Ortonville-Looking for a last minute Christmas gift that doesn’t look last minute?
Stop in to Mayhem Designz, 457 Mill St., and get a made-to-order present crafted by Drew Guirey.
‘A lot of items are custom and personalized,? said Guirey, who opened the shop downtown in June and is growing as word-of-mouth spreads. ‘We can attach images and lettering to pretty much anything.?
Mayhem Designz specializes in signs, banners, wall graphics, T-shirts and hoodies, custom mirrors, ceramic and granite tiles, carved wood, and much more.
On Tuesday, Guirey is busy working at an easel on a custom mirror. He has overlaid the glass with a vinyl print that is etched with a character from the video game, ‘Gears of War.? He painstakingly removes elements of the vinyl, leaving a striking image on the mirror. Behind him is a finished mirror customized to look like a movie poster from Tim Burton’s ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas.?
Guirey uses a computer program for some images that must be printed, but also freehands art. While he particularly enjoys creating mirror pieces, he is capable of personalizing a variety of items, and has even transformed a Roomba, a vacuum cleaning robot, into R2D2, the beloved droid from the Star Wars movie franchise.
‘We do a lot of handmade items,? said Guirey. ‘If you can imagine it, we can probably do it.?
Mayhem Designz is his first venture into owning a business, but Guirey has previous graphic design experience and enjoys creating visually pleasing art. Customers typically bring him an idea and he will collaborate with them on their vision to create something that will be treasured. T-shirts, mugs and basic memorial tiles can be completed the same day. More complex orders such as large mirrors may take a bit longer, but the majority of all orders are completed in three days or less.
He guarantees his work and charges only a small fee to make house calls in which he can place graphics directly on walls.
‘If you have an idea, I will sit with you and sketch out an idea,? he said. ‘Come in if you want something unique. My work is guaranteed.?
Mayhem Designz is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday. Mondays by appointment. Call 248-793-3311 or visit the Mayhem Designz Facebook page.