Greenleaf’s Contribution to the Historic Grovers Mill Barn

 

In October 1938, radio broadcaster Orson Welles put West Windsor on the map by convincing CBS listeners that aliens had landed at Grovers Mill.  Those tuning in late to the fictional program were horrified to learn that military personnel were being vaporized by lasers shot from an alien space ship–surely the future of humanity was at risk.  The dramatic broadcast caused regional, if not nationwide panic, and the “War of the Worlds” became a source of pride for historic West Windsor.

In 2012, local engineer Carl Van Dyke purchased the historic Grovers Mill barn and, with the help of architect Kyle Van Dyke, converted the interior into studio apartments and office space.

Finally in June of that year, Greenleaf Painters was able to add its name to this piece of local history by painting the barn’s interior and exterior, and helping to preserve the barn’s historic look.

Local artist Robert Hummel immortalized the alien invasion in his commemorative painting, “Battle at Grover’s Mill,” on display in the Grovers Mill Coffeehouse on Princeton-Hightstown Road.

Below you can find the famous broadcast in full, and a link to Robert Hummel’s “Battle at Grovers Mill” website.

War of the Worlds Broadcast

Battle At Grovers Mill Website

 

 

 

 

Manager Ryan Munn featured in inPAINT Magazine

 

Greenleaf Painters’ Operations Manager, Ryan Munn, was featured in InPAINT magazine’s May issue alongside four other paint experts.  See what he has to say about the highest quality exterior paints from Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore.

The full magazine issue is available here.  Munn is featured on pages 29 and 30.

 

Addition to the Greenleaf management team!

Francisco Branco (center) recently joined Greenleaf management team as the new Project Manager.  He joins Project Manager Sean Carty (left) and Operations Manager Ryan Munn (right).  Shown below: the three managers represent Greenleaf at Pennington Day in May 2017.

Greenleaf Featured on “The Voice of Real Estate”

 

Jonathan Shenk, owner of Greenleaf Painters, was thrilled to be interviewed by Debbie Lang on her podcast, “The Voice of Real Estate,” on 920 The Jersey.  They discussed the ideal time to paint your home, as well as trends in color, decor, “green” practices and more.

Give it a listen by clicking the play button below.

Debbie Lang is of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services / Fox & Roach, Realtors, Princeton.

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Come See Us March 18 at the Mercer Greenfest!

Bring your kids and learn about how to care for your local ecosystem! Learn who and what is eco-friendly — and where you can shop local to make a difference.

Saturday, March 18, 2017

11 am – 4 pm

Rider University Student Recreation Center

2083 Lawrenceville Rd., Lawrenceville, NJ

For more info, visit mercergreenfest.org

Please stop by and say hi!
Here is our pic from last year — Jonathan Shenk, owner, and son, Gabriel Yoder Shenk.

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Colors that will sell your home (or make you want to stay)

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Color can make a difference for a buyer who is “on the fence.” We excerpted (below) a great magazine article about this.
Even if you’re not selling in the near future, here are some trending color choices for you to consider:
The Power of Color
Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams, is intimately aware of the power of color.
 
Wadden says the definition of neutral is changing, and “drawing inspiration from the earth and sky with deep, rich tones like putty, clay, shell, sun and water. Bright golds are optimistic, yet the shift in beige moves away from warmer, yellow-based tones to brown-based grays.  These natural influences feel fresh and modern, while remaining neutral and functional throughout the seasons.”
Jessamy Tsoris, a Milwaukee-based color consultant and owner of Color Zen, equates dressing a home for sale much like you would prepare for an important job interview. “You should always wear a color that’s powerful, flattering, and typically classic,” Tsoris said.
“For your home, it’s less about selecting the neutral everyone is blogging about and more about what truly complements the home’s unique lighting and surfaces, especially wood tones. Generally, light, bright and airy neutrals leaning gray and/or coastal are popular at the moment. You want the home to look as modern as possible.”

 

“White trim–that’s a big one,” she said.  “Many people are painting unfavorable wood and ceilings white.  It’s instant happiness.  Other colors that are popular–shades of blue, from powder to green/blue/gray to navy.  Taupe as well.  Taupe weaves through all of the grays and I think we will see it a lot in the next several years in a very soft, organic way.
To get more great insights about color — click below:

InPaint Color Article with Highlights

Used with permission from Inpaintmag.com.

Thanks from All of Us at Greenleaf for Ten Years of Great Reviews!

