Fine Painting & Superior
       Service Are a Way 
of Life at Hester Painting
        and Decorating

                                  By Jennifer Martin

Like so many of America’s most successful companies, Hester Painting & Decorating was built on talent and persistence. Famed throughout the nation for its fine
painting, paper hanging and spectacular faux finishes,
Hester Painting & Decorating has left an indelible imprint
on the Chicago high end housing market. The company
was founded in 1968 when Tom Hester, a graduate of Chicago’s Washburne Trade School and the foreman of
a large downtown commercial painting contractor, decided he could build a successful business on his creative talent.
“He has an innate artistry, a natural eye for beauty,” said Hester’s youngest son, Stephen Hester, president of Hester Painting & Decorating. “When he formed his own company, he started working with discerning homeowners and designers in Chicago. From there, the business grew through word of mouth. There was no advertising involved for many years.”
Tom Hester, now chairman of the firm, worked 80- to 100-hour weeks to build his company from a three-person start-up into a
major firm that employs more than 65 people. With breathtaking murals, fabulous faux finishes, fine fabric wall hangings,
decorative finishes on furniture and other creative techniques, Hester Painting & Decorating has won 14 national awards and
has created transformative designs in some of Chicago’s finest homes. Tom Hester, now considered a pioneer in faux finishing,
was selected in 2007 by American Painting Contractor Magazine for their list of Who’s Who in the Painting Industry.
Even a walk through the company’s 1,000-square-foot showrooms – one in Chicago, one in Skokie – is a rare treat for
homeowners and interior designers. Visitors can see Italian Fresco Venetian Plaster, faux limestone, faux black lavanto marble
and scores of other finishes for interiors, exteriors and furniture. Faux linen techniques, fine metallic glazes, parchment finishes
and many other effects create a world of textural and colorful delights.
“Words really cannot do the showrooms justice,” said Tom’s eldest son and the company vice president, Jeff Hester. “We place
our finishes on full-size walls instead of two-by-two sample boards. It really creates the full effect for anyone who’s wondering
how these finishes are actually going to look in their homes. Each of our showrooms has more than 50 full-sized walls with our specialty and faux finishes; many of those are available only through Hester Painting & Decorating.”
Hester Painting & Decorating performs more than 500 jobs per year, mostly in the North Shore and Gold Coast. It services both residential and commercial clients with jobs ranging from one day to over 12 months and everywhere in between. Last year the company completed two completely different 20,000 square foot residences, and it also completed the installation of wall
coverings for the common areas of 840 Lakeshore Drive, a 26-story luxury condo building influenced by the Second Empire style. The wall coverings complemented the building’s Parisian features such as a granite base, distinctive zinc mansard roofand limestone accents.
“Our clients are people who seek the finest service, professionalism, design and materials, and they won’t settle for mediocrity,” Stephen Hester stated.
Hester also works closely with well-regarded interior designers throughout Chicago including Gregga, Jordan Smiezny, Inc., Semel Snow Interior Design and Dale Carol Anderson, Ltd. “I always call Hester when I want everything to be absolutely perfect,” said designer Laura Barnett. Customers have called Hester “the Gold Standard in Chicago” and “a 15 on a scale of
1 to 10.” Not surprisingly, Hester Painting & Decorating received the 2004 Illinois Family Business of the Year Award, a prestigious honor given to family businesses that demonstrate excellence and a strong commitment to both business and family. Hester also was recently listed in House & Garden Magazine’s Designers’ Best 2007, and recognized as one of the Best in the
World for Decorative Painters and Wallpapering, and Best of the North Shore, by North Shore Magazine in 2006.
Hester is also devoted to the community. The company supports dozens of charities and non-profit groups, including the Alzheimer’s Association, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Ravinia Festival and the Cancer Wellness Center. “Whether it’s the Lyric Opera of Chicago or the Rush North Shore Medical Center, we’re pleased to support so many organizations that enhance
the quality of life for literally millions of people in the Chicago region,” Stephen Hester said.
The company’s dedication to family and the community is one of numerous special qualities that have made it such a success. For Tom Hester and his many employees, customers deserve the same preferential treatment that any member of the family would receive.
“All of our supervisors have worked their way up through the painting process, so when they go to a customer’s home to provide an estimate, they know exactly what they’re talking about,” Stephen Hester said. “We wouldn’t have it any other way.
When we’re finished, we want you to be completely satisfied with the service you’ve received. When a customer says, ‘This is
exactly what I was looking for,’ everyone at the company considers it the highest compliment we can receive.”



Hester Painting & Decorating
Showroom locations:
7340 North Monticello Avenue
Skokie, IL 60076

1647 N. Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60614

Toll-free: 877-HESTER 1 or 877-437-8371
www.hesterdecorating.com
info@hesterdecorating.com