Welcome! I’m Joanna, the creator of Painting by the Penny. I am a NICU Nurse and a Latina who besides from my nursing career, is also passionate about design and DIY. A mother to a sweet boy and a partner of 16 years to a wonderful man. I work full time third shift and I am also starting my small business. It has been a lot of work to say the least but learning, creating, and helping others brings me joy. I am grateful to be given the chance to pursue multiple passions.

Where it all started
In 2012, after the purchase of our first home I went searching for a TV stand with no luck. I wanted something that was sturdy, made of solid wood, and didn’t cost a ton of money. After searching online and running into a Pinterest post of someone who converted a dresser into a TV stand my love for refinishing furniture was born. I found a dresser on craigslist for $25, painted it, stained the top and made it our TV stand. It was exactly what I was looking for! After that first project the rest is history. I’ve been painting furniture ever since and learning so much on the way. Opening up my creativity to small and big DIYs and now interior design. The best part about all of this is the people that I have that have inspired me and the support I have received from you all.

The face behind the name ’Painting by the Penny’
So who’s Penny you ask? Well Penny is our family pup. She’s the name behind this small business. She’s a 5 year old Border Collie and Cocker Spaniel mix that we adopted when she was just 3 months old. She is always by my side every time I’m working on a project. You can catch her behind the scenes on my social media.
