Artisan At Home

I love this transformation of our unused closet space into a "Dry Bar" this area is  now one of our most used spaces when we have visitors over; often where Darrell and I will be sneaking into at "Gin Time" on the weekends or where our daughter will be busy making her fruit smoothies or milkshakes with her friends.  We are all about transforming spaces into one that you will either A: use more B: want to be in more C: one that evokes a reaction, memory or those feel good vibes.  Having that ability to transform quickly and easily with little to no prep  makes that vision that you have, become do-able, nothing worst than having a really cool idea and then the thought of prepping it all makes you give up before you've even started. Using  Artisan Paints and products means that those materials, textures and finishes that you might have never even dreamed of purchasing and installing becomes possible through creating it via an artisanal paint finish... like, rather than buying and installing a stone bench, creating one in less than an hour with some pretty amazing paint on pretty much any surface becomes a very very viable option....   Picture Above: A look from the outside into our Dry Bar, framed off with Bruised Petal Matte Estate on the outside wall, rustic piece of furniture in Premium Chalk Paint and Waxes and that "wooden" beam you see in the corner... is an Artisan Paint finish of Tahr Premium Chalk Paint painted with texture, followed by dark wax and carbon black wax created straight over a gib finish...  Turning custom wood into a stone work bench, painting straight over previously painted walls, skirting, wood, metal, half plywood half concrete gluey floors and have it all dry quickly with no smell. All those different materials painted in one colour with the one Artisan paint and have it all come together as one luxurious finish is where Artisan Paints and Products comes into this project in a big way. It's the ability to work with what you have, coming up with and creating a brand new vision for a space without costing the earth... using premium quality paint that bridges the gap between form and function makes almost anything possible. Artisan Paint can be so much more than just furniture paint and this is what I hope this project shows in my blog entry today.  Before: All the metal brackets, walls, odd recycled skirting all colour blocked in Starling Velvet Luxe, a beautiful self levelling indoor / outdoor paint thats instant quick and easy to use.   Below: Work in Progress with Starling on, anyone else out there who likes to place a bit of decor or an item in place before they've even finished their project just so you know how it's all going to pull together at the end? :-)  So Let's rewind a little and let me the scene for you. The closet is situated near a guest room and a guest kitchen which is also close by to our second lounge area. The closet we were told,  is what the previous owners used to store their cleaning tools and gear... like a dedicated cleaning closet... ahem ...I have no where near enough "cleaning" items to covet a closet for cleaning and as my daughter use to tell her friends at the ripe age of 7 "my mum doesn't really clean, she just paints over it" - an almost true story. The closet was always destined to become a "dry bar" from the moment we laid our eyes on it during that first Open Home before we bought the place. It was what we imagined that space to be so it's been great to bring that vision to life through Artisan Paints. This was on the others side of the closet,  that's Darrell smashing through in this photo, don't worry I had a good go too, so exhilarating smashing walls!  That gap you are seeing is a "fridge gap" we are busting through from the closet to join that fridge gap in with the Dry Bar.  Our guest fridge does not fit in this gap, it has always sat to the side of it. So  another bit of wasted space ready to be utilised.  The space where the Fridge was suppose to be: Once we pulled the gib out we started to build some shelving on the sides. Now that this space is open it also connects the Dry Bar to the Guest Kitchen on the other side.  Above is where the closet was...  here, we've built a bench out of some recycled wood and custom wood, with some recycled skirting that we pulled and kept from our old shop. Shelving is very basic with some very plain steel brackets, all a bit rough and mis-matched. Please note we are not builders by any means,we just needed to create something to function as shelving and as a bench. We knew we could add the "form" part of it and make it more refined with some Artisan Paint magic :-)   This is the floor situation, we've ripped up the carpet, there's still glue on the floor that I was not keen to sand. I scraped and chiselled off any extra "blobby chunky" bits with plans to use the texture of the gluey bits to work in with the overall look... Darrell did raise his eyebrow at me at this, but Im pleased to say that the idea did pull through really well and that eye brow has now been dropped.  