Makeover Magic

What happens when stuff gets old...do you throw it out? Sometimes yes if it's broken, that's the best thing to do. What if an item has still got life in it and it's just a bit tired or dated? I think we all feel these days that we should try and reuse or recycle it. There are lots of ways to reuse, you can give things away through Freegle and Freecycle, you can recycle if it is made of a recycleable material or you can "upcycle"...which means to change it and make it better than it was.

The painted revolution has made many of us think again about throwing useful things out - even an old bike can get painted turquoise and popped in the garden as a feature - this one aint too shabby and is pretty chic in my opinion.....recycling it took not much effort as you will see from the link below.

pop over to I Love That Junk to see how this was achieved

So if we love saving the small stuff, why do we throw the big stuff......clever paint finishes can turn something like this from ebay

To this at Carte Blanche Studios and you can learn how this was done on our  

Ultimate Furniture Painting Class

But people are ready to throw out much bigger purchases, like a full blown kitchen, even a well designed one. Lucky for us a few people who see the opportunity to save money and create something new and fresh from the old  

This couple could see that opportunity and with a little colour help and a lot of labour we gave them a totally new space.

This is what they had - a really high quality well designed kitchen that used the space well. Not everyone has as good quality cabinetry as this but often there are very few designs that can be executed in someone's space and if you have solid units  and a good layout, why go through the upheaval and cost of a new kitchen

 and this is what we left them with. Now we didn't manage this alone - we did it with the help of our lovely friend and colleague Andrew Fizpatrick the most laid back, easy to work with, super cool cabinet maker and kitchen maker that I have worked with ever (testament is I've worked with him for 17 years!!!). He made new doors, tightened hinges and we got going with the paintwork.

A fresh new space!!!

Now none of this is rocket science but it is a LOT of work and not everyone has time to do it themselves - you can give us a call or drop us an email with images and we'll send you a price. Alternatively come on one of our classes and learn how to do it yourself.

General Finishes - What is is GOOOD for? ....absolutely everything

Some time back we had a call from one of our favourite suppliers General Finishes UK to tell us they had moved their warehouse to Scotland and inviting us to pay a visit. The timing of this call was amazing. We had some time earlier decided to concentrate more on contracting and teaching than retailing.......but we still needed product to teach classes with and I needed something new to work with, I felt I was getting a bit stale teaching the same thing over and over and I also felt that people were looking for a new fresh looks so here we are, with a lovely new range to play with.

We have been using the products for an absolute age.....they are a truly professional product range that I never thought to bring to the DIY market but as soon as I had the call it was like a lightbulb moment.

So what does this product range offer the painter? A fully versatile easy to use paint and varnish range.
The Milk Paint was the first product we used about 10 years ago - washes of the paint were applied to beech units and then it was varnished with their High Performance Topcoat. We were so impressed, not just by the ease of use but how durable the system was

Three years later we had a large job toning new woodwork to match old woodwork and it all needed staining and varnishing and we used the water based Sanding Sealer, the Glazes and once again the High Performance TopCoat

before

after

Both these projects have lasted an absolute age...High Performance is really High Performance.


So what are the benefits of these two products over other paints, waxes, varnishes and lacquers

GENERAL FINISHES MILK PAINT - benefits

• Easy to use paint  
• GF Milk Paint isn't actually a traditional Milk Paint it is actually an acrylic paint, based on primer technology so it is self - priming. It will go over and adhere to old varnish, lacquer, paint (oil gloss as well as all others), wood stains, french polish; it can go inside and outside
• Beautifully smooth even when applied by the least experienced of us
• Consistent colours and quality - every tin is the same as the last
• Keeps without loss of quality for YEARS - providing you store it in the right conditions. We have some that is 10 years old and it is still good to go.
• No colour leaching
• Very quick drying
• Easy to touch up with no visible difference in colour - providing this is done before varnishing
• No need to wax or varnish in low traffic areas
• No wax
• Sealed with their varnish it is REALLY hard wearing for kitchens and bathrooms and high traffic areas

So here are a few questions I have answered recently about it -

• Q. Can I distress it?
• A. Yes it distresses beautifully. If you are not too worried about cutting right back through to the substrate then just layer the paint and sand back. If you want to isolate a colour and ensure that one coat only goes through to the next then apply a coat of topcoat between layers. Here is an image of what we produced in a recent class

Distressing

• Q. Is it suitable for painting prefinished kitchens - mine is looking tired
• A. YES!!!! Uber-suitable. Here is a kitchen that we originally painted over 15 years ago. Originally we painted it in oil based eggshell, glazed in oil based glaze and put the most durable oil based varnish we could find on it All these years on we were back to give them an equally long lasting finish in water based paints - using General Finishes Paint. 

