WHITEHALL — White Lake Dairy Treat recently added three murals, produced by Paige Rochefort, to the outside of their building.
Rochefort recently moved to the White Lake area and quickly started seeking an opportunity to do a local mural. She posted on a local Facebook group seeking interest, and Dairy Treat owners Ashley and Adam Burns reached out to her requesting she add her artistic touch to their popular business.
“They wanted something that was ice cream related, but not just ice cream cones,” Rochefort said. “They wanted it to be bold, something that you could see when you were driving into town. I feel like most people notice that this is an ice cream shop when you’re coming from the lake and leaving, but not always when you’re heading to the lake.
“They loved the quote, ‘you can’t make everyone happy, you aren’t ice cream.’ They wanted to incorporate that somehow and they wanted something interactive. We did three murals; the quote, butterfly wings in the back and the side is their logo. Something fun, bold and ice cream-ish. I really loved the idea of including Lake Michigan, but also White Lake, so I made the ice cream cone melt and turn into White Lake.”
Rochefort previously lived and painted in Grand Rapids. After moving to White Lake and falling in love with the small, beach town feel, she was excited to have the opportunity to add her creativity to a local business.
Rochefort also shared that her husband’s grandparents live in Whitehall, down the street from Dairy Treat. She already had fond memories of walking to and enjoying Dairy Treat’s ice cream with their family, making this opportunity extra special.
“Since we bought the business three years ago, we have had tons of blank wall space,” said Ashley Burns. “We thought it would be really cool to do a mural; we just hadn’t found the right artist yet.
“I checked out some of her work and thought she did a wonderful job. I sent her some ideas, and she created something that was original for both her and our business.”
With Dairy Treat’s building being white and red, Rochefort wanted to incorporate the color red into the design as much as possible, considering it a bold signature color for the company.
“I wanted to incorporate the fact that they have red throughout the whole thing, but I didn’t want it all to be red,” Rochefort said. “We did pops of that and my favorite color that I try to incorporate in every mural I can - it’s kind of my brand - is pink. I freehanded all of it. I have really challenged myself with murals this season where I feel like I’m trying to freehand because I feel more creative that way than having a design so concrete. I sent them digital sketches of what I thought it would be, but there are always imperfections on walls that you end up changing the design as you go.”
Rochefort enjoyed the experience painting for Dairy Treat, and hopes it will benefit customers, the company and her own business.
“I love ice cream and I think ice cream does make everyone happy,” said Rochefort. “I think it’s a great way to allow people to see that it’s kind of like a billboard in a way. I hope it brings them more business and with me, I hope I can get recognized in the sense I can get more jobs up here.”
Burns hopes the murals will not only increase attention to the business, but also simply provide more happiness to the White Lake community.
“Coming to get ice cream is already a fun experience,” Burns said. “We want as soon as you drive up to get excited about getting ice cream or even passing by, something that catches your eye and makes you smile when you see it. I hope it brings joy to everyone.”