I saved myself some good time and labour on not having to remove every bit of glue off this floor, Im all about working with whats in front of you if you can....why make life harder than it needs to be... embrace some imperfections in your life. The idea was to use Starling Velvet Luxe to colour block out this Dry Bar and make it moody. This was used on everything from the ceiling, walls, shelving, over the metal brackets and floors. The bench however was going to be contrasted with Artisan Stone Effects in Rustic Rye with a Crisp White wash, effectively turning that not so attractive custom wood, home made bench into well... a Stone bench. We have warm lighting in here and Rustic Rye on it's own was going to be too "yellow" hence adjusting it with a Crisp White colour wash.  In Progress : Rustic Rye, applied with a spreading tool  followed with a crisp white colour wash.  COLOUR WASH: diluting Crisp White Premium Chalk Paint with water and brushing it over the Rustic Rye then ragging it around with a lint free rag, effectively lightening Rustic Rye to the level we want whilst adding some soft variation to the overall finish.  Stone Effects was applied with the Stone spreading tool, the texture kept nice and flat to function as a working bench.  super light sand of all the putty knowing that Stone Effects was going to overide it and any joints.  Above: 2 good coats of Stone Effects Rustic Rye, Crisp White wash finished with Artisan Matte Lacquer. Applied over the top of the Stone Effects finish. Soooo important when deciding to use Stone Effects on a bench or  table top, anything that requires regular cleaning.  Use the Artisan Lacquer over the top to make cleaning and wiping, possible and easy. Any liquids or stains falling in between the texture will just slip and glide allowing you to wipe up clean easily.   I have done this on a kitchen bench myself and can personally vouch for this. I would probably even top up and maintain the lacquer every 2-3 years depending on how rough you are with using the surface with scrubbing, cleaning it down. But if you do decide to do something similar, a generous at least 2-3 coats of Artisan Lacquer to make sure you cover every bit of that stone texture you've created in Artisan Stone Effects. The lacquers come in comes in Matte, Satin and Gloss so the choice is yours.   Artisan Stone Effects dries HARD, it's feels and looks like stone so when it comes to applying it on a working surface, I'm not worried about dings or scrapes or whether "it can take it" because it can take some pretty big knocks. If I dropped a glass on this, my glass will more likely smash and the Artisan Stone Effects will come away unscathed. But I think what's important is that you keep the texture flat with a spreading tool....rather than creating rustic texture when it comes to benches or table tops. It functions better this way in terms of up keep and cleaning.  I dislike cleaning, so anything that keeps it simples is great, but it's not to say you can't do rustic textures, the upkeep is just a bit more...but hey Tadaaa custom wood bench to stone bench. We purposely put an over hang edge to the bench knowing that once Stone Effects would go on, it would replicate a thick slab of stone. If you want to know the ins and outs of Artisan Stone Effects there is a Video online that runs you through it click here to access:  Dry Bar in natural day light. Starling adjusting beautifully to natural lightWhy we used Starling Velvet Luxe :Given that with this project we were going over custom wood, previously painted walls, raw wood, metal brackets etc the paint of choice was 1 x 4L of Artisan Velvet Luxe. Price wise it's economical vs the 1L and it meant we could paint straight over everything all the different materials without any prep other than a good clean. If I was just doing the walls I would definitely go with Matte Estate as the paint of choice but simply because we were going over so many different substrates... it was a job for Velvet Luxe, once you have your coverage your done (no need to wax or lacquer). The walls were done with a inch Staalmeester brush hand painted in the grooves first then rolled on with the Wooster roller as was the Ceiling and floors, the 1 inch to cut in around the edges and the Wooster roller to roll the larger areas. All shelving rolled on with Staalmeester mini roller making it super quick to apply,  super smooth and with a one hour dry time, we got the entire space painted in an afternoon.  Starling Dry bar at night in artificial light  Wait we cant forget the floors,  A mixture of Rough Plywood, Concrete and glue marks.... Painted straight over with Artisan Starling Velvet Luxe and Gloss lacquer for that extra shine and also for it to function as a floor. Again if you are looking to do floors, the Artisan lacquer as a top coat is a must. The glossiness highlights all the textures and imperfections... in a good way. You can see below some smoother areas and some rougher areas but it all looks like it was meant to be, and this kind of organic texture on the floors blocked out in a shiny dark green-black adds a really nice vibe and character to the floors which I love.... like really love. I also really love that I didn't have to sand off all the glue marks and make it perfect. Sometimes I think it's best to work in