Cory Konz and her daughter, Kassi Hemerka, both Stapleton residents, repurpose an old piece of furniture at Konz’s new business Paint & Pizzazz.

Cory Konz, owner of Paint & Pizzazz makes it easy for her clients to become do-it-yourselfers, repurposing old furniture and home accessories —and having fun while doing it.

Paint & Pizzazz is located next door to Picker’s Paradise furniture thrift store on Montview. Owner Cory Konz acquires everything from small tables to dressers there and teaches classes on how to do chalk painting, distressing and repurposing to jazz them up.

“Chalk painting sticks to anything,” Konz explained. “You don’t have to prep it or sand it. The more distressed looking the better. Chalk paint comes in one color. You apply a top coat with a wax to protect it. You can use colored waxes to change the outcome of the color. Then you can sand it to make it a shabby chic project.”

Konz and her husband, Steve, moved to Stapleton from Denton, Texas, about six months ago to be closer to their daughter and son-in-law, Kassi and Joe Hemerka, and their sons, 2½-year-old Lincoln and 13-month-old Marshall. The Konzs’ other daughter, Breanna Konz, moved to Stapleton from Minneapolis about the same time as her parents.

Konz and Hemerka show off plywood they converted into a children’s height measuring stick.

Paint & Pizzazz provides all the tools to paint, distress, and repurpose old furniture for a jazzed-up look.

One day Kassi was going to buy a 6-foot board to make a ruler to measure her children when it dawned on her mother that $85 was too much to pay for something that would be easy to make for a nominal fee. Konz decided to start a shop similar to one a Texas friend of hers has, and Paint & Pizzazz was born.

“I come from a dental background,” Konz said. “Now I have allowed myself to be messy and not sterile. I really love it when people are so excited about their finished projects.”

Classes for four to six people are $40 per person. A one-on-one class is $50. Clients can bring in their own pieces to work on or choose one at Paint & Pizzazz or Picker’s Paradise.

“They get live instruction,” Konz said. “They don’t have to buy the paint supplies. I supply it all. I have all the prototypes. All the projects to choose from are on my Facebook page.”

Clients delight in the distressed, chalk-painted look, according to Konz. The process often gives them the idea to bring in something from home that is chipped or dinged to change the color.

To schedule a session individually or with a group of friends, call 720.460.1117. Paint & Pizzazz is located at 9575 E. Montview Blvd. and is open from 10am to 5pm. Mon. through Sat. Check the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/paintpizzazz.