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For quite some time I had wanted to change our dining room chandelier, but lights are expensive, and I was busy, so it just hadn't happened. It really was not one of my favourite things in our home. Enter the start up of Upcycled & Co., my furniture paint and furniture painting workshop business in 2016. About this time, everything started to get painted; and I mean everything! It was after I launched Upcycled & Co. Furniture Paint in April 2017 that I took things up a notch, with even more painting projects getting underway. With my paint being an indoor and outdoor paint, and one that easily paints onto pretty much any surface, I now had the answer for our ugly chandelier. I would paint in it Upcycled & Co. Furniture Paint in Jet, our gorgeous black. Okay, so here's what I did step-by-step: 1. Clean well with a degreaser (prepsol or other) to remove all dirt and grime. 2. Apply one very sparse coat using the tiniest amount of paint and spreading it all over. You should still be able to see through this coat easily, and if you have the right amount of paint, it will dry as you are doing it. This gives the next coat something to stick to. 3. Apply your second coat (and third if necessary) as normal. Depending on what colour paint you are using, and what colour you are painting onto, will determine how many coats you need. For example - if you're painting white onto a dark surface you will need more coats, as with any paint. 4. Leave to dry and fully cure for 7 days (10 days in the winter months). You can also make a drying room in a spare room with a heater going to help with curing. 5. If you'd like extra shine (Upcycled & Co. Furniture Paint is a low sheen finish) or if you'd like added protection, you can add a clear coat. For this I used British Paints Spray Easy Satin Finish which is available at Bunnings. This was such a quick and easy project that only took a couple of hours. Using a texture finish (see picture bottom left above) made it easier to get in and around all of the small pieces that meet at the top of the chandelier.
With Upcycled & Co. Furniture Paint you can paint just about anything! This holiday season I'm having loads of fun upcycling a few bits and pieces around our home... and in my wardrobe. My cropped leg jeans were the latest. These have now been washed and dried without any problem at all. An incredibly QUICK, EASY + AFFORDABLE project, this took just 10 minutes, if that! Here's what I did: 1. Lay jeans out flat on a table ensuring all creases are out (you could iron if necessary). 2. Use 1 teaspoon of Upcycled & Co. Furniture Paint in a small painting tray. 3. Position your stencil. 4. Secure the stencil with masking tape or wide packing tape. 5. Paint over your stencil with a small foam roller. 6. Dry with a hairdryer. 7. Complete all stencil areas using the same technique. 8. Put the clothing in the drier for 15 minutes to help cure the paint. 9. Wash and dry as normal. Okay, so now it's your turn. What items do you have in your wardrobe you could do this to? Have fun creating! Kathryn x If you're like me, you like quick results. With a textured finish, you get just that, and it's very easy too. This gorgeous finish can be applied just as this one is, with one colour of Upcycled & Co. Furniture Paint only or you can add a wash of another colour, a dry brush effect or more textured random colours for a layered effect. I love nothing more than experimenting, and that's exactly what I've done with this piece. Check out the video and let me know what you think. If you'd love more ideas and inspiration, head on over and join my FREE Facebook Group! Watch this space because I get the feeling it's not finished yet... Kathryn x Ooh I'm loving this new angle I'm taking with my blog because I get to visit these inspiring spaces all the time... and I like that! Last week I visited Ooplah for the second time, and was just as inspired as the first. This cute store is packed with French vintage finds, from outdoor furniture to wine bottles, tins, leather suitcases and more. After spending four years in the countryside of Poitou-Charentes in France, the owners of Ooplah, Bridget and Shane Laugesen, returned to New Zealand with a large collection of French vintage finds. Before their return, their weekends were spent visiting markets to gather mid-century French fabrics, old cinema seats, beautiful chairs, tables, road signs and more. Every piece has been hand selected, packaged up and shipped from France to New Zealand to end up at Ooplah. Take a look at the Ooplah Facebook page for even more inspiration. And, even better, visit Ooplah when you're in the Bay of Plenty. Outdoor furniture Old tins and beautiful leather suitcases Genuine French road signs Vintage cinema seats Cream cans and milk crates Vintage pedal car from the early 1900s If you're in the Bay of Plenty, Ooplah is definitely a place to call into.
