I started my first business pine stripping and furniture restoration at 18 years old, behind my Mum’s antique shop, after leaving Art College.
Working with some absolutely beautiful and unusual antiques inspired me into restoring the original paint finishes rather than stripping them off.
Business grew and the furniture was exported to California where I followed to restore antiques and expand my knowledge of paint finishes.
On returning to the UK I was asked to help in the restoration of Harrock Hall. This led to an 18 year rolling commission restoring and renewing the decoration for Sir Peter Moores at Parbold Hall.
I opened the first of 2 interiors shops in 1994 selling my own range of paints, colours, paint effects, stencils and furniture. I was also running paint effect and stencilling courses as well as getting involved with the new application of paint on hand made kitchens with it’s beginnings in the oil based lemon rag rolled kitchens of the late 1980’s…
30 years later, styles, colours and materials have changed but kitchens still remain one of my main passions in work. Using this long knowledge and skill set has allowed me to collaborate with some incredibly inspiring kitchen designers, hand paint some magnificent kitchens and restore some superb historic homes nationwide.
PROJECTS
- Harrock Hall – Restoration
- Parbold Hall – 18 year rolling commission
- Compton Verney Museum – Colour consultation and specification for the major art galleries
- Shortridge Hall – Commissions
- Melbourne Hall – Commissions
- Collaboration – With Charlie Smallbone for Ledbury Studio
- Decorative and Hand Painting – For Smallbone of Devizes, Mark Wilkinson Furniture and Tom Howley Kitchens