The Reno Chick

Meet Cyan Goulet, the Owner Behind The Reno Chick in North Bay

When you call The Reno Chick, Cyan Goulet answers. Cyan, spelled like the colour, that tealy turquoise blue. She lives in Bonfield, works across North Bay and the area, and goes wherever the work is. She registered The Reno Chick with the City of North Bay a few months ago, after three or four years working in renovations for another contractor.

She was busy right out of the gate. Most of her work comes by word of mouth, and only a couple of months in, past clients are already calling her back for a second, third, and fourth project.

From the Paint Lady to The Reno Chick

Her very first customer called her the Paint Lady. Cyan wanted a name that was fun and unique, not the usual last name plus contracting, and she wanted it clear from the first call that she is a woman working in a field mostly run by men. So she worked from the Paint Lady and made it cute. In her words, people know what they are in for when they call The Reno Chick.

The roots go back further. In high school she lived on Kijiji, found a contractor who needed a house painted, and painted it. That was the first time she put cash in her pocket, and she caught the thrill. Her dad works in concrete and has been in the trades as long as she can remember. His advice was always to stay out of the trades. Here she is.

House Painting in North Bay: What Cyan Wishes You Knew

If Cyan could do only one thing for the rest of her career, she would paint people's houses. Painting is where she started, and it takes a steady hand and the patience to shut off the world.

Two things she wants you to know before you hire anyone. First, good paint matters, and the one coat coverage promises on the can are, as she puts it, a load of baloney. Second, spend the money on brushes and keep them clean. After three or four uses, cleaned and conditioned, a good brush works better than it did fresh out of the package. When a client has dollar store brushes waiting for her, they go straight in the trash.

Drywall Repair: The Do It Yourself Job She Fixes Most

The most common do it yourself mistake Cyan gets called in to fix is drywall. It looks easy, and it is an art, especially the old plaster and swirly textured ceilings in older homes, which she calls a lost art. If you are weighing a weekend patch job against calling someone, that is worth knowing first.

Furniture Refinishing in North Bay, One Piece at a Time

Furniture is the niche Cyan loves most. It started with an old, beaten up dresser she turned into a kitchen island in her first house, while she was pregnant. When she sold the house, the island went with her, and the interest it drew told her she was onto something.

Looking at a tired dresser or a dated kitchen, she says, is like going noseblind. You stop seeing your own home. She sees the core of the materials, the possibility of new colours, and how much new hardware alone can change. In her head she strips everything back to bare, to what it would have been.

Her pieces come from thrift stores, the odd curb find, and her favourite place to shop, the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, because buying there supports their work and puts a quality refinished piece in reach of someone who could not afford one from a big box store. Her favourite recent piece is the chess table in the photos, made for a client. The one that made her nervous was a grandmother's vanity with blown out veneer on the drawer fronts. Stripping it revealed beautiful wood underneath, and the family heirloom came back to life with a stain.

Right now she works on commission. Once things slow down, she plans to hold on to a few finished pieces to sell.

Interior Renovations, Flooring, Tile and Waterproofed Bathrooms

Beyond paint and furniture, The Reno Chick takes on cabinetry, flooring, tile, and full rooms, up to a whole bathroom renovation. Cyan trained in Toronto and is certified in Schluter waterproofing products, so she can waterproof a bathroom top to bottom, certify it, and warranty it. She owns three paint sprayers, and she is happy to be called a handywoman, because she does a little bit of everything.

What she does not do is landscaping or hardscaping. When a client asked about a backyard water feature, she sent them to Dylan at Bouwers Design Landscaping.

A Woman Led Renovation Business With Clear Communication

The part that surprises clients most, she says, is her. She came from retail management, she is young, bubbly and a little nerdy, and then she tackles your whole bathroom. Many of her clients are single moms, moms with young kids, and older women living on their own, who are glad to have a woman doing the work.

She takes pride in communication. You always know what is happening with your project, when she will show up, and that she will show up. If she finds something that throws a wrench in the plans, you hear about it right away, not at the end. If your piece is in her garage, you get updates at every stage.

Renovations for Every Budget in North Bay and Bonfield

Ask Cyan how she helps someone with $500 compared to someone with $15,000 and she says there is no difference. Your home should feel special and look like you, whatever you have to spend. With a smaller budget, you tackle one thing at a time, with the same care.

What to Expect When You Call The Reno Chick

Call or text Cyan at 705 845 7354, email sales@therenochick.ca, or message The Reno Chick on Facebook or Instagram. She serves North Bay, Bonfield, and the surrounding area. Winter changes how she works: paint and drywall mud cannot sit in a cold vehicle overnight, and the sanding, curing, and mortar mixing she does outside in good weather move indoors.

One day she would like a storefront in town. For now, the work comes through people who hired her once and called her again.