• Q. Can I antique something I am painting?

• A. YES!  you use the premixed coloured glazes to put a transparent wash of colour over the surface - here is a tray we antiqued in that way. No wax!!!

•  Q.Can I use it on floors?
• A. YES!! Lovely to use on floors but use a few coats of the High Performance Topcoat. Here is our studio kitchen floor finished in a dry brush technique

Hopefully this gives you a bit of an insight into the new products. If you would like to find out more, then join us for one of our new

Furniture Painting 101 - General Finishes Painting Class

or join us for our Painting Party on the 26th April 2014

Apple Store

We have done a lot of work in the last year at Fasque House in Kincardineshire a wonderful wedding and conference destination that has been created in the house and grounds former home of Prime Minister Gladstone's family.

The owners Doug and Heather Dick-Reid have taken on what is a seemingly impossible task of restoring and bringing to life a house that seemed beyond economic to do so. With a whole floor of the house attacked by dry rot and parts of the rest of the house that hadn't even been opened in 30 or 40 years, and if they were to get grants it required them to  replace like for like ...so lathe and lime plaster had to be replaced with lathe and lime plaster, stone had to be repaired with lime mortar.  No plaster-board and silicon for these guys...that puts a huge strain on the budget even when you have grants given. Sometimes a grant given to help rebuild an historic home is only just economically viable depending in the constraints that are levied on the restorer, and the hoops that are required to to be jumped through can be endless, paperwork alone taking many hours to prepare.

A little part of Fasque's estate hidden down in the then dilapidated kitchen garden was the sweetest building originally called the "Apple Store" now known as the Garden Rooms and sometimes referred to in documents as Fasque's Gothic Pavilion

Source here

Here it is looking a tad sorry for itself, windows broken, roof crumbling and in desperate need of repair.

When we first took a tour of this building they had just started on the renovations and much of the original character remained despite it's sad state

The stair turret

The distempered walls in a sky blue were charming but flaking beyond repair and while the green is a rather stunning colour it is mould...

original graining but only one small section could be salvaged

Upstairs in what is now the bedroom and toilet turret the lath and first coat of lime plaster was in full flow

traditional lathe hand made by the builders on site

Using traditional lime plaster limits you as to what you can apply to the surface in the ensuing period. The walls need to breath and must have vapour permeable products applied. This precludes all normal vinyl matt paints and acrylic paints as well as oil based products, nor can you wallpaper as the wall will "sweat" beneath the paper or non breathable paint and the alkali nature of lime will break down these surface coatings.

We had a challenge ahead when we were asked to complete decorative finishes that would look amazing and could be applied to fresh lime plaster....of course we rose to the challenge. And we have some of the most beautiful and innovative finishes in this tiny building- necessity is the mother of invention as they say.

Here is the Lathe and Plaster room finished

a close up of the sparkly finish

The graining done afresh although one area that will still good was retained

The bedroom

The ceiling and wall finish

A sky ceiling was applied to the stairwell

Along with a cherub or two

And here is Emily my stalwart throughout much of this project, very adequately demonstrating the conditions on the site.

But this is how we left it....an amazing team!

To see more of how it is today visit - http://fasquehouse.co.uk/accommodation/the-garden-rooms/

Guest Blogger - Jo Lee of Swedish Interior Design

I am delighted to announce that we have a new series of guest writers who will appear on Carte Blanche's blog periodically.
Our first is Jo Lee of Swedish Interior Design. Jo and Madeleine have the largest, most beautiful and best range of Swedish furniture both original and recreated that I have ever come across and their technical knowledge and understanding of this field is outstanding.
In conversation Jo and I were discussing the quality and properties of modern paints. We also discussed the "Greenwash" regarding some of the Eco Paint claims today and if you decide to go Green (not literally of course) it can be hard to find your way to a paint with really good Eco-credentials. However when I asked Jo if he could perhaps give us some background the paints they used to showcase painted furniture so beautifully in their showroom home near Brighton, he was able to give us a great report on a range of  truly organic paints, the advantages of them and their application.

