Bill and Teri Hewett, owners of the Color Pot, seem to be quite the dynamic duo. Bill oversees the office, does estimates, works in the warehouse, installs, cleans up and does whatever it takes for the Color Pot to flourish. Teri works on the sales floor and works with other staff members at selling installations and other services. The two met 25 years ago in Bellingham. Teri, who was born and raised in Battleground, Wash. came to visit a friend in Bellingham, met Bill and fell in love. They just celebrated their 23rd anniversary on Jan. 10. Bill owned the Color Pot when he met Teri and she joined the business in 2005.
The Color Pot, located on North State Street was created in 1953 by Bill’s parents, Bud and Charmie Hewett. It served as a paint store, which explains the store’s name. In 1955, the Color Pot expanded their services and got into the window covering business. By the 1960s, they began selling floor coverings. Between 1960 and 1995, the Color Pot slowly stopped selling paint and 85 percent of their business was in floor coverings. Bill said he thought of renaming Color Pot but was reluctant because it is such a well-known shop, so the name was preserved.
Currently, the Color Pot offers free estimates, installs flooring such as carpet, vinyl, laminate, tile and hardwood, installs hard surface countertops and installs Hunter Douglas window treatments.
Bill has owned the Color Pot since 1986, when he bought the business from his father, Bud. He did not grow up thinking he was going to run the Color Pot though. Bill worked at the- Color Pot for his parents while he was in middle school and high school, but moved on and worked at the Intalco aluminum plant after he finished
school. However, he decided to come back to the Color Pot after a 20-year break and has been working there ever since.
Working at the Color Pot over the years has been rewarding for Bill. He’s proud that years of hard work has made the Color Pot successful. Teri loves the customers and community that come with owning a retail store. She enjoys working downtown and building lasting relationships with new and old customers.
Many customers come back for more services and both Bill and Teri like working with old clients and helping them with their remodels. The Color Pot caters to residential, commercial builders and property management.
The Color Pot has knowledgeable staff members that help with installations,sales, advertisements, managing the Color Pot’s Facebook page and Craigslist posts among other things.
Many flooring stores come and go but the Color Pot still stands. Though the store has evolved and no longer carries paint, it offers a helpful hand for a novice home remodeler in need of flooring or a couple redoing the bathroom, returning for more help from Bill, Teri and their staff.
1210 N. State St., Bellingham
360.734.4020, thecolorpot.com
Mon.–Fri. 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Sat. 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
