Artisan Tap Makeover for the guest bathroom

I've been chipping away at this Guest bathroom of ours in between things and sigh, it's still a work in progress ( I still have the walls to do yet).  But today I thought I would share the bathroom tap makeover, this isn't my first tap I've painted in Artisan Metallics, so Im writing this blog with a lot of confidence when it comes to general wear and tear as I can personally speak from my own experience of it being used in a home setting. Before I go all in and say how great Artisan painted taps are there are a few things I think you need to take in consideration before deciding this is right for you;  so take a look at the Video below first,  hit to view in full screen , then read all the details below it before deciding.

Type of Taps: Taps when you think about it are generally pretty low use, apart from water splashing and hands turning it on and off there's not a lot more that happens to it.  I have done a few taps already at our new place and my thoughts are... if they are bathroom taps or laundry taps I personally would paint them with no hesitation. I have yet to do a Kitchen tap (but I'm hoping will get to it one day) I'm a little more dubious about Kitchen taps; a sharp knife across it or pots banging and scraping across it  I'm not sure how that will hold up.  I've yet to put this theory to test but I am putting my hand up to volunteer testing this theory soon.  How many of us actually wash our pots and knifes in the sink under the kitchen taps anymore... (I'm glad we live in a time where dishwashers are a given thing). Once I've tested this theory I will share :-) 

Review the Design and Function prior: Most taps are those ones you lift up and down or turn sideways  (like the ones in the video) some are turning taps (think old school laundry) Take a look at how your taps function where  your taps turn and move and whether you feel you can take your Artisan Premium Chalk Paint to this point without affecting the function of your taps. This is where you will have to use your judgement to see if this Artisan Paint makeover is right for you. 

Before: Taps

EG) picture below, your can take Artisan paint to the lines shown but I would avoid painting underneath, the area where you push the tap up and the underneath is exposed, Adding a couple of mm of paint underneath may affect the way your taps will function, choose ahead of time where to take your paint up to and mask off the rest. This is the part you will need to judge for yourself as to whether this solution is right for you whether the design and function of your tap is suitable for this kind of makeover....and whether you can take the paint down to "the line" comfortably without allowing any water to get in and underneath your Artisan paint finish. 

Artisan Metallics: If you've used the Artisan Cremes or Glazes you'll know that they are super strong, not bullet proof but very hard wearing  and it can take water splashes no problem. It's an Artisanal product, with great form and function. The  strength in these makes it ideal when you want a surface that's hardwearing (take a look at the video where I scratch the taps with my finger nails). It's important to understand that this is a decorative finish and ideal if you have old taps and you just aren't keen on splurging out to replace but want to give them a face lift. In saying this I don't expect to have to touch these up for a long long time, if ever, but I also have the confidence in knowing that if there were to ever be any damage I can easily fix it myself with a few strokes.  

Artisan Premium Chalk Paint adheres to pretty much any surface with little to no prep. Metallic Cremes will soak in and adhere to Premium Chalk Paint and provide a durable surface = you can create Artisan Metallic finishes on pretty much any surface. 

Once you've taken all of these into consideration, and you have decided that you still want to go ahead and give your taps an decorative Artisan Paint finish then read a few of the pointers below before you start.

1. Make sure you give them a good spray  & clean with a gentle degreaser then dry them off before painting  . If you are painting over stainless steel taps go straight over it with Artisan Premium Chalk Paint, if you are going over that super shiny chrome, it might pay to give them a light sand with 180 grit sand paper just to rough them up a bit and make it easier to paint and for the paint to key in straight away.

