Our Journey

Our journey began in 2015 on a road trip to Vermont. I was contemplating going back to work as a corporate controller or retiring. By the time we returned home, I had decided on retirement.

The first step was to develop a product line. We started with handcrafted items and painted furniture. We began going to auctions weekly in search of furniture that needed some TLC. After experimenting with several decorative paint products and not getting the proper aesthetic, a friend introduced me to Annie Sloan’s line of products. It was love at first use!

Our first year of operation as Sisters Salvage Shed had great success! From craft shows and vendor spaces, all in Baltimore, Washington, and the Southern Pennsylvania area.

In 2017 we became an Annie Sloan Stockist at Rust in Taneytown. Shortly after receiving my training and inventory delivery, I was diagnosed with Tongue Cancer. Maintaining the business was a challenge throughout the recovery process of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Thankfully, with the help of family and friends, we continued to thrive.

In 2018 We Acquired Rust by Justin on Main Street in Taneytown, MD. We transformed the location and began to offer classes, custom paint services, and vintage-inspired home décor accessories, furniture, and paint products.

When I met Annie Sloan in 2018, I shared my journey with her and how Chalk Painting was my therapy. We talked about the late nights spent painting in my kitchen when anxiety got the best of me and the days we had to weave painting between naps. Chalk Painting, to me, was very therapeutic. It was an excellent outlet for anxiety and was very relaxing, and gave me a focus point outside of myself.

In October of 2019, we opened our location in Historic Downtown Frederick. After a training class with Annie Sloan, we decided to expand the business into another market. Within a month, we found the perfect location and were on our way to opening our second location!

After a record-breaking Holiday after opening our new location, we were hurled into the situation with lots of other retailers. The COVID-19 hit, and we had to change our business model quickly! We delivered and shipped Annie Sloan products to customers. We were personally running contact-free delivery services until restrictions let us open our doors for the curbside. During that time, we doubled down our focus on our online presence. We decided to modify our business model to survive. Currently, We are expanding our online store to feature items from our store in addition to the Annie Sloan products.