Painting, Design, Repairs, De-cluttering, Sourcing and Murals.

"Rebecca did a wonderful job painting our two upstairs bedrooms and stairway. We really appreciated her artistic flair when it came to deciding paint colours. The finish was professional and she paid particular attention to detail.
​We'd happily have her back and recommend her to anyone."
Mamadou & Polly, Leamington Spa

Painting

I have been working as a painter and decorator in Leamington since developing my skills 'in the trade' under an exacting Dulux Decorator Assessor since 2016, before going independent in 2017. Though in fact I have been decorating homes for friends and parents for over 20 years but on a non professional basis.

​As I am a fine artist colour theory and painting effects are natural to me. I do do illustration professionally but actually find decorating just as satisfying and it also allows me to paint my own paintings part time.

I take on jobs of all sizes and am happy to be left to it or alternatively if it is a bigger project to work closely with you and other contractors over a period of time to ensure your space is brought into its most lovely state of being!

​Here are some transformed spaces:

Colour and Design

Choosing the right colour for your walls is not always easy. When the paint is spread across square meters, the effect changes and the colours intensify. It is also important to have colours which work well together in mood and tone. Lastly the shape of your room can be altered drastically by the placement of the colours depending on their shade - for example darker walls come in, lighter walls go out! The placement of the room in terms of sunrise and sunset can also affect the colour you choose altering it from cooler to warmer as the sun adds yellow or blue depending on the time of day.

If you should require it, I can help you decide on a colour scheme and offer ideas for the enhancement of your property's features though the use of light and colour. I will bring a unique and harmony-enhancing palette to improve the overall aesthetic of your space.

Additional services 

Repairs
​I am not daunted by holes in ceilings, gauged out chunks in walls or cracked and peeling window frames! In this case I undertook significant ceiling repairs, filling and actually skim-plastering the surface before priming and painting - photos before, during and after

Reorganisation and de-cluttering

We all put things down in a hurry, but do that over the course of a few years and you soon lose the peace and serenity your room once knew. Let me find it again for you.

Sourcing

In effect I will project manage a complex series of jobs and refurbish a property should it be required. I have a network of specialists who have proved their worth on previous jobs, that I can call upon as required, such as carpenters, scaffolders, plumbers, plasterers, window repairers and upholsterers. I will provide you with suggestions for and even  put in place better lighting, suitable paintings and prints, fabrics, and all sundry items associated with making a house a home - of course all carefully tailored to you, your lifestyle and the period of your property.

Murals

I can also offer to paint unique murals for a child's bedroom or other special place. Being an artist, I have plenty of inspiring ideas if you are open to them.

Case Study:

The following is an interior I designed and decorated at a the client's specified 'gentler pace' over the course of a few months. First are my inspirations, followed by a record of what it looked like before and after it was decorated. Initially I spent some time understanding what was needed, getting a feel for the building and the people who use it and live there; what they liked and disliked about it and what they were hoping it would look and feel like after it was redecorated. I shared my ideas, timescales and costs with them, reached a consensus and so our journey began...

​Starting point: Mood, shapes and inspiration

The building was build in 1866 of French Gothic design, Grade 2 listed and next door to a very beautiful church.

The house is busy and yet has a peaceful atmosphere; When it was built it would have had varnished dark wood, and dark colours, wallpapered from floor to ceiling in William Morris paper - quite imposing. Since the 1990's the walls above the dado rails had been painted in standard marigold with white gloss on the wood, which while a lot brighter, had become rather chipped, grubby and gloomy over the subsequent 25 years. The client needed to redecorate! They felt the wallpaper colour and pattern dominated the black and yellow original Victorian tiles, it was a visual jumble, the wallpaper vying with the floor for your attention. The client wanted to show off the beauty of the building to its fullness whilst naturally minimising cost where possible. And that is where I came in! I always prefer to invest in permanent features such as the walls and woodwork, and save on the more transitory aspects such as lamps and furniture which can often be found in charity shops or house clearances whilst losing nothing in quality.

The house as it was. 

My colour scheme and overall design had to complement the floor tiles, the dark green carpet, brocade draped curtains and ornate brass light fixtures which were all to stay. The idea of changing the carpet was raised but I dissuaded them as it was a high quality wool with a nice colour - only the walls weren't complimenting it. I sought to accentuate the lovely woodwork throughout, with high skirtings, dado rails, panels and shutters. I had lots of beautiful features to work with and I focused on accentuating the house's period (in the paper) whist updating, brightening and softening the light levels by harmonising the colours.

And after the work was completed.

The new paper is Farrow and Ball Feuille which is a modern paper appropriately inspired by William Morris who was of course of exactly the period of the house. It has the same organic pattern and beautiful foliage but without the too busy coloration and multi layered pattering.

The long corridor now has a soft pink ceiling (Farrow and Ball - Pink Ground) to add warmth and lower the feel of that high ceiling, this is complimented by soft cream walls (F&B White Tie) to open the space up a little. The wallpaper is more subtle than the Morris fruits, but still organic and complements the curtains, the tiles and the carpet. The ceiling roses were augmented with gold on the raised plaster leaves, oak in design, which matches the wallpaper. The woodwork is a soft white with a tinge of blue-pink (F&B Slipper Satin) and has a slight variation on the staircase and panelling to bring out the details (in F&B Lime White). The lightbulbs were changed to LED filament candle bulbs to bring a warm white light. Paintings were sourced or selected from their existing collection and clutter was paired back to bring a greater sense of peace and unity to the space. Roman blinds in a neutral calico Laura Ashley tweed were hand made (by my contact at less than High Street prices) for upstairs, radiator covers were sourced and painted to match,  cushions and lamps were located for comfortable low lighting in the corridor. And a door curtain was added for security and warmth in the porch.

​Everyone says they love the space now whereas before they just ignored it. Job done!

About the Paint
​
The use of Farrow and Ball is sometimes frowned on in the trade because it is water based (a little bit runnier than say Dulux, and needs an undercoat), but as an artist I cannot emphasise enough that their paint is worth every penny. It has much more pigment in it than other paints which is why the cost, but the extra pigment makes it much softer on the eye, less plastic, and more light reflecting without being shiny, the