Photo of Crew
A Candid Pic of Greenleaf Managers and Crew 2016

Greenleaf was built primarily word-of-mouth ten years ago. What started with founder, Jonathan Shenk, and a paintbrush has grown into the thriving company it is today.

So we want to pause and take a moment to give a big thanks for all the reviews and referrals you, our customers, have given over the years. We relish hearing how happy you are about the work we’ve done. Each referral and positive review brightens our day. It also helps our business grow and thrive.

One of our customers sent us this glowing review, which we couldn’t help but post below. Many more of you have posted reviews online, told us your feedback in person, and even sent us hand-written cards! Here’s to you, our friends and customers, for a great ten years! –Jonathan Shenk, owner

Carolyn Slaughter, Lawrenceville, wrote:

“If you’re looking for a superb painting company to transform the rooms of your home, Greenleaf is the company for you. I’ve tried many painters in the Lawrenceville/Princeton area and found no company equal to Greenleaf’s professionalism, courtesy, attention to detail and sheer skill and creativity in making any decorating job turn out perfectly and in the time promised.

I live in a Victorian house in Lawrenceville, about 150 years old, and it’s something of a nightmare for any crew trying to produce a first-rate job: the floors slope downward, no shelf is straight, the ceilings have cracks which may suddenly open and send chunks of plaster crashing to the floor. Yet for all its infirmities, it is a magnificent, rare Second Empire house, with a mansard roof, characteristic in French building. I’ve lived and worked within these walls and my children have grown up under this roof for over twenty years.

I needed exceptional painters, who then connected me to a creative carpenter, who brought the ceilings back to new, and introduced me to a wood floor refinisher, Rees Powell, who brought the sloping floors back to their original pine beauty. The foreman, Abner Tolle, in his dedication to the job, could be found scrutinizing every inch of his hard-working crew’s work until he could leave the house looking as beautiful as it must have looked in it’s heyday.”

 

Check out our first ever video about Greenleaf Painters

We are super excited for you to see our new video!

It’s our first attempt at discussing Greenleaf Painters on video. Thankfully, we had professional help, including our operations manager, Ryan Munn, who happened to major in film in college. Thanks to Ryan for amassing all the great pics from our extensive library — and suggesting edits to the final version.

Check it out!

Here is the link –> Greenleaf Painters Video 

Do you have content you’d like to see us discuss in a video? How to choose the best eco-friendly paint? How to cover nail pops or how choose the best paint color for your walls?

We realize video is becoming a very popular form of communication. Let us know what you want to learn about. We might just use your idea in the future!

Here are a couple of still shots from the video:

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Having Fun while Showcasing Green Painting — at the Local Living Expo March 19, Lawrenceville, NJ

The Greenleaf leadership team was excited to be part of the Local Living Expo last weekend. This is our third year participating in the Expo, which focuses on supporting local and “green” businesses. We’re always delighted to meet new people. And we love to share our passion for using eco-friendly paints!

Local Living Expo Pic
Owner Jonathan Shenk with Managers Abner Tello and Ryan Munn at the Local Living Expo, held at Rider University this year. What a great team!
Local Living Expo pic
Jonathan Shenk and son Gabriel, who came to help out for the afternoon. Thanks, Gabriel!

DIY Staging Your Home for the Spring Market

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Make Your House a Realtor’s Dream By Following These Low-Cost DIY Tips!

First impressions are everything when it comes to selling your home. Do these minor repairs and improvements and make a world of difference!

1.  Paint your front door and trim for a great first impression. An accent color can make a big splash!
2.  Paint one accent wall in a room that needs some personality.
3.  Caulk and grout your bathroom where needed.
4.  Replace any rusted or worn light fixtures or fans.

5.  Upgrade light switch plates, doorknobs or other hardware that shows wear.

Green tip: re-using is recycling! Donate your household items. The Vietnam Veterans of American offer curb-side pick-up. Call 1-800-775-VETS or visit scheduleapickup.com

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Add space and beauty simply by following these three rules:spring flowers 2
1.  Declutter by putting mail in an attractive basket. Minimize your knick-nacks.
2.  Put a tall vase of flowers on the kitchen table. Height creates a feeling of elevation. Yellow is a luminous spring color and is associated with happiness and optimism!
3.  Lighten a dark room with a neutral or light-tint paint. Add personality and splashes of bright color using a fun set of pillows, vases of flowers, or a new accent rug.