Say the name “Abbott” in Saint Paul, and a likely response is, “Oh, the paint store Abbotts? Those guys know what they’re doing!”
And they should: Founder Mike Abbott, 91, started the business 70 years ago. His four sons—Kevin, David, Stephen and Tim—now run the business, which has stores in three locations: on Grand Avenue, in Stillwater and White Bear Lake. But Mike still comes into the main offices at the Grand Avenue store almost daily. He keeps an eye on how things are going and shares a quip or two with customers.
Mike Abbott was a 20-year-old St. Thomas student in 1945 when he decided to open the store at Marshall and Cleveland avenues. “My father was a painting contractor,” he says, so starting a paint store seemed like a logical move. While Mike attended classes, “Mom used to come over and watch the store. She didn’t know a darn thing about paint, though.” Mike remembers the tough times starting a new business. “We made $335 that first January. That was terrible!”
All four brothers attended St. Thomas Academy and grew up working for their dad, driving delivery trucks, stocking shelves and waiting on customers. Though they have three sisters who worked at the store when they were young, none is involved in the family business now. Kevin is the company president and manages the Saint Paul store, and Tim oversees the decorative side for the company’s three locations – everything from wallpaper to window treatments and flooring. David Abbott manages the store in White Bear Lake and Stephen is in charge of the Stillwater store.
In the early 1970s, Abbott Paint & Carpet moved to a larger store on busy Grand Avenue, which remains the home base. The extra space allowed them to expand into floor coverings and wallpaper, as well as window treatments and design services. “The decorating side has been a big part of our growth,” Tim Abbott says. “We’re much more than a paint store.”
The big difference between Abbott and national chains is the expertise of their employees and the personal touch for everyone who stops in. Customers who are mystified by paint colors, carpet varieties and window coverings have a different experience than they would at big-box stores; the Abbotts say that’s what sets them apart. Every employee is expected to be knowledgeable about the products, able to discuss and understand what would best fit customers’ needs and work with them to achieve their goals. Kevin Abbott notes that he’s heard about some of the less-positive experiences customers have had at chain stores. “We want to get to those people before that happens,” he said.
Window treatments have become a big part of the business. Not only does Abbott sell curtains, blinds and shades, the company can design, create, deliver and install them. They work with Hunter-Douglas, a long-time member of the window treatment industry and a company that Tim Abbott says is constantly coming up with new innovations. They also employ decorators—many with design degrees—whom clients can consult for free in-store, or in an at-home visit for a fee.
Abbott has hundreds of floor covering options, everything from linoleum—an all-natural product, not to be confused with stamped vinyl—to cork to cable yarn, formerly known as shag carpet and now mostly popular in children’s bedrooms or as an area rug.
Mike Abbott remembers coming into the store at 6 in the morning and not leaving until 8 at night. Now, “I’m here from 10 to 2:30,” he says. “And of course there’s a half-hour for lunch.”
Does he plan to keep up that schedule? “I do,” he says, then nods at Kevin and Tim, “but I don’t know about these guys.”
At one time, Kevin says the brothers agreed they would take away Mike’s key when he was 90. “Guess we’ll have to add 10 years to that,” he says with a smile.
Home decorating trends
Like fashion, trends in home décor change, too. The Abbotts shared some insights:
Color
- Customers are more inclined to use bold colors than in decades past, mostly as an accent.
- Dark colors have given way to more pastels, Mike Abbott says. The color he sees a lot these days is a light to medium shade of green. Silver and grays are also popular.
- Want something special? Abbott employees are color experts. They still mix, match, tint and create colors by eye—superior to using a computer to get just what the customer wants.
Wallpaper
- “Pssssht,” Mike Abbott says dismissively. Hardly anyone buys it, and the wallpaper section of the store on Grand Avenue takes up just a small corner—although books of wallpaper samples used to line shelves upon shelves of the display room, Tim Abbott notes.
- Faux textures and sponge-painted walls are out; they were fads. They’re also time-consuming.
Floor coverings
The trend in floor coverings, Tim Abbott says, is that with so many options, there really isn’t a trend.
- For hard surfaces, considerations include not only the look, but things such as sound and durability. Options include everything from tile to wood, vinyl to linoleum, cork to bamboo. and plenty of others in between.
- Wall-to-wall carpet and area rugs are always popular, especially in bedrooms and children’s rooms. Durability, texture and color all come into play depending on placement.
Window treatments
Again, the sky’s the limit, Tim Abbott says. New innovations in drapes, blinds and shades are constant. It all depends on the homeowner, who can seek counsel from an Abbott’s designer to decide what the best option will be.
