Not your typical tattoo parlor
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| Tattoo artist Tom Keating (right) and company president Jake Keating, inside Northwest Custom Tattoos and Treasures, LLC. |
This place is bright, artful and spotlessly clean, and staffed by the Keating family ... three of the nicest people you'd ever hope to meet.
Now located in a small, gray building at 6445 Main Street between Conoco and the Chic n'Chop Restaurant on the South Hill, this the third and by far best location the Keating family have found since moving to Bonners Ferry in 2006, offering more space, higher visibility and parking.
Their two previous locations had been downtown.
And in addition to artful tattoos, Northwest Custom Tattoos and Treasures LLC, as the business name implies, offers more. artful, high-quality jewelry, hand made incense, one-of-a-kind graphic t-shirts you won't find anywhere else, E-cigarettes that are cheaper than the real things and better for you, too, which come in an assortment of flavors that reads more like a treat shop menu, all custom blended to perfection.
Tom Keating is the tattoo artist, and in his case, the term "artist" is apt; born and raised in Las Vegas, he was a commercial and graphic artist long before taking up tattooing.
"It was a natural progression," he said. "I've been involved in art some way my whole life."
To prepare for the switch from paper and canvas to skin, he completed a one-year apprenticeship at Savage Tattoo in Sandpoint, but his approach to tattooing is a far cry from what you'd expect in a typical shop, where you choose a stencil, sit down and have it inked ... especially if it's your first tattoo.
He well knows the stigma attached to body art, and the fact that once inked, it's part of a person's life forever. He offers a free consultation to find out exactly what his client has in mind, then comes up with a custom design to exactly match the vision the client sees. Once approved, he draws the design on temporarily, matching the art to the musculature and contours of his "canvas," allowing a preview to make sure it's exactly right.
Only then does he apply ink and color, using only the highest quality pigment available.
"A great tattoo done with low quality ink will turn out poor," he said.
A great tattoo done with great ink, he said, will be a unique masterpiece that reflects the wearer and their personality, and have a lifelong impact. It's important to him that the impact be positive, and not a cause of regret.
Except on rare occasions, he will refuse to do facial, neck or hand tattoos, knowing that they have a tendency to be frowned upon, especially as a client ages and new vistas and opportunities open which might be thwarted by the presence of a tattoo.
One of those rare occasions comes for "covering up" existing tattoos, of transforming ink that's come to be regretted into something beautiful. In fact, Tom is likely the only tattoo artist in the world who, like an emergency room doctor, is available 24/7, and he treats "tattoo emergencies," instances where a tattoo might interfere with an opportunity, just like a doctor. Just call (208) 627-8215.
"It's nice to be able to do something that not a lot of people can do, and have a lifelong impact on someone's life," he said. "I maintain the same standard of cleanliness, and surpass every established standard. My work is as confidential as a doctor's."
When you walk in to Northwest Custom Tattoos and Treasures LLC, the smiling face greeting you is apt to be Tom's wife, Natasha, who tends the store, crafts the incense and custom blends the myriad flavors available in the e-cigarettes they offer.
Much like her husband, customer service and satisfaction is job one, personal service essential. For every e-cigarette or incense customer, she maintains a personal recipe card, finding just the right blend, promising a consistency unmatched anywhere.
If you're turning to e-cigarettes to help kick your addiction to the real thing, she can ease you off the nicotine at just the right pace so that you barely notice you're being weaned, and she can also create flavors to match any occasion.
With the holidays ahead, how about pumpkin pie, apple cinnamon, maybe the delightful taste of s'mores?
Whatever taste you enjoy most, it's possible.
While their attention to cleanliness, quality and highly personalized service might sound expensive, customers are likely to be shocked.
"I don't believe people should have to forgo food or mortgage to pay for a piece of their art, or heart," Tom said.
The third person you're likely to meet at Northwest Custom Tattoos and Treasures LLC is Tom and Natasha's son, Jake, the 19 year old president of the family company, who, his mom said, is gaining hands-on experience and a real-life education he'll carry with him wherever his future takes him.
"He is in charge, and he makes the tough decisions essential to running any business," Natasha said. "This is an experience he can get nowhere else, and he's doing well. No matter where he goes in the future, what he learns here will help him."
You'll not find that kind of dedication or devotion, either to customers or family, in any stereotypical tattoo parlor.
Northwest Custom Tattoos and Treasures LLC is open from 11 a.m. to six p.m. Monday through Saturday. To find out more, call (208) 267-0198.