with what you have in front of you,  and often you will discover a rare unique beauty amongst it all. You'll be amazed at how much an Artisan Paint finish can pull things together.... Looking back in the other way, with all the shelving built into the "Fridge Gap"Below is the what it was   and this is standing in the Dry Bar looking out the other way into our guest kitchen downstairs. The Kitchen which is a work in progress at the time of this photo was in  Wild Tusk Velvet Luxe, we still need to finish the walls,  you can see the fridge on the right with some stone raised stencilling over it Video for stone stencilling click here  and the kitchen bench also has stone effects on it but was finished with gloss lacquer. - I will add another blog entry once that Kitchen area is finished.  So there you have it a wasted Closet Space now turned into a dry bar, different materials and items all pulled together with Artisan Starling Velvet Luxe, colour blocking like this is simple to achieve as there's no masking you are painting EVERYTHING out in the colour, it's dramatic, it allows you to take a space and define it as it's own area. But more importantly you get to inject and Artisan paint, colour or texture of your choice to create something a little bespoke and beautiful.  Hope this has inspired you to look at those smaller spaces in your home and think differently of what it potentially can be, whether it be a bathroom, toilet, walk in wardrobe or laundry... when you take out the preparation, and know you can paint in the comfort of your own home with little to no smell and that it dries in approx an hour... it all becomes do-able any time of the year..... -Dorophya x   

Going white is often something we try to avoid in our home, mainly because we are  "paint and colour people" and as we work to inspire people to reach out for colour to create their bespoke spaces and experience the beauty of living life among Artisan colours, we reflect that idea when doing paint projects in our own home because we personally love living among colour ourselves. We love the feeling of how injecting Artisan colour into a space can completely transform and change the look, mood and style of room; elevate and shift it to the other end of the spectrum... but.... here it is... it's a first for us.... painting a room in white!  To be fair though this is not your typical white walls, it's going white with a tremendous amount of character and probably requires a bit of bravery from most.  Super subtle organic textures that are soft and restful, it's going white in a way that creates a warmth, (warmth with white how ironic I know) it holds  a beautiful organic earthy feel to it whilst being super light and bright, yes this can be done...Textures on walls is not something you see often in NZ, it's not within our "comfort zone" but there has been a really strong movement among our customers in looking to create personal sanctuaries within the home and cultivating spaces that individually reflect them and their experiences through bespoke Artisanal finishes and we are so 100% here for that!!  With all the chaos thats happening around the world, the summer that never came in NZ this year, rising cost of living, floods, weather alerts and as I write this, a cyclone risk on the horizon...creating a home that gives you joy, re-energises you, where you can rest, recharge, and escape to has never been more important and any of these moods can be so quickly and easily... I would even dare to stay instantly created through the use of Artisan colours and textures.   So if you haven't heard about Artisan Stone Effects then you need to click back out and find out all about it first (watch the full run down video by clicking here). An Artisan paint product that can turn pretty much anything into an Artisan Stone finish.  It's been so great and so so rewarding to see people create Artisan Stone Effects on anything from empty wine bottles as vases, on pillars and letter boxes, outdoor pots, walls, table tops, furniture to bench tops, it fills our hearts with so much joy when we see these awesome projects being created and those boundaries pushed in NZ .Artisan Stone Effects comes in 4 crafted neutrals but any of these can be adjusted with either a colour wash (diluted Artisan paint)  of Velvet Luxe or Premium Chalk Paint over it, or can be painted out completely if you wish to in the Artisan colour & paint of choice. eg) after a dark blue stone effects finish? Choose a dark base like Crushed Graphite, create your stone texture and finish then paint over it in your chosen Artisan dark blue.   WHAT WE DID WITH OUR WALLS:  For our walls we chose Rustic Rye, an off white that was a bit  too dark for our space and wasn't right for the look we wanted to create, but the perfect depth for brushing an Artisan white over the top and allowing the Rustic Rye to shadow underneath. So with a combination of a flat 4 inch Staalmeester brush and 1 inch brush, (for cutting in) the Artisan Spreading tools, we applied Stone Effects directly onto the previously painted wall (no prep, other than a little dusting and wiping clean). Where you see smoother stone like patches, that has been created with the Artisan Spreading tool, where there is more of that rustic texture , that has been created with a brush.   