If you’ve ever used the expression “It’s as much fun as watching paint dry,” you might want to rethink that once you speak to ZsuZsi Apati.
Apati runs All Women Painting and her passion for paint and color is so infectious, it’ll make you want to redecorate your home. In honor of Earth Day, we spoke about sustainability and why she believes it’s so important for her business to be eco-friendly. You’ll just have to imagine the Hungarian accent as you read. Think of Zsa Zsa Gabor, without the nine marriages.
PGN: When did you get into painting?
ZA: I moved to Florida from Europe and met some women in Fort Lauderdale who hired me to work for them doing interior house painting. I learned a lot from them and really liked it; it’s fun making people’s homes look nice. After a while, I figured out that they did a good job but I did even better and decided to branch out on my own. I liked Florida and I still miss the weather — especially after this winter — but in 2009 I moved to Philadelphia. I was looking for something more European, I was a little bit lost in Florida. And I missed the four seasons, which I truly believe we need for our souls. We need the sadness of the fall and the happiness of the spring, all of that. Florida is too smooth: the people, the weather. Also I like to make road trips and you can’t do that there, so Philadelphia was a better match for me. I can bike myself around, which is like at home in Europe. The people are great here. They get what I am trying to do with my business. In Florida, they didn’t seem to care as much about the environment. I probably can’t save the world but I like to do the right thing and I love what I do. Even as a little child, I always liked going into other people’s homes. My parents had a lot of friends and I loved seeing where and how they lived. This job is great. I even like to walk neighborhoods with my fliers because it gives me a chance to see the houses up close! If I see a beautiful home, I have to drop my business card off and pray they call me so I can see the inside!
PGN: That’s great. So what were you doing in Europe?
ZA: I was in the hospitality business. I had a coffee bar but it’s different there, I sold alcohol too. Coffee, light food and drinks and we were open from 6 a.m. until 11 p.m. It was the center of our little community in Budapest. And then I thought to learn English. In school, I learned Russian and German — I was good with that because my mother was part German — and I learned a little bit of French. Later I moved to Italy with my twin sister — she now lives in London with her wife — so I learned Italian too, but I wanted to learn English. So I said, “Let’s go” and I moved to Florida.
PGN: You moved here to learn English?
ZA: Yes, why not? I was planning to go back — I’m like a vagabond — but something here really caught me, the freedom. I grew up in a small town in central Europe, in the Eastern side — more like the Communist side — and it wasn’t easy coming out. Not a big issue now, but here it just felt like home. This is a great country.
PGN: So you grew up in Budapest?
ZA: About 20 kilometers from Budapest.
PGN: Translate the math?
ZA: [Laughs] Maybe 60-70 miles. My parents still live there. My dad is a doctor and my mom is an engineer. They’re retired now and we Skype every day. I love the computer! So it was a great neighborhood, really safe. I was kind of in a bubble. Everyone knew my parents so before I made it home from school, my parents knew everything I did. I had a cushy life and it was fun. But my twin and I were bad kids.
PGN: Oh, give me an example.
ZA: We’d test limits. Like kicking a neighbor’s basement window to see if it would break. It did. Then we’d run away but everyone would know it was us when they saw two of the same girls running away!
PGN: Double trouble!
ZA: Yes, when we were babies my dad would push us in the double stroller and all the women would come to see. They loved my dad and he was a little celebrity. Luckily, my mom wasn’t the jealous type.
PGN: What was home like?
ZA: Hungary itself is small, about the size of Florida. I was born in one of the rural towns and even when I was a kid, I knew it was too small for me. So when I could, I moved to Budapest. It’s gorgeous. You know it was two cities separated by the Danube River: Buda on the West Bank and Pest on the East. It’s very metropolitan now, so many things to do. Then I moved to Italy and Germany and then the states. When I got here I felt complete; this is where I want to be. Inside I was never at home there; just because I was born there didn’t mean that it fit.
PGN: Who came out first?
ZA: I did. Before my twin came out, she had a husband in Italy and a daughter who’s now 24. It wasn’t easy for me but it wasn’t like some of the stories I’ve heard in America, with kids being thrown out of their homes.
PGN: What was your first awareness of LGBT life?
ZA: I still have this movie, it’s a Hungarian film called “Egymásra Nézve” or “The Other Way” in English. It was a great movie, very touching. We had mostly Russian films but I remember we had some American movies too and I was in love with Natalie Wood. But it took a while to come out in my hometown. I still don’t know anybody there who is out. So I left to hide myself in the bigger city where it was more acceptable.
PGN: Was there a large LGBT community in Budapest?
ZA: Yes, and I still have good friends there from that time. Most all of my friends are gay and they’re happy when I go back and visit. Before I left in the ’90s we had a lesbian bar and gay bars, but now like here in the U.S., everybody goes everywhere; people don’t feel as much need to have separate bars. You can kiss your girlfriend in a straight bar and no one is going to assault you. But I miss having a lesbian bar. I’m so happy that Denise [Cohen] is going to be opening that new bar, Toasted Walnut.
PGN: Me too. Hopefully it’s opening soon. So back to your coming-out …
ZA: It was OK. My parents love me, straight or gay. They’re supportive and good people.
PGN: Were they surprised when your sister came out too?
ZA: Well I’m sure, but it is what it is, this is how we are. My twin adores her wife. They’re coming to visit this summer. I’m really looking forward to it.
PGN: Were you always very eco-conscious?
