Exciting Announcement: The best is yet to come...

 2020 has been the most unpredictable and eventful year for us and the year is not over yet. So far it’s been full of surprises, changes, gratitude and adjustments for everyone around the world including us.  This announcement we are making today is hands down one of the biggest and most exciting for all of us yet….

When we made the decision to move out of retail and into more of an online space tofocus on manufacturing and supporting our retailers as the NZ distributor for UK’s luxury paint brand Vintro we were really excited to jump into that role. It was without a doubt a huge change that we were all up for; and we were and still are pleased to have made that move. We didn’t realise then that the biggest change was yet to come…. if you told us last Christmas that we would all have periods of being restricted at home, that we would have to queue at the supermarket to do grocery shopping and leave the house wearing face masks, we would have stared blankly at you and thought you most certainly you have been enjoying your day with a few too many glasses of the good stuff.


This year is a year of change and adjustments for all of us and it’s something we’ve all had to learn to do to some capacity, and it has certainly been no different for us. For just over two years now we have been proudly making Vintro Paints, designed in the UK and made in NZ. With pigments and supplies being shipped and brought over from the UK, then prepared and manufactured here in our bespoke facility, it has been a great  joy of ours creating a line of access to a paint system that we think is pretty remarkable.

Through our experience in decorative painting and in our search and quest for the perfect paint, we fell in love with the coverage of Vintro and introduced it here in NZ. Manipulating and working with the paints in our studio in real time on real projects and then breaking it down and sharing the knowledge on all the things it’s capable of, creating inspiration on all the creative ways you can use it in your interiors. It’s been a privilege and a great learning curve in all the things we love and don’t love about paint, it’s capabilities, it’s restrictions, every experience is another notch we have added to our belt in decorative paints and painting which has led us to where we are today.

The world as we know it is a completely different place now with all global freight and logistics in a pretty dire way due to Covid. Some of you may have experienced delays, pre-orders, back orders and although the team here work incredibly hard to get everything out and on time and you have all been amazing in your understanding and patience in this. The massive changes in the world have really limited our ability to service our customers the way we would like to or have been known too.

As a team here we love what we do and it’s hard not to be positive when you work in a creative space, however when things outside of your control force changes then just like a creative project you need to adapt quickly and resolve any problems. In our opinion the glass can of course always be "half full" and not empty. Through our business we have always welcomed change, adaption and in return growth, and this big change ahead is no different….

So while we have been a little MIA on social media, the reality is we have actually never been busier in the background. As of mid- end October 2020 The Artisan Company will be releasing it’s own full range of premium artisanal paints and products designed by us here in NZ and manufactured by our team in our bespoke facilities within Auckland. We have pulled together and consulted with leading experts in the industry from designers, chemists, technicians, artisans, our retailers and labs in order for us to create NZ’s first genuine range of Artisanal paints and products, including our range of Premium Chalk Paints. There has been no stone left unturned in this process with every detail scrutinised and tested.

We have chosen to use only the highest performing and best suited raw materials to create and engineer our paints from the ground up to be exactly the way we want them to be. We asked ourselves; in all the years we have been doing decorative painting and training… what would be the ultimate paint? what would be our customers wish list and what makes a paint not just good but amazing in our field. What have been the pros and cons? This whole process has been a coming together of creative ideals and people, artistic, technical and scientific brains with a focus on making the best Artisanal paints.

Our range of Artisanal paints are derived from our experience in decorative painting having completed paint effects in both residential and commercial spaces, with the largest hand painted furniture portfolios in NZ. We have reviewed all the different paint effects over the years and thought how to simplify this even further for our customers through our Artisanal Paints. We have also learnt a lot from being in retail and knowing all the questions customers ask and wish for, the things they have liked and have not liked in paints and also pulled from our experience in training with observing thousands of workshop attendees over the years, it’s from all of these viewpoints that have helped to create The Artisan Company’s Artisanal paints. 

Going forward everything will be sourced within NZ from NZ businesses whenever possible. From our quality tins with brass gold rims and white lids through to working with NZ designers to refine our ideas, print and label companies to create beautiful packaging to represent The Artisan Company, showcasing a NZ proud creative company who supports an amazing network of independent creative retailers.

With colour it has been all about bringing our vision to life with our multi-pigmented palette of 67 core colours. Each one has been crafted and carefully formulated with quality pigments, scrutinised, tested and adjusted to become a part of our Artisanal palette. From sophisticated neutrals, soft earthy colours to a beautiful range of blues and greens right through to the bold and beautiful. An colour palette to reflect NZ interiors, styles & homes. This is a very personal project where we have not compromised on anything and where we aim to put NZ on the map not as just having access to, but in producing and manufacturing a world class decorative paint system for interior & exterior spaces…. this is what has kept us incredibly excited & busy in the background.

We have spoken with Vintro HQ and as much as we have loved representing this paint brand as a NZ distributor we have both acknowledged that this is no longer sustainable in these current economic and logistically challenging times with Covid. Their response to our decision shows the great character and integrity of this paint brand as they wish us well on our journey and we will always hold Vintro Luxury Paints close to our hearts as our favourite UK Paint brand and will most definitely take them up on the open invitation to visit their facilities sometime in the future in England. Vintro paints will still be available through us and our retailers for a little while yet, even after The Artisan Company Paints have launched, however if you are looking to finish a large project or need a colour to match anything, or need your Vintro fix.. now is the time to get on to it and visit your retailer to secure your Vintro .

Over the coming weeks we will be giving you more of an insight and want to share with you our journey on what we are creating and what’s to come, bringing you along on our progress and all the beautiful details of each paint range. This is an exciting journey where we feel it’s important to take our customers and followers along for the ride as we head into “launch date”. 

The Artisan Company range of Artisanal Paints and Products are due to be launched mid - end October 2020 with 67 core colours. We are so excited to share with you all the incredible work gone into creating the ultimate in decorative paints and showing you all the new capabilities in decorative painting. We look forward to creating and sharing even more inspiration with you.  Thank you for your continued support and for joining us through our changes, adjustments, journey and evolution. We are so excited to bring to you  our very own first range  of Premium Artisanal Paints and Products. 

Follow us on Facebook and instagram to follow the journey…..

Dorophya, Darrell, & Nicole 


1 comment


  • Dianne Guthrie

    I have enjoyed using your chalk paint to bring new life in to a sideboard I grew up with and my mother just loved. On her passing last year, I decided not to let it go, but rework the Mahogany Queen Anne side board with French Navy, Black wax and gold gilding wax. Every time I come down my stairs, I’m greeted by her sideboard, and reminded of my Mother and how short life is. I give her thanks for all the years she gave of herself to my sisters and I and hope she likes the new look.


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