A simple motion of brushing onto the walls then spreading part of it (not all) out with  the spreading tools and repeating this until you are done and happy with the textures.  The magic though really happens on the second coat. When doing a large surface don't worry too much about getting the texture perfect, have a little play with creating texture but get your coverage on  that is the aim on the first coat. The second coat is where you will create " purposeful" textures and over ride anything you don't like, areas where it's too rough spread it smooth with stone effects on the spreader, where it's too smooth brush a little more stone effects on in a cross hatched style or in a messy madd professor style to get your texture in that area.  On the second coat you are filling in any gaps you have missed and refining the textures. Whatever textures you create on this coat/layer is what you will see visually as an end result, so this is when you can have some fun swirling that brush and moving that spreading tool around to create your perfect balance of textures.  If you are going into it a little nervous, there's no need to be, the paint is really simple to use... do it on an old piece of plywood or a flat surface first so you get the idea,  after a little play on a board you'll know exactly which textures you like and how you will move your brush and or spreading tool with stone effects around on your wall. Doing a sample board will allow you to go into it with full confidence, know what to expect between the first and second coat, which textures you like and how you will move that Artisan Stone Effects around. Once dry and we had our balance of textures. We diluted Wild Tusk Premium Chalk Paint by about 15% and painted this right over the entire wall. We chose Premium Chalk Paint over Velvet Luxe in this instance because we love the raw "chalky" look it creates on walls, it adds to that organic look and feel, reminiscent of clay or lime washed walls. Wild Tusk Premium Chalk Paint was brushed on with our Staalmeester 3 inch brush in all directions, going in and along with all the texture, there's not too much thinking involved with this step, the textures all been created so all your looking to do is change the colour a bit. In some areas we brushed it out thin allowing the Rustic rye to shadow through, other areas thicker to completely cover and thats pretty much it, done.  Creating soft organic textured walls have never been easier and it relies on you being a bit imperfect in your approach. Stone Effects will achieve that authentic stone texture, it will look and feel like stone and you can adjust it in your perfect Artisan neutral or colour either by painting over it in Premium Chalk Paint for a true chalky matte look, in Velvet Luxe for a more refined matte look that's wipeable or if you have Matte Estate Wall Paint on hand then you can adjust it in that also. Our walls were in good condition before, but if you have an imperfect walls in your home, this could be a really great solution as it will over ride any existing imperfections...Wild Tusk is a beautiful warm off white, it adjusts beautifully to lighting with its hidden complex undertones.  Cozy and warm at night, light bright yet restful during the day. Wild Tusk pairs and balances well with warm wood tones, organic textiles, earthy tones, natural materials and lush greenery really pops against it.    This wall runs in the same line of sight as a wall painted in Bruised Petal (dusky pink)  and a dry bar painted in Starling (green-black), so injecting this  textured white onto these walls has completely transformed the space, it's complimented and lifted the other colours in that same line of sight, added the character with   elegance into the space. It has really set the tone for the entire space and we absolutely love it. Complex looking finishes on walls made easy!!....it's a textured wall but done in the most soft, subtle way even thought it's a white it holds a warm organic look it, that's  fresh, uplifting and instantly calms when you walk into the space.... I've taken a few photos at different times of the day to give you a better sense of Stone Effects with Wild Tusk and how it adjusts throughout the day so do scroll back up and down to see the subtle nuances in the photos. I always feel it's so hard to describe and my words never do it justice when trying to describe that feeling of having Artisan paints, colours/ textures on the walls. I hope this entry has inspired you to start thinking about how to cultivate and create your bespoke sanctuary at home through Artisan colours or textures you love. Maybe it might  just edge you a little bit closer to doing something a little different in your home.  - Dorophya ------------------Shopping List with Links: Stone Effects 4L Wild Tusk Premium Chalk Paint 1L Stone Effects Spreading Tools Staalmeester 3, 4 and 1 inch flat brush or bookmark this page and pop in to see a local Premium Artisan Retailer who will be able to put your paints and products together for you along with some guidance.