2: IMPORTANT:   don't use big brushes, don't use cheap brushes, its a project where you want to get the right brushes. The Staalmeester Angled Fitch Brush & the small detail brush for the job; you will thank me for this later. Both brushes have a special synthetic blend and the bristles are super super soft (the softest in the range), allowing for easy soft spread on a surface like taps (using cheap bristles will only scratch the paint off while applying on a challenging surface) The angle fitch brush allows for great precision it's a good size for taps and the small detail rush allows you to drop down in size if you have any finicky bits. If you use a larger brush you will load way too much paint,  get drips, paint build up and can get messy pretty quickly. Get the right brushes for the job it will make it quick and effortless and it does make a difference in the end result. 

Staalmeester Angled Fitch : Super soft bristles ideal for precision painting, cutting in and a great size for taps 

Staalmeester small detail brush : Allows you to drop down for those smaller finicky parts, the right size brushes allows for a quick no fuss job

Painting Style: The first part is all about getting the paint on, on the first coat it might look a bit "ugly" (see photo below) but that's ok, it will fill up on the second coat, just use your brushes to coat the entire surface in Premium Chalk Paint first and leave it to go bone dry. In the video you will see that I have done some stippling with Carbon Black Premium Chalk Paint on the second coat. A couple of reasons why I did this 1. It gives off a lovely hammered metallic look and metallics looks especially great with a bit of texture to bounce the light off and give it depth 2. Doing a stippled styled paint finish means you don't have to be perfect it's easy and you don't have to be too particular. But if you don't like the stippling, hammered look then you can also do a flat paint finish. 

First Coat above, don't freak out, if yours looks like this on the first coat, leave it to dry and and then gain full coverage on the second coat. I didn't sand my tap to help key it in, but was ok because I was happy to build up the coverage on the second coat. If i had sanded, it would have taken easier around the base and curves, the flat tops were super easy to paint. I wanted to share this photo as I know some of you might freak out after the first coat... but it's ok, keep going :-)  

After the second coat & Stippling 

Build up your Coats: Build up your coats until you get full coverage, it will depend on your tap and design  but an average of 2 coats is usually enough for full coverage and my third was just to get the stippling effect, I will admit I hair dried the Premium Chalk Paint, as I couldn't wait, if you choose to do this as well, then put your hairdryer on warm and move it around don't hold it down on one spot to avoid the paint cracking. Or leave it to dry naturally. Make sure it's bone dry between coats. (Premium Chalk Paint dries fast, so you can get this done in including drying time in a couple of hours or if using a hair dryer.... in minutes

Fun Part: Putting on Metallic Creme on is the fun part, you will need two good coats of Metallic Creme in Classic Gold. Or if you are using a different colour Metallic Creme then make sure you paint in a complementing premium chalk paint colour. But make sure you cover everything as this is what's going to give your taps strength for general tap use.  It's best to not hair dry the metallics. Leave it to dry naturally. It can be as quick as 30 mins or 1 hour at the longest depending on your environment. 

Metallic Glaze: This part really is optional, it adds further depth to your metallic finish and also adds another layer of protection. I used Marko Bronze to knock back the classic gold a bit as well. 

I love my new taps and I love that I repurposed what was already there to suit, I wasn't ready to splurge on new taps and since done these have been in full use with guests, and kids. I have other taps and door handles done in my home in this same way and they have held up beautifully. This is a great example of Artisanal form and function and it just goes to show the quality, strength and freedom with  Artisan paints.  Notice that pop of colour on the vanity? Thats Velvet Luxe in Tropical Lagoon, but that in itself is another whole blog post.  It might be some old laundry taps that you have, bathroom taps, or a piece of furniture, door handles or a vase that you want to do in this finish, whatever it is, we've now made it possible. Our Premium Artisan Retailers stock the full range of Artisan Metallics, pop in to have a chat with them, see the full range and explore more. If you want more info on these products I have listed them below for you. 

I always love a good before and after that stretches the imagination  and I hope this has helped to inspire,  thanks for reading and watching  

Dorophya x 

Premium Chalk Paint click here 

Metallic Cremes click here

Metallic Glazes click here 

Angled Fitch Brush click here 

Small Detail Brush click here