Swedish Interior Design – Going Organic

 

When planning a design project, one of the items you need to consider very carefully is the paint you are going to use.

The rise of “designer” paints over the last 10-15 years have given us access to an unprecedented array of colours and finishes so you can have pretty much whatever you want. But this has come (certainly to my mind) as a triumph of marketing often  at the expense of product quality and usability.

So you can have chalk paints, dead flat paints, milk paints, iridescent paints, super chalky paints, organic paints, emulsions, acrylics and much more. It’s great having such a choice but how easy is your chosen paint for you to apply?  How long will it last? Is it good for you?

When we restored our glorious 1886 apartment that became the Swedish Interior Design  showroom, we had to consider a number of questions in choosing our paints.

Firstly, the apartment was full of complex original wall and ceiling mouldings, elaborately hand carved door frames and architraves, double original sash windows and flamed oak parquet flooring.

Stunning sea view from those 13 ft windows casts great light into this delightful room

We wanted to restore this faded beauty to her former glory and be faithful to the original design but at the same time put our own stamp on it as our home. Our desire was to create a Swedish Gustavian look and feel using our antique Swedish furniture, Mora Clocks & bespoke Swedish furniture. It would be a sanctuary from the outside world and also showcase our design ethos and furniture. At the same time we also needed to highlight the craftsmanship and extraordinary level of original detail evident in the original interior.

Another consideration was that since we face onto the sea; we have the most marvellous light bouncing through the 13’ high sash windows and being ‘sea light’ it changes in intensity according to time of day, the season and the prevailing weather.

Antique Gustavian dining table, Antique Mora Clock (1800's) and Antique Gustavian Cabinet

We always concentrate on best use of light in our design work and so we needed careful thought on using our paint choice as an ‘interactive’ medium rather than a flat surface.

Next we had to look at the health aspect – Madeleine Lee, our creative director, has ME/CFS and so is very susceptible to paint fumes. You would be amazed if you look into paint specifications in detail, just how many ‘nasties’ still reside in different paints even with the recent and ongoing changes in paint formulation due to environmental laws.

Madeleine

So many paints still ‘leech’ into the atmosphere for a significant period after painting and will therefore affect anyone who is in any way sensitive – This is a serious consideration when you think about bedrooms, children's rooms, spaces with poor ventilation. There’s already too much toxicity in the world outside our homes, in the air, the water supply and so on. Why add to it in your own home? Don’t believe the sales hype and I would urge you to investigate the health properties of your chosen paint before buying to make sure you make the right choice for you.

So what about the finish? It needed to be in keeping with the feel of the apartment and since we don’t have kids (or at least only Norwegian forest cat furry ones) it didn’t need to be particularly strong, washable or non marking. It was definitely more about texture for us than anything else.

Purrfect appreciation of the paint

Never forget the next point on the checklist as it will hit you directly in the pocket: application and coverage.

With all the changes in formulation due to environmental rules, some well known major brand name designer paints have become really difficult to use on a professional basis. The coverage is poor (and certainly not what they claim) and the end result can be really streaky and patchy which necessitates more coats than you should really need to provide the quality finish that you would want.

At least if you are doing it yourself, its only extra time spent and general frustration.

But where you are employing someone to decorate for you, the added time and extra product required to achieve a top level finish can take 2-3 times as long to do which means significantly more cost to you. We now refuse to use certain brands of paints for clients because of this.

Also be careful to choose the right paint for your woodwork – especially in the level of ‘sheen’. Gloss, satin, matt and dead flat all have their advantages and it depends on your interior and the look you want to create but making the wrong choice can kill a design and look really out of place. Do you want the woodwork to blend in and support the overall colour scheme or work as accenting?

For example in our bedroom and living room we kept the woodwork muted in a matt finish so it played second fiddle to the main wall colour and trompe l’oeil but we used a stronger custom colour on the dado rail and to pick out the wall mouldings to provide a visual accent.

So what did we choose?

For health reasons, it needed to be an organic non toxic paint so that narrowed the field immediately. We wanted a super chalky finish and one that would change color according to how the light hit it to make the most of being by the sea. It needed to be go on well and not clog up the delicate cornices and mouldings in the various rooms.