This was a find we could not walk past, the iconic Peacock Chair found at the local hospice shop for $10. There's something about these chairs that's always made me want one, it's relaxed and exaggerated, detailed but yet simple at the same time  a perfect juxtaposition that can work in with many interior styling and even more so if you customise one to suit your space. Think vintage with a colour like Liberty, or a soft pink like Grassmere,  Coastal Style in a mid blue like Toulouse, Hamptons style in either Carbon Black or a Dark Blue in Obsidian blue , Country Style in Olea (olive) or a vintage green like Greenhouse, Boho with the bright and bolds like Wendy's Pink, Bright Buttercup,  Azure Kingfisher, Tropical Lagoon,  Contemporary in a grey like Clubhouse Grey, Stormy Creek  or in slick Carbon black, there are endless ways to define and re-interpret the iconic Peacock chair to suit  and it's an easy one to slot into your interiors as a feature.   With Age comes Imperfections When I saw this chair I saw it with  Artisan Paints and Products , I didn't see the imperfections but more for what it could be. I think this is the beauty of discovery and understanding Artisan Paints and decorative painting, it makes you see things differently.... forever.  For this particular one we are planning on a bit of boho tropical vibe with a touch of luxe.  Peacock chairs can be pretty hard to find; in particular one thats in perfect condition. If you do find one, it's quite likely that it's in a similar condition to the one we found here, bits of cane and rattan undone moved and unravelled,  its having a major bad hair day and nobody's loving it,  with things sticking and poking out all over the show. Often put into the too hard basket and either donated or passed onto a second hand shop. But I've always loved these chairs and think they're worth doing up and in this blog I'll show you how to creatively pull all that loose unravelled bits together with an item that is often found in any household arts and craft box/supplies. Apart from that though it's structurally sound, no major parts in the actual structure is broken just all the decorative bits that have  more or less unravelled over time but that's no major as you will see later on... Colour and Paint of Choice and Why Colour of choice, how ironic... I've chosen Artisan Peacock for a Peacock chair lol. Paint of choice is 100% Artisan Velvet Luxe, there's no way I will even attempt to paint and wax this, excess wax will get stuck in between all that cane work and will turn south pretty quickly . Velvet Luxe means I can go straight over this  and once I've gained my coverage Im done (no waxing required) . We need this be as easy as possible.  Take a look at the cane work, all of those open weaves, something like this would make me shudder at the thought of painting it once upon a time.  Thought process -Stop to review your piece before you decide what to do with it:Im a firm believer in working in with what's in front of you rather than against it. A makeover should be creative, fun and quick, not arduous and never ending. First thoughts are what's a style of painting  that will make this quick but be in keeping and suit the style of the chair and what Im looking to achieve? Im in the middle of winter and as I write this;  this weeks forecast is loads of rain and even a storm,  so spraying it is not an option, spraying also means a lot of over spray and a lot of paint gets wasted;  you need a good open space to do it in and before you ask, yes you can spray Velvet Luxe  with a good quality sprayer that will push a thicker paint through and if you are looking for a full coverage type look then it might be the option you go for. However I'm doing this inside in my studio and probably parts of it in my lounge by the fire;  Im a big fan of hand painting where you can, spraying does kind of go against everything I've done in my painting career of hand painted finishes and I know I can get this done in a couple of hours by hand with the right brushes tick it off my list and have it  look amazing for my home.  Here's the Painting Plan. Im going to do full coverage on the main frame of the chair , this will work as a solid block of colour to frame the woven back and seat . When it comes to the back and seat,  I'm going to do  a light coat of Velvet Luxe on the seat and backing allowing parts of the original rattan to come through in places, possibly even wet distress it.  I'll only aim to get about 80-90 % coverage in these areas  allowing some of the original rattan to come through, so areas of it will almost look like its been washed in colour. A fitting concept for the peacock chair and more importantly it also means I can power through it with my brushes, be done in an hour or so  without needing to be too particular. Hand Paint it with a brush you question, read on I have captured some videos for you below.   The ToolsThe right tools for this is a must and is non negotiable in my opinion... it's going to be the difference of packing it all in or enjoying the ease and instant gratification as you go along. There are two key brushes you will need  1: Staalmeester Pointed Tip series 2022  size 12 : (95% of the chair will be painted in this), Super soft flexible bristle that is easy and gentle  on the rattan and weaves allowing you to sweep over it quickly and easily. TIP take the pressure of your brush completely while painting fine areas to utilise the absolute tip of the brush which will get into some pretty fine areas for you, press down slightly and put pressure down to cover wider areas. It's all in the pressure you put on the brush as you paint. The Bristles will flow Velvet Luxe back and forth across, in and out of the weaves for you. The Staalmeester Brush together with Velvet Luxe work seamlessly together and will respond exactly to the motion of your hand and work well on open weaves for you.   2: Staalmeester  Series 1090  : Detail Brush for any teeny weeny areas that might need to be touched up at the end ; and it touches up flawlessly given the special ONE mix  bristles  Take a look at the Pointed tip in action on the seat below:   Here you're relying on two things, 1. the pointed tip brush to do most of the work for you with you guiding it through placing different pressures to get into different areas, 2.  Velvet Luxe and its self levelling qualities to self level as it dries giving you a nice,  flat and smooth finish for you. In order to get into the different areas you need to work your brush in circular motions to get in everywhere then take the pressure off your brush and brush out in a linear motion following the lines of the chair.  Always load a small amount of paint onto your brush, just wet the tips of it in paint, so that you can brush just a light coat over it.  