23 December 2014

Merry Christmas

As 2014 draws to a close I've been reflecting on another tremendous year. I've visited the USA, the Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, France, Ireland, and South Africa and have met so many wonderful people along the way. The Annie Sloan family has grown to include over 1,200 Stockists around the world, with new countries coming on board such as the UAE, Oman, Singapore, Estonia, Serbia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

I've written and published my latest book, Room Recipes for Style and Colour, I've launched the Annie Sloan Fragrance Collection, extended the Annie Sloan Brush range, introduced two new colours to the Chalk Paint® palette and just recently brought out new mini waxes. We also organised our very first late-night shopping event on 21st November with a huge number of Stockists taking part from across the globe, raising significant funds for local charities close to our hearts.

I'd like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2015!

Yours, Annie

18 December 2014

Janice Issitt's Vintage Floral Bedroom


After treating herself to this vibrant floral bed linen, Painter in Residence Janice Issitt decided to create a colour scheme to complement her new bedding.

The striking cupboard that sits next to her bed has been painted in a number of colours from the Chalk Paint® palette. The hot pink/red colour is a mix of Emperor's Silk and Henrietta, and was left over from another project that Janice worked on. She used Country Grey and Old White to provide a neutral background to frame the rest of the cupboard.

Janice cut her own stencils to give the cupboard character and a vintage feel. She painted the stencils in Aubusson Blue, Antibes Green, Florence and Greek Blue, picking out colours on her bedspread. She then finished the cupboard with Clear Soft Wax to protect the surface.

Janice also painted the mirror that sits on top of the cupboard in Paloma, a contemporary neutral with a purple tone. She used a combination of Clear and Dark Soft Wax to give it an aged appearance – the perfect complement to the vintage floral style of the room.  

What do you think of the finished look? Have you ever created a vintage floral colour scheme using Chalk Paint®?


Yours, Annie


Follow this blog for exclusive pics from Janice's residency and follow her on InstagramFacebook, and her blog: janiceissittlifestyle.blogspot.com

And remember to follow #PaintersInResidence on Instagram and Facebook, as well as my Painters in Residence board on Pinterest.

12 December 2014

Colour of the year?




Pantone recently announced that ‘Marsala’ was its ‘Colour of the Year’ – an interesting gambit on many levels, I thought. And certainly it’s caused quite a media stir and has been commented upon up by several Annie Sloan Stockists, too.

The graphic designer’s friend
What’s it all about? Back in my college days studying Art, I never really came into contact with Pantone colours – it was much more a graphic design thingy and designers talked about it all the time as it was a way of specifying and matching colour. It was explained to me by a graphic designer as a means to clarify conversations such as “I would like it in red”, “What shade of red?”, “Somewhere between tomato and pillar box”. Pantone gets its precisely. Hence it’s not just Marsala but Marsala 18-1438.




Marsala
Pantone say it's ‘a naturally robust and earthy wine red’ and I quite like it personally. In fact, Marsala reminds me of a blend of three of my colours: Burgundy and Primer Red, with a dash of Old White Chalk Paint®.


Kicking off the colour conversation
And ‘Colour of the Year’? Pantone have been promoting a centrefold colour since 2000, I believe, and I think it’s a really interesting idea. If it raises the profile of colour in our lives that can only be a good thing. It makes people focus on colour and that’s exciting – we all need it. 

Having said that, I don’t think we should take it too seriously. It’s for colour forecasters  especially in fashion (clothes and handbags), beauty (we’ll see it in lipsticks) and it kicks off a conversation in interiors, furnishings, design, and graphics, which is all good stuff. It’s all about the zeitgeist and the ‘Colour of the Year’ reflects that – perhaps Marsala is about the need to be more ‘grounded’ in what to many seems a time of freefall?

One colour fits all?
I have to say that the idea of trying to make one colour the colour for the whole world in all these areas seems a wee bit ambitious, and anyway your shop or style simply might not be able to include this or any ‘Colour of the Year’. What happens if you live by the sea and you’ve chosen lots of greys? I say, don’t feel obliged to up paintbrushes and start spreading the Marsala.

Yours, Annie

3 December 2014

Alex Russell Flint's Japanese Mural


Painter in Residence, Alex Russell Flint, is a realist oil painter known for his paintings of the female form. It's a real pleasure to see him experiment with Chalk Paint® to reproduce this stunning Japanese mural on his bedroom wall.

Alex took a classic Hiroshige print, Netting Wild Geese on the Hill at Okoshi, as inspiration for this stunning mural. An original woodblock print of the image hangs above his bed on the adjoining wall.

He painted the mural with a range of colours from the Chalk Paint® palette, some straight out of the tin and some mixed together. I love the way he used my paint like an artist's paint, mixing the colours together as he went.

In the rest of the bedroom, Alex echoed colours from the mural to create a cohesive look. He diluted Chalk Paint® in Aubusson Blue to make a wash for the remaining bedroom walls. For the floors, he created a wash with Old White. He painted the chest of drawers next to the bed in Coco and finished them with my Clear Soft Wax.

What do you think? Have you ever used Chalk Paint® to create a mural?

Keep your eyes peeled for the next project from Alex, as I show you the rest of this room.



Yours, Annie


Follow this blog for exclusive pics from Alex's residency and follow him on InstagramFacebook, and his website:http://www.alexrussellflint.com

And remember to follow #PaintersInResidence on Instagram and Facebook, as well as my Painters in Residence board on Pinterest.