FRIENDS OF HAPPY PLACE: MEET FRENCHIC
At Happy Place, we’re proud to curate a marketplace filled with brands that truly align with our values: purpose-driven, planet-conscious and passionate about people’s wellbeing.
Friends of Happy Place is a new feature spotlighting the brilliant minds behind the brands we love. These are the founders who are doing things differently, making waves in their industries and bringing meaningful products into the world.
Today, meet Frenchic. Wellbeing isn’t just about what we do with our bodies or our minds, it extends to our environment. A beautiful, creative space to call your own can do wonders for wellbeing - a belief shared by the lovely people at Frenchic. We sat down with Lisa from Team Frenchic to hear more about the story behind the brand.
What is the name of your brand and when was the brand founded?
Frenchic Paint. We’re celebrating our 10th anniversary year!
Who’s behind the brand?
The brand was founded by Pam Gruhn out of her passion for upcycling furniture to give it a new lease of life and save it from landfill.
My name’s Lisa and I’m part of the small team at Frenchic HQ. Alongside our community of fans and our wonderful high street stockists, we spread the word about Frenchic.
What products or services do you specialise in and who are they for?
Paints, decorative finishes, brushes and a range of accessories for beginners and experienced painters alike. We want everyone to enjoy their painting projects and ‘get the bug’ - whether that’s upcycling, DIY, crafting or painting and decorating.
Why did Frenchic begin?
Pam had used different paints before for her upcycling projects but wanted a chalk paint that was safe for children’s toys, with low odour, that was simple and easy to use. And - crucially - available in a range of beautiful colours! Frenchic has a range of paints that ticks all those boxes and more.
What are your core brand values?
It’s the passion, it’s the people, it’s the paint!
At Frenchic, we believe in the power that picking up a paintbrush can bring. From the impact on wellbeing, to a sense of achievement and pride, and the joy of transforming a piece of furniture or a room.
We also have over 500 independent stockists across the UK’s high streets. The people running these small businesses share our passion for paint, the local community and the high street. The energy they put into that puts the heart into Frenchic.
What’s the journey been like so far? Any highs or lows?
Exciting, busy and full of pride! Our community of fans and stockists share their ideas and inspiration every day, and we’re amazed by all the wonderful things they’re doing with our paints.
For me, the standout high is how welcoming our community is. From novice creatives to skilled upcycler, the support, encouragement and inspiration that’s shared - for all and any projects, no matter how big or small - is truly amazing.
And of course, we’re pleased as punch to have won awards along the way!
Do you have any favourite products?
Our Al Fresco range of paints is my ‘go-to’. It’s so versatile. Inside, outside and more or less for any surface, it’s a great all rounder and so easy to use. Like all our paints the coverage is amazing, so it’s super easy to get great depth of colour without any of those annoying brush marks or drips.
And special mention to our Chalk Wall Paint and Trim Paints. With over 150 colours, the choice is amazing and there are fantastic colour collections for different styles or moods.
But, if I had to pick one or two, it would be Dusky Blush, Olivia – oh and Cool Beans and Steaming Green too! Neutral but colourful with a real sense of calm.
Do you have any exciting plans for the brand coming up?
Absolutely but nothing I can share just yet!
I can say that we’re really excited by the future and what we’ll be doing to develop the brand, staying true to all those things we believe in – passion, people and paint!
Why did you want to work with Happy Place?
Mental health and wellbeing is really important to us. We hear first-hand about the impact Frenchic paints and paint projects can have on that. It’s a privilege that Frenchic fans share their personal journeys with us.
So, teaming up with Happy Place is a great fit - championing the importance of finding time for wellbeing and supporting the many different ways of doing things that make you feel happy.
If you could share one piece of advice to people who aspire to start their own brand, what would it be?
Have the courage of your convictions and find a great team of people to join you on your journey.
And finally… how do you find your Happy Place?
There’s a lot to be said for just pootling around. When work’s busy, simple things are important - going for a walk, grabbing coffee with friends, a quiet moment with a book. It’s those things (and unplugging for a bit) that help me slow down.
Want to give your home a little je ne sais quoi?
Head to the Happy Place Market to discover our selection of Frenchic chalk and mineral paints, then unleash your creativity!