We chose a fantastic color called dawn mist from EcosOrganic Paints – it goes from off white through a touch of light blue to a violet according to the light and time of day so that come evening time you have a wonderful relaxing tone to the walls which earlier in the day had been more vibrant and full of light.

Different light can change the look entirely

The super chalky texture (while not overly practical) looks amazing with lots of grain and a 3D quality to it and in use, while drying it smelled of oranges and had absolutely no side effects for Madeleine’s ME which was great.

It took a little longer to go on than standard ‘trade’ emulsions but we budgeted for that, so it wasn’t an issue. Most importantly  it was neither gloopy nor too watery so we could get exactly the right consistency to work with both wide wall expanses and detailed mouldings.

Jo Lee  is a director of Swedish Interior Design.

Swedish Interior Design has Europe’s largest selection of Swedish antiques, over 60 antique mora clocks and a beautiful range of bespoke furniture which can be viewed at www.swedishinteriordesign.co.uk or do follow the blog at www.swedishinteriordesign.co.uk/blog    

Join them on Facebook too
                      

The Ultimate Furniture Painting Class

Do you make some or all of your living from painting furniture or has it become an important part of your life? Do you feel like you would like to learn more and achieve more exciting professional finishes, then the Ultimate Furniture Painting Class is for you. The next class runs 19th - 22nd May 2014. Anyone who is in the business of upcycling, repurposing and furniture restoration cannot fail to benefit immediately from this class. Taught by Cait Whitson and Gibson Donaldson, they bring their combined experience of over 40 years working in the field. Cait has been teaching decorative finishes for 25 years.

See more details on our website here and book in the shop here and there is a great discount if you pay in full before April 22nd of 10% off. Opt for full payment and use the code UFP10 at the checkout. 

Exciting gilding finishes

Furniture painting has become a huge trend and it has brought so many new faces into the decorative painting business that I have loved all my adult life, it is wonderful to have so many converted to the painting faith.

a student's cabinet elegantly finished in eggshell,  and gilded and stencilled

But what differentiates the professional from the amateur? These days I often compare painting to photography - everyone's a photographer since digital took the world by storm (well except me I have NEVER been a good photographer) and everyone's a painter, the DIY stores are filled with people ready to give it a go ......yet the message boards and blogs are full of queries about how to resolve things that haven't gone as expected.
Painting things can be easy if you stick to a small range of techniques and finishes but what happens when you want to branch out? It's not rocket science granted, but a little knowledge can make a big difference to how a project turns out and can make a piece look a million dollars

not rocket science - hand painted bee eaters

They say knowledge is power and this is very true in the painting game. If you only know a little bit you will only be able to achieve a little bit. Very simple tips and tricks can make the difference, building a really sound foundation of confidence is based on knowledge and technique. Many people say to me "but I am not artistic"; then we show them a few tricks of the trade and they realise that they are....and that they can achieve a lot more than basic paint finishes.  This class can fast track you to a new level.

students who have never hand painted a design before
free hand carriage lines and hand painting

learning to use professional tools for success

Working with a range of different types of paints and achieving a professional finish can be challenging if you don't have breadth of experience and although you read books and blogs and watch programmes on TV, when it says to "sand" how much sanding does that mean....with which sandpaper? When it says to apply 2 coats what brush to use?

So this is what we teach in the Ultimate Painting Class - we discuss primers and sandpaper and different types of paint and the names for paint. We show you fillers and brushes; how to hold a brush and how to get a brush-mark free finish. We let you play with resists, additives and glazes and we teach techniques from traditional to trendy. There are a whole raft of metallic finishes; stencilling with a twist - enhanced and embossed; freehand carriage lines and decoration; ragging dragging, stippling, linen, moire; gilding, patinating embossing;graining and marbling and finally topcoats.

embossing, foil gilding and glazing

student sample of ragging and moire

Each student brings a piece of furniture and completes an "apprentice piece". If you are a student flying in from afar we source a piece for you to work on.

the big reveal on the finish

glazed and completed with studio dog Rosie's help

a truly authentic looking finish

dragged, bamboo and linen finishes

marvellous marbling

The Ultimate Painting Class is 4 days for 4 students to immerse themselves in paint.

Treat yourself to total immersion here and remember to add your special code UFP10 for a great discount on payment in full