Bloomingdale's Chicago Paint & Coatings Association starts 2022 Chicago Finest Painted Ladies Competition
Real estate experts agree that a fresh coat of exterior paint can enhance the value of a residential property and boost its curb appeal. After all, it is the first thing that visitors see, and home buyers appreciate.
Now that winter is on thew wane, paint losses are likely to appear. With that in mind, now is the time to start thinking about the outside of your home.
The Chicago Paint and Coatings Association has announced the kick-off of the 37th annual "Chicago Finest Painted Ladies and Her Court Competition," which is a "beauty contest" for homes and businesses.
This contest encourages homeowners and professional painters to compete for the 2022 "Chicago's Finest Painted Ladies and Her Court" award. The houses must have been painted between Labor Day 2021 and Labor Day 2022.
This contest encourages not only the more traditional Victorian style homes and businesses to participate but other styles as well. Examples of other styles include Tudors, Georgians, and Colonials. Also, other creative projects will also be considered as separate. categories, such as gazebos, entry doors etc.
A list of categories can be found on the online entry form.
The CPCA is a non-profit trade association made up of member companies who are manufacturers, raw material suppliers and distributors for the paint and coatings industry.
"Even in tough times like now, paint provides a cost-effective fresh look to the exterior of homes and businesses. It is a solid investment for the homeowner," commented Christopher Wrobel, CPCA spokesperson.
The entries are judged on how the paint and colors chosen were used to enhance the appearance of the property. Also taken into consideration by the judges is how well the colors fit the neighborhood and/or the area that surrounds the structure. The public libraries have books on how to create a "Painted Lady."
The trend of paying more attention to choice of color and detail seems to be part of current living. In some instances, entire neighborhoods have been inspired to freshen up their homes and there are literally hundreds of colors or shades of colors to choose from to create a better looking home or business.
The Chicago and Northwest Indiana areas are divided into five sectors: North, Northwest, West, Southwest, and South; and two categories "non-professional" and "professionally painted."
Entrants are requested to submit before and after photographs or high-quality digital pictures printed on high quality paper to ensure accurate color representation.
Paint chip samples must be submitted along with the official entry form. Winners are selected from the categories found on the entry form.
Not every category may produce a winner each year and more than one winner may be selected from a category.
Once selected, the winners will be notified by phone. As in the past, the home or business owner will be awarded a professionally photographed picture of their home or business that is matted, framed, and presented at a special dinner in the fall.
In addition, a grand prize winner will also be selected and will be honored with an engraved plaque. Professional contractors are awarded a certificate. Many of the winners are featured in area newspapers!
Please contact the Chicago Paint & Coatings Association to obtain more information. Applications are on the CPCA website www.chicagopaint.org. For further information e-mail director@chicagopaint.org, or write Chicago Paint & Coatings Association, 360 W. Schick Road, Suite 23-#191, Bloomingdale, IL 60108.