter Den” for customers to create their own artwork by splattering paint onto a canvas.
Owners Eric Paulson and Kenny Keller said their former location at 411 West Fourth Street limited how many people they could serve at one time, so larger parties filled the building.
“Then we saw this was empty and came and looked in the window, and it was like this place was almost custom-made for us,” Keller said.
Now at 2845 West Parrish Avenue near Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Hammer & Stain can host larger events and has more space for people to interact, paint, and work on their crafts.
Keller said the idea for their Splatter Den came from wanting to provide Owensboro customers with something new for the area. Inside the den, customers don plastic coveralls to prevent any paint from getting on themselves. Customers can splatter paint — using all sorts of methods such as slinging it with a brush, throwing it, or dripping it from a cup — to make their own designs.
Customers can also place a stencil on the canvas to shield any paint from hitting that area, allowing a negative space when removed.
“We had one boy who did like a monster truck, which was a simple outline. That can be put on the canvas then the paint is splattered, then we remove the stencil to have the outline,” Keller said.
Since the move, the owners said it’s been exciting for customers to engage in the new space and Paulson said the response has been positive overall.
Hammer & Stain provides all the paint and equipment for a customer’s crafting needs and can work with stencils or designs the customer has premade. Keller said their business helps provide people with the chance to be crafty without the pressure of having to buy all the equipment for a one-time use.
The company also strives to provide the experience at a fair price for the customer. Keller noted that they helped one person create a sign she had wanted for years but had not purchased due to the price.
“She had taken a picture of it back in 2018 and just happened to be holding on to it. She came to us and said can you create this, and we [made the stencil]. She made the sign herself with the colors she wanted,” Keller said.
As they head into the fall season, Hammer & Stain is offering a variety of projects such as candy box painting, chunky knit pumpkins, and more.
To book a workshop and learn more about the business, head to their website.