With new vintage finds, and the large amount of items they're rotating all the time, you'll find something new and interesting each time you visit. This is one inspiring space! An inspiring creative, Fiona attended all three of my workshops, and gave me a lovely Facebook review. She has been going great-guns with her projects ever since. This piece was one she created for her son as a housewarming gift. Isn't it beautiful? Using Upcycled & Co. Furniture Paint in Ash, Fiona applied two coats to the entire piece, then used a stencil to create a unique piece for her son. With my paint there is no need for any preparation whatsoever. NO SANDING. NO PRIMING. NO WAXING. NO VARNISHING. Remember, Upcycled & Co. Furniture Paint is an indoor and outdoor paint too! From drab to fab using Upcycled & Co. Furniture Paint in Ash. This gorgeous stencil made this piece unique. You too can learn furniture painting techniques at my workshops, either face-to-face or online. Then, create your own unique pieces for your own home, or for family and friends.
Find out more about Upcycled & Co. Furniture Paint and download a Colour Chart today and get started! I LOVE visiting inspiring spaces! Whether it's a cafe, garden centre, art gallery or exhibition or some sort, places where I can see the work of other creatives inspires me and lights me up. Last week, my husband (who also works from home) and I took the day off on Friday to explore some of our local spaces. By far, my favourite was the Flatwhite Cafe in Waihi Beach. We'd eaten there a few times, but back then it was a much smaller space. But nonetheless, the food and service was outstanding. This time, we again had fantastic food and outstanding service, but also a wonderful surprise seeing their amazing new space. Now, they're right on the waterfront of Waihi Beach with exquisite views of the coast, and the space, OMG the space is AMAZING! With huge rustic beams (from a demolished North Island dairy factory), gorgeous cane light shades and plenty of painted rustic finishes, this was my dream space. I loved being in the space. As soon as I walked in I got my camera out, and of course I had to speak with the staff to find out about the decor. It's so well done! Check out the shots I managed to get... And, take a trip there some day, you will not be disappointed. Flatwhite Cafe, Waihi Beach, thank you for an awesome experience - it sure is one of a kind!
We will be back for sure, again, and again, and again... I love getting out and about to look at home decor stores, and quirky little creative cafes and spaces. This is something I want to do more this year, so I'm about to set myself a mission to scout out as many of these little spaces as I can. A couple of months ago we had a day out in Waihi Beach, which is just 40 minutes from our home. The Secret Garden is a quaint little cafe with gorgeous gifts that are truly inspiring. THE SECRET GARDEN CAFE, WAIHI BEACH, NZ
Something I love to do is gather ideas for future projects. So, this afternoon was one of those afternoons where I sat down with my pile of magazines, my scissors and my four scrapbooks - Kitchens & Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Lounge & Living Room, and Exterior & Outdoors. With a cup of tea, a couple of cookies and our cat Cleo beside me for company (totally her choice of course, she is a cat after all) I set about cutting and pasting my favourite images from old house and garden magazines I seem to have always collected. A couple of years ago a friend from the UK gave me an enormous pile of House Beautiful magazines so those came out today too. GATHERING HOME DECOR PROJECT IDEAS IS BOTH INSPIRATIONAL AND FUN! This is something I find very relaxing, and inspiring too. MAKE AN AFTERNOON OF IT If you like the idea of gathering home decor project ideas, get yourself some scrap books and start your collection. Kathryn x |
AuthorHi I'm Kathryn,
You're going to love how QUICK, EASY + AFFORDABLE it is to transform your furniture. With Upcycled & Co. Furniture Paint, a 3-in-1 that primes, paints and seals (it's not chalk paint) you won't need to sand, prime, wax or seal - just paint and you're done. I'm super-passionate about sharing what I know about furniture painting to make it easy for you. If you'd love to start a creative business I can help with that too, simply click here. Enjoy! |