From the many pieces of furniture I have painted, this is my all-time favourite. Living half way between coast and countryside, I feel inspired by the natural world and drawn to bygone eras. This lovely little chest of drawers drew me in to hand paint a rural idyll...
I was so excited when Bex and Rachel of The White Robin asked me to host a hands-on demo and workshop at the Angel and Royal Hotel in Grantham. Also in my home county of Lincolnshire, it's a very rare opportunity for me to teach on home soil and meet other...
When I first started doing my faux marble technique, I had no idea how popular it would be or how many furniture painters around the world would sign up to take the class and share their amazing results. Right now that class is available as a free online marbling...
I can't tell you how delighted I was to receive these pictures in an Etsy conversation from Marian who purchased my Mid Century Modern Cocktail Cabinet! Just look at how fabulously she has styled it in her downstairs cloakroom! She says everyone she has shown it to...
Sometimes when painting furniture, I like to remodel the piece with some simple carpentry. This can really help when changing the style and look. Once I had added a small wooden border, I created this beautiful bespoke colour mix to evoke Eucalyptus leaves, one of...
I literally can't wait to pop up at the creative and highly personable La Di Da Interiors early this summer at an exclusive event 'down South' where I will demonstrate some of my favourite techniques and secrets to my signature style. I was delighted to meet Steph,...
Wherever I go, students are fascinated by my rust technique. I started doing it on lamp bases, clocks, busts and statues and then I took it to a quirky piece of furniture to create a modern industrial look that is perfect for contemporary interiors. This whole...
There’s something hauntingly beautiful about this piece that I painted in soft pinks using my Faded Grandeur technique. After traveling and teaching overseas so much lately it was wonderful to immerse myself in a deeply creative project with this gorgeous small...
Some of you may have seen on social media I’ve been to Germany. Whilst there I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside stockists, members of the public and some bloggers. You may have seen the brief interview with myself and Vanessa of Simply Vintage and the...
Well here we go, I've had this wooden sideboard for some time. I even French polished the top myself but still felt it had more potential. So I embarked on quite a transformation as you can see... It’s a project of two halves. The drawer and cupboards on the bottom...
Today’s project is all about contrasting colours. I have chosen to use my blending technique on this sideboard and have applied the Annie Sloan colours Provence, English Yellow and Lem Lem. You may have thought I’d put rusty handles onto this project but no the...
Annie Sloan Graphite is such a versatile colour; as you can see here I’ve just used Graphite as a straight paint with a little distressing... but check out the top, yes look again, I’ve used Graphite as a very light wood stain to tone down the very warm colour of...
At this time of year drinks will be flowing, so I decided to make a drinks and cocktail stand in the corner of our home out of this beautiful mid century modern piece of furniture. The wall colour is Annie Sloan Wall Paint Amsterdam Green, as is the main body of...
Nothing goes to waste in the house of Mendes... I couldn't resist recycling my old Annie Sloan paint cans and turning them into Christmas candle lanterns. Aubusson Blue, Gold Size, Metallic Leaf, a drill, a paper star template plus a little bit of elbow grease and...
I've been on the move again, this time to Switzerland. So please enjoy some of the projects from the lovely students in Switzerland. They were all super talented and a real joy to work with. We crammed so much in to just a few days and also had time for some lovely...