Chair FrameThis is easy there's not much explaining to do; its large enough that the pointed tip will just breeze through, see Video below. For this area we will be doing 2 coats for a solid block colour to frame the seat and backing. But keep each coat thin meaning little paint on your brush, build up the coverage slowly  The  Open WeavesTrickiest part but all you do is load a small amount of paint on your pointed tip brush choose one section to start with; sweep your brush over that part working in both circular and then linear motion, then IMPORTANT work on the back of that section straight away, there will be some excess paint there waiting for you, so  use your brush to spread this over the back, so your going to paint a section in the front and then head over to paint the opposing section on the  back, section by section, front back, front back until you finish, see video below      Let's take a quick look at where it's at, this is two coats around the frame, the paint is still wet when these were taken, so hasn't quite done self levelling part yet.  I've done one coat and a bit on the open weaves. This "bit coat" means I did one coat and once dry I brushed over in just some areas I felt needed a little more, I've stopped here for now, as Im going to move onto repairing and binding up the loose cane then I'll come back and touch up and fill in any areas if needed, This first part is just about quickly getting a coat of paint on a majority of the weaves,  as once some of those weaves are binded back up it may expose some areas that might need a little touch up.  You can see that the frame around the chair  is in a solid block colour of Peacock while the open weave does not have full coverage and you can see bits of the original rattan coming through, but it looks great like this and Im not too bothered by it as a plan to break this up with a touch of metallics later,  if want to expose more of the rattan you can also wet distress, use a slightly damp rag and wipe some of the paint off while it's wet, which I did do in some areas but forgot to photograph  So now it's time to repair some of those weaves then we can come back to some more painting where needed..Binding up the unravelled areas: By painting it all in one colour the chair visually all becomes one, where a different material was originally used to bind it... well you can't see it any more because it's been painted, so Im introducing a new material in to hold it all together and at the same time  work as a detail .... most of us will have this lying around in our craft boxes and if not, you can pick one up at an emporium for a couple of dollars, it becomes quite a beautiful feature so choose a colour that works in with the look your looking to achieve.... drum roll....Im using a roll of satin ribbon,  adds a bit of sheen and glam to the overall look and makes it a little different. If there are any areas that need a bit sticking down, use a couple of drops of super glue to press it down then once dry cover and bind with your Satin Ribbon, once it's all done I will go back and clip any strays off with some nail clippers.   So now Im going to work on binding any loose areas together and re positioning some of the open weaves, then take another look and see any final areas I might want to touch up in paint and use my magic staalmeester detail brush to do so. If you don't like the contrast of the ribbon and want it all in the same colour, you can also bind it all up first then paint it all together. The Satin ribbon will  paint up effortlessly in Velvet Luxe.  .... the binding and weaving took way longer than the painting, Im no expert weaver/binder, very basic skills when it comes to that department, but it was pretty easy... just time consuming, tip thread your satin ribbon through one of those large needles and then use that to get in between, I stopped to do this about half way and it made it so much faster. Any loose bits I held down with a drop of super glue, once the ribbon was tightened and cut I glued and sealed the frayed ends with a light coating of super glue, a hot glue gun would have also worked well in my opinion. Then with any fine bits sticking out that wasn't held down with glue or bound up with ribbon was clipped off with a pair of nail clippers.  as the binding was done, I went back with my small detail brush and just touched up either any areas I missed that I wanted covered or newly exposed from binding/ weaving and tightening the rattan with my Staalmeeser detail brush. Keeping in mind that it didn't all need to be covered as I was going to add a touch of gold to visually break it all up anyhow... the detail brush allows for seamless touch ups given that it has the special "The One" bristles allowing for flawless little touch ups on those fine little details  notice that shimmer of gold? that was done simply by putting a bit of Vienna gold metallic glide on finger and gliding over the areas I wanted to detail in this champagne gold, so super simple and there is a video online that covers metallic glides for you on this link click here  so on this one gold was added to the backing and the seat and just the bottom ring at the base. It visually breaks it up, adds a touch of luxe to it, whilst working in harmoniously with my 80/90% coverage of this area.  For the seat I went back and used the pointed tip brush loaded the tip of my brush with metallic glide and brushed and faded it out starting from the centre working my way out. After your done give it a light buff with rag to smooth and polish it all out... and here is the chair more or less done, put to the side in the early evening, waiting to be photographed properly on another day, with the metallics glistening away...  Peacock is a big fav of mine this week, watching it adjust during the day and night it looks beautiful in all lighting and even though I've used the colour as it is in Velvet Luxe, Im pretty inspired to use in in Premium Chalk Paint in different ageing techniques too.  It's a great lively colour with a beautiful depth to it, it can throw off a slight blue hue and in the evening deepens to an emerald like green. I thought it would be quite bold and loud in my home but in fact it's  very easy to place inside and I have every intention of placing it downstairs some in the room where the walls are painted  Bruised Petal Matte Estate... so I will photograph it there for you to see with full midday light hitting the colours side on so you can get full scope of this gorgeous colour!  She's still imperfect but that plays a part in the beauty and authenticity of the chair. She still has that hand made and hand done quality to her.  We love the presence she has now  in Artisan colour, full of life with those little touches of individuality that now makes her a bespoke piece for our home. For a $10.00 pick up (the guy also threw in a wine rack for free because he felt so bad about the condition of the chair) a concept for it that was forgiving and made the job fast,  it was well worth the effort to bring this iconic peacock chair back to be enjoyed in our home for many more years to come as a chair and as  decorative piece in our home.        

