Doug Bates has been painting walls for a better part of his life. He began his business in high school with hopes to pay the bills, prepare for college, and perhaps, make it as an artist. Fast forward 47 years, and Bates did indeed make it as an artist. His canvases are entire homes, and his work is detailed and tedious. With an incredible team by his side and a trusted reputation in Kansas City, Bates Painting is stronger than ever before.
“I enjoy going to work in the morning. I think that just speaks volumes about running a business and enjoying what you do,” Bates said. “When my painting company started, I didn't consider it my art. It was a job. But once I started considering it a gigantic art installation that other artists on my team were working on together, I couldn’t wait to get up and work on that.”
Bates’ perspective on his work shifted about ten years ago, when he began to marry his day job with his rediscovered love of painting on canvas. After a long day and a job well done, his family can often find him in his studio, rewarding himself with a different kind of painting session and a much smaller brush.
“I think any artist is more authentic when they work with what they know,” Bates said. “So, I brought home the paints that I used on houses. It really gave me a good opportunity to experience the popular colors that I liked. If you get into my studio, you see all these Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams paints, and then you see oil paints. They all work together into some paintings that really do reflect current contracts.”
Bates is so well acquainted with color that he regularly assists clients in selecting the right colors for their tastes and the layout of their homes.
“People have a hard time seeing a color. They want to have an expert recommend it, and then see it on a wall. I'll look at their fabric. I'll look at their floor, look at their tile. I use common sense and experience to come up with four or five colors that I think are gonna check the box they're looking for,” he said. “My favorite thing is to pull color out of a painting that means something to the homeowner, so you are picking your wall colors based on a piece of treasured art, rather than picking a piece of treasured art that looks good with your walls.”
Bates is living proof that nobody is ever too old to develop a passion for what they do. He strokes his brush the same way after almost five decades and feels the same aches and pains after crouching and bending all day long – but a newfound love for his art makes his business a better one, in every way.
“We've done a good job of assembling a team that makes you feel like you're getting art. The paint on your kitchen walls, even if it's just paint in the color that you picked, is done with a caring, artful touch,” he said. “At 65 years old, I'm more enthusiastic about my painting company than I've ever been.”
DOUG’S TAKE ON COLORS IN 2026
The trends are getting away from the gray, the black and the white and into warmer tones. We're baby stepping toward more of an herb, tan and beige palate. I think some of what was a black is now more of a dark brown, or a black with warm tones.
DOUG’S COLORS OF 2026
Sherwin Williams' White Down and Urbane Bronze
DOUG'S TIP FOR FINDING PAINT COLOR INSPIRATION:
Go to your closet and check out the colors that evolve from your wardrobe. A lot of times you can get an idea of what color speaks to you, just by looking at the dresses or shirts.
"I enjoy going to work in the morning...at 65 years old, I'm more enthusiastic about my painting company than I've ever been.