About Magnolia
This is Magnolia Painting Co
Get to know the story behind our company
We are a family owned residential painting company serving the South for a little over 10 years. Formerly known as Pinnacle Painting Co. from Fort Worth, Texas, owner and operator Justin Smith, and his family, moved to Charleston, SC in hopes of raising their children in the their most favorite place of all! Justin’s wife Jennie, is a College of Charleston Alumni who resolved to getting back “home” as soon as she could! After graduation, getting married to Justin, having two kids and surviving a fight with breast cancer, the Smith family chose to make their dream a reality and relocated to Charleston the summer of 2018! They look forward to time spent with family, friends and new friends here in the Charleston area.
What to Expect
We believe in quality, not quantity and every project is unique and special. Magnolia Painting Co. backs our work with a 2 year warranty on all workmanship. Expectations are agreed upon at the start of every project, with detailed estimates. Every project estimate will be meticulously laid out for your review and approval, prior to the beginning of any project.
Yes it is true, painting and drywall projects can be messy at times but our crews are clean and tidy. To make sure your personal belongings and home are protected, we provide extensive prep on every project including pre-start photography that is reviewed at the start. Special, additional prep also gives every trim line a meticulously straight edge to ensure your project is completed to perfection. All of your belongings will be protected by drop cloths, masking tape, masking paper, builders’ paper, heavy mil plastic or a combination of all.
We've Made News!
We have been featured in 817HOME, one of the most prestigious magazines in Fort Worth, Texas!
"This was a very noteworthy house in the beautiful, historic Rivercrest river front. The house was new construction so we painted almost every square inch. We're very proud of this one."
~ Justin Smith, Magnolia Painting
Colorful ‘happy house’ in Fort Worth inspired by the movie UP
BY SARAH BAHARI
sbahari@star-telegram.com
FORT WORTH
Children stop and point at the house on College Avenue. Cars slow down, and sometimes stop completely. Occasionally, someone honks and waves, or a passerby shouts, “I like your house.” Most do not know the story behind the two-story bungalow in the historic Fairmount neighborhood. They just admire the rainbow of pastel hues.
“It makes people happy, and that’s the whole point,” said Doug Dillmann, who owns the home with his wife, Nina. “Every time I walk onto the front porch, I smile. The Dillmanns have painted their house 10 brilliant colors, a near copy of the iconic home in Pixar’s 2009 movie UP. Nina can rattle off the colors: Dynamic Blue, Undercool, Icy Lemonade, Daffodil, Confident Yellow, Electric Lime, Jovial Pink, Kismet Lavender, Dishy Coral and Umber.
Above the front porch, in black letters are the words “Keep Looking Up.” Two years ago, Doug found those same words scribbled on a piece of paper on the floor of Cook Children’s Medical Center. The couple had taken their daughter, Daisy, to the hospital when unexplained bruises covered her body. She was 18. Tests revealed that her red and white blood cells were decimated, her clotting factors absent. She was diagnosed with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia in spring 2014. “You are not going to give me this girl for 18 years,” Nina told God, “and then take her away.” Walking around one day, Doug found that piece of paper. Prepared to throw it in the trash, he turned it over first to see the words, “Keep Looking Up.” “Those were some down days. I spent a lot of time literally looking down at the ground, going from one place to another,” he said. “I needed that reminder. Sometimes, God has a sense of humor.” Daisy is now 20 years old and a student at Tarrant County College. She will soon receive her last chemotherapy treatment, her mother said.
The family’s health woes did not end, though. One year ago, Nina suffered a small stroke. “What is the purpose of all this?” she recalled asking herself.
As the Dillmanns healed, they decided to celebrate. Their old home, in the 1800 block of College Avenue, was built in 1900 and expanded in 1920. It had weathered over the years and badly needed a new coat of paint. Nina Dillmann could not stop thinking about the movie UP which she had watched with her children years before. The couple mentioned the idea to Justin Smith, who owns Pinnacle Painting in Fort Worth. He loved the unconventional idea.
“We have painted houses bright colors, like turquoise, red or yellow,” Smith said. “Just never 10 bright colors at once. Now everyone smiles when they walk by.”
Neighbors and friends have asked the Dillmanns if they plan to fly balloons outside the home, as in UP, which they said they are considering.
“I feel tickled every time I see this place,” Doug said. “This is a happy house.”