You've reached this page because you want to find out more about stone stencilling.... Artisan stone effects is a brilliant artisanal paint proudly made in NZ for all types of stone effects from walls, decor to furniture for both indoor and outdoor projects see  Video Guide. But It also has the ability for you to create beautiful stone stencilling on pretty much any surface, we're getting super creative with it;  take  a quick look the video below where I decided to do some Artisan Stone Stencilling as artwork for the home and then scroll down for more inspiration on different ways to use this, pics, photos and details. Now that you've watched the video of me turning a plain piece of custom wood into a piece of artwork for my home. Let's just take a moment to mull over what this could really mean.... Have a plain pot? add a stone stencil over it before you paint it, or do it in stone then layer a stencil over it as as well As shown in the video,  create some lovely artwork using this technique on a plain piece of wood for your home in the colours of your home, we all know finding Artwork in the colours that you are after is often like finding a needle in a haystack. Add some 3M Velcro to the back of it and hang it proudly  Have a plain piece of furniture and wanting to add a wow effect, stone stencil  the entire piece or just on the draw fronts  Doing a stone effect wall and want to add add some carved stone detailing to it? stone stencil it as well  Cant find a moulding to suit the size or shape of something?  do some stone stencilling When you know it adheres to pretty much any surface, and once you start thinking about it there are endless ways to incorporate this into your Artisan paint projects to add that special bespoke touch. What I love about a stone stencil is that you don't neccesarily have to be perfect with it and in fact the beauty lies in the imperfections. Use your Artisan Stone Effects spreader to do the job it has a lovely flex to it and makes it easy to flex and push it through a stencil keeping it simple. If you find a stencil you love, use it and repeat it or one of my favourite things I love doing is using a few details from different stencils, overlaying it to create my own unique design keeping it bespoke as shown in the video. Which ever way you go about it, the best way to describe this technique is that it's instantly gratifying, exciting and loads of fun as you go through the process. Create a feature piece with Stone Stencilling:   Before: A wardrobe which was nice but quite blocky, we wanted to add a bit of wow factor to it and with it having lots of flat surfaces it was the ideal candidate for a bit of textured stencilling to turn it into a feature. Tip: When doing an Artisan Stone stencil on something like this;  always stencil working with gravity. With the wardrobe we sat it on its back to stencil the entire front and then sat it on its side to stencil one side, flipped it over to the other side. Make life easy and work with gravity :-)   Some textured stencilling on this wardrobe had tremendous impact on what otherwise was a pretty plain piece,  transformed into a beautiful feature piece, soft and whimsical, light and neutral. To re-create this look stencil in Artisan Rustic Rye Stone Effects then paint in Urban Loft Premium Chalk paint followed by a wash of Crisp White and detail in your metallics of choice.  Work it over flaws and imperfectionsStone stencilling is also a great way to work with any defects or imperfections with older furniture pieces like the top of these drawers, what would have originally been a leather insert that was no longer there, it  left behind just a blank inset panel.  Textured Stencilling with metallics can give you a bit of pressed metal look and with this project we have turned what was a massive flaw,  into the main detail and feature of the piece. Turning lemons into lemonade :-)  To Recreate this look, stencil in Artisan Stone Effects, paint in Premium Chalk Paint and finish with Artisan Copper Creme. If you like the aged look add a carbon black or dark wax to add some aged patina to it.  Artisan Stone Effects with Metallics the perfect pairing The texture created through stencilling in Artisan Stone effects pairs really well with Artisan Metallics and it's something we really enjoy doing, the texture allows  the light to bounce off it adding further depth to the metallics  Before: A Coffee table with simple lines but beautifully made with all glass sides that required a special finish to suit the sentimental value it had.  So we used Artisan Stone Effects on this to stencil the bottom tray and Artisan Metallic Cremes and Glazes over the top it . Turning that plain flat base into an absolute feature Sometimes a bit of stone stencilling might be the solution when you can't find something to detail a plain panel or area with, where you can't find something with the right proportion,  a great way to add detailing to a panel, an outdoor pot,  a small hall table     I hope this has helped to inspire and stretch the imagination even further when it comes to the many many ways to use Artisan Stone Effects. For me I am feeling inspired to do stencilled stone feature wall in one of our guest bedrooms, definitely on the list to do, and when I do.. you know I'll be sharing it :-)    -Dorophya x   

