Santisha Giovannetti inspires women to join the trades sector
“Turning nothing into something” – those are the words Santisha Giovannetti, of Halifax, lives by. With a little elbow grease and the ability to see potential in any space, Santisha transforms homes through her business, Fantasy Home Finishing.
Previously a pipe insulator in Alberta, Santisha decided to come home to Nova Scotia to be closer to family after her son was born. After moving back, Santisha secured a superintendent position with a property management company. The job required a lot of painting and building maintenance.
That experience was the catalyst for Santisha to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. “I enjoyed painting; it was very therapeutic for me. I was reminded that painting was something I enjoyed even back when I was a kid,” says Santisha. The opportunity to make a living doing something she enjoyed was too good to pass up.
Santisha says she developed her skills in the trades sector through an apprenticeship, a mentorship and, most importantly, practice, practice, practice!
“I am very passionate about the work I do, and that is the reason I wanted to start a company of my own,” she says. Santisha’s business keeps her busy and every day is different. She provides a range of services, such as interior and exterior painting, commercial and residential painting, new construction, renovations and repaints, cabinet refinishing and wood staining.
When Santisha meets potential customers, she says their reaction is often confusion and surprise. “‘Oh, you're the painter?’ The disbelief is written on their faces when they realize that, yes, it is in fact a woman showing up to complete the job. Not once does it cross their mind that I could be the business owner when, in fact, I am.”
Santisha advocates for women to enter into non-traditional roles and believes that the more women share their stories, the more others will be inspired to give it a try. “One-hundred percent, go for it!” she says. “If you don’t like it, that’s OK. Speaking from experience, I was very nervous about changing fields. However, now that I have, I would never look back.”
Her favourite part of her work is seeing the finished result. “It never gets old, how you can change a space so drastically with just a little bit of paint.”
Making simple updates to your home is a great way to add more movement into your day. Whether you’re giving the walls a new coat of paint, assembling furniture, or doing more intense projects like replacing bathroom fixtures or adding a whole new room, it’s all a reason to get your body moving.
If you feel inspired to roll up your sleeves and tackle do-it-yourself (DIY) projects around the house, Santisha has some advice on where to start. “I always encourage women to try cabinet refinishing. It requires little skill, little money and the overall outcome of the finished product is very rewarding. Who doesn’t love a nice fresh set of cabinets, especially if money is tight.”
Santisha believes that just a small job can add lots of value to one’s home. Canadian Real Estate Magazine says that home renovations spiked 47% during the pandemic.
If you need some guidance on your DIY project, YouTube has lots of tutorials to get you started. For budget-friendly inspiration, check out DIY with Niky Foster’s channel. She has all sorts of videos, including kitchen, bathroom and floor makeovers.
As for the future, Santisha sees herself building a team of tradespeople and eventually flipping homes. “I am dedicated to my craft of painting and showing passion for it brush by brush, and I am excited to continue helping Halifax become a more beautiful place, one room at a time.”
Santisha leaves us with some words of motivation: “I strongly encourage any and all women to join the industry!” Whether you’re taking on a DIY project at home, or starting a new career path in the trades, you can reach out to Santisha for advice via her website.
Do you love DIY projects? Tell us about your favourite ones in the comments below. Better yet, we’d love to see your before and after pics!