ZA: My grandparents had a farm with an organic garden. We never sprayed or anything. Back then it was easier. We didn’t have a lot of plastic garbage; now it’s everywhere, even toothpicks are plastic. So we have to think about what we’re doing to do the right thing. I was always thoughtful about it but I was influenced by a few good people like Judy Wicks. She was one of my first clients and she’s a beautiful person. I was so fortunate to have met her.
PGN: How did you get hooked up with her?
ZA: It’s funny actually. When I first got here, I was out promoting my business at the Green Festival. I gave my card out to everyone, especially the cute women, and she was one of them! I have two cards — one for straight people and one for gay people with a picture of two women on it. I had no idea who she was except for a beautiful woman with gray hair (and not gay). That March, she called me for an estimate and I went to meet her. I walked in and taught her about eco-friendly paints and how important it was to be environmentally aware and to do the right thing and I saw a little smile on her face but still had no idea who she was.
PGN: That’s too funny. You were lecturing her to be concerned about the environment. [For the uninitiated, Judy Wicks, former owner of White Dog Cafe, is the mother of sustainable-business practices in the city and throughout the world. She didn’t just write the book on it, she’s written several on the topic.]
ZA: Yes! And when I went home and told my then-partner, “I just met with this woman and she has the funniest email address. It was something like [email protected],” she exclaimed, “Oh my God, you met Judy Wicks!” and explained who she was. Then I understood why she was smiling when I was giving my speech but she was so polite she didn’t say anything. She hired me to do two of her houses and we became friends. It made me want to do even more to turn my business in the right direction. But the business isn’t just about the materials, it’s also about the customer service. I really love my clients. I’ve become friends with 99 percent of them. When I work, I feel like I live there too. My clients and I sit on the floor and pick out colors. The painting is easy, it’s making the right choices that’s hard. I treat it like I would for myself and I don’t finish until we’re satisfied. With Judy, we changed the bedroom color three times to get the perfect pink and then she thanked me for my patience. I love what I do because I’m always happy at the end. When I leave, everything is good. When you love your job, it’s easy.
PGN: What makes your company so special?
ZA: We’re an all-women licensed and insured company and our motto is that we respect your home, your furniture, your family and your privacy. We use only no-VOC paints and non-toxic materials. We maintain sustainable practices in our business, and our personal life. I don’t even have a car, we use a Zip car to drop off our supplies and during the job we use bikes or SEPTA to get around. We donate leftover or unused paints to Habitat for Humanity and other organizations that help people.
PGN: What are VOCs?
ZA: VOCs are Volatile Organic Compounds and they’re used to help the drying process. As paint evaporates, it emits chemicals that are toxic and may contain pesticides or a cocktail of benzene, toluene, methylene chloride, methyl chloroform, ethylene glycol, vinyl chloride and mercury. Not good for your home or the planet.
PGN: Business tip?
ZA: My grandfather always taught me to only use top-quality materials. You have to have the best tools to do the best job. [Laughs] But my best tip is that you hire me!
PGN: What’s your favorite HGTV show?
ZA: I don’t watch TV. If I started, I’d watch it 24/7: “One more, one more.” Plus, the news makes me nervous. I like politics and I vote and get involved but I prefer to be outside. Though I like good movies. Have you seen the movie “Carol”? I went to New York to see it because I couldn’t wait for it to get to Philadelphia. I’ve seen it six or seven times and now I own the DVD.
PGN: Any other hobbies or talents?
ZA: Well, my parents wanted us to be well-rounded so we went to music school. It’s like learning another language. I learned to play piano and clarinet and when I was a little older I learned the accordion. Playing music is so relaxing. In my teenage age, we played with other people and it’s just so much fun! I still play the accordion but I have to find the right time because it’s kind of loud, but when I do it makes me happy. I also love to travel, especially little road trips. That’s why I love Philadelphia. In Florida I’d travel four hours to go to Key West and it was great, but what do you do there? Have a drink at the bar. Here I jump in the car and go to the shore or to Amish country — I love to learn about other cultures — or New York. Have you seen “Woman in Gold”? Another good movie. As a European person, I came out weeping. The painting it’s about is in a gallery in New York, so I jumped on the bus and went to see it. I wanted to meet this iconic painting. Philly is so close to everything and there are so many things to do.
PGN: What was your craziest travel incident?
ZA: I don’t know, I’m a pretty smart traveler. I’ve been to Croatia — I can drive there from my parents’ house — Uruguay, Portugal. That’s one of my favorite places, great food.
PGN: A memory from your coffee shop?
ZA: I grew up in a big family, two older siblings and my twin, so I like being around people. When I had my coffee shop, I was never alone. It was really fun.
PGN: Any family traditions?
ZA: Yes, we had a beautiful Christmas. Which again, I’m glad to be in Philadelphia because I felt like I lost 15 Christmases in Florida, it’s just not the same in the heat. I remember my dad always used to do fun things for us, like he would come to our room early in the morning and call [she says something in Hungarian], it means “Hello, little girls.” He’d tell us to dress quick and we’d go down. My mother would have sandwiches for us and he’d take us ice skating before school. It was magic, he’d do things like that a lot. Christmas was great, we’d go to my grandparents and it was all about love. Do you have a big family?
PGN: Five in the immediate family but a large extended family. [We stop to swap family photos.] So back to your business, do you do most of the work yourself?
ZA: Yes. To me, it’s not just about putting some paint on the wall. No, it’s about the connection, the relationship.
PGN: What are your three Ps?
ZA: People, planet and profit … with a convergence on sustainability.
For more information on All Women Painting, visit www.allwomenpainting.com.
To suggest a community member for Family Portrait, email [email protected].