OK – it’s time to spill the beans. My home is about to undergo a radical transformation!
For the last couple of days, when I haven’t been at my Mac or out interviewing, I’ve been glancing around the house, furtively eyeing up ‘likely suspect’ pieces of furniture with a view to giving them a whole new look.
Yep, I’ll admit it…after just four hours on a wonderfully inspiring Introduction to Painting Furniture course, I am a changed woman and can’t wait to buy my paint and wax to join the Annie Sloan revolution.
The course, at Caroline Ivory’s fabulous home accessories shop Ivory & Pitch in Westbourne, Hampshire, wasn’t just very professionally run, informative and totally inspiring but also really great fun – the other six ladies and I had such a laugh.
Finally, after interviewing Annie Sloan eons ago while working in Oxford, I had a chance to try out her much-lauded range of chalky paints and was chuffed to bits with both my progress and the results.
Caroline’s enthusiasm for Annie’s paints is contagious and definitely enthused the group. Right from the start, there really was no holding this chatty bunch of have-a-go ladies back. Within a very short space of time, we went from tentatively dabbing with the thick paint and spreading it cautiously onto our sample piece of wood, to confidently brushing away merrily, while supportively admiring each other’s efforts.
Buoyed up by a delicious lunch (including a rather marvellous slice of homemade Dutch Apple Cake!), we couldn’t wait to get stuck in again and practise our new-found skills, even tackling a bit of waxing and sandpapering.
By the end of the session, everyone was itching to sign up for the Annie Sloan Advanced Technique course and there was talk of painting beams, floorboards, tables, chairs – basically anything that didn’t move. Husbands, partners and other family members beware – I reckon you shouldn’t stay too still this weekend or you just may find yourself daubed with a dollop of Annie Sloan Greek Blue, Emperor’s Silk or Scandinavian Pink!