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: TapsEG) 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 hereMetallic Glazes click here Angled Fitch Brush click here Small Detail Brush click here 

(step by step video included at the bottom of this post )  Ahhh Photo frames...often forgotten and seen as insignificant when compared to painted furniture but such great candidates for an Artisan paint finish and the impact can be just as big in a home setting. Just over a year ago not long after we moved into our new home I painted my old  sideboard in Country Mustard (a piece that use to get painted every xmas/ new years at our old place, those who have followed us for a while, you will know what I am referring to :-)  I recorded myself when I painted this and there is a video of this online for those who are interested : Click Here for Sideboard Video I still love my sideboard so for now it stays untouched :-)  Photo frames before, sitting harshly against the wall and setting, appearing quite blocky.  I unpacked my "photo frames box" and hung those black frames over the sideboard almost immediately after painting,  you know how you do, when you finish a piece and you just want to dress it with what you have.  They sat quite harshly against the wall and with the sideboard and the whole setting.  I had every intention of replacing them, but a year later they were still there. In this time I've actually realised just how limited we are here in NZ  when it comes to variety in photo frames. You have your black, white, and bleached wooden frames which seams to be very On-trend at the moment and I've also come to realise that any remotely nice frames are pretty expensive! before and after, those hidden bevels brought out with Artisan metallics, that smooth manufactured finish given some subtle textures with depth. What use to look be quite blocky has been softened and broken up through this Artisan Paint finish.   I should have known better, but a year later I've finally decided and  gotten around to painting my frames after not being able to find anything. Painting your photo frames in Artisan Paints gives you a chance to create something exactly the way you imagined; it gives you the freedom to go bright go bold , go soft, go rustic, go moody, go contemporary, go "the right neutral" being able to paint straight over the surface with no prep means you can very quickly and easily transform your frames to go anything you want. Not limited to just photo frames it can also be the frame around your favourite print or artwork, or mirror. Draw a subtle colour out of the subject or from its surrounding environment  and pull it onto your frame to create something bespoke and cohesive.  Although "just" photo frames, painting and transforming these in Artisan paints have helped to soften and transform this corner of my home making them work  cohesively with the sideboard, decor and the over all setting. Enhancing and complementing each other. I love them and they even make the photos look better in the new Artisan Paint finish. Given it only took an hour and a half (max) to do all six frames I have no idea why I waited so long. I suppose when you're busy, sometimes you think it's too much hassle for what its worth. These were old cheap frames from the warehouse, but let me tell you, finally painting them in Artisan paints was so definitely worth it for so many reasons.  I've recorded the process for you in what I did with my frames, the same technique can be done in any of the 67 Artisan colours to suit and if you prefer the smooth contemporary finish half way through the video, even easier with Artisan Velvet Luxe... watch video below. So what are some things I have taken from doing this little project at home?  1: It's not just about painting old frames but a chance to re-interpret them to suit your home, the freedom to create something unique very quickly with no fuss2: Unique nice frames suited to your home are hard to find and there is not a lot out there and we don't have to settle for the norm. 3. It IS worth the hassle, because it really isn't a hassle because as you will see in the video, it's pretty instant and takes very little time to transform frames and  the results can make you absolutely treasure them afterwards. I have a frame sitting around a piece of artwork with hints of purple in the art and I intend on doing this same technique in Artisan Purple Sash or Maybe Crushed Lavender and when I do I'll add the photo at the bottom of this blog post. I hope this helps to inspire and make you take a second look at those old or new frames at home that have never sat quite right.....and know that it's super easy to make them unique and that even small changes on things like photo frames can have a wonderful impact in your home setting.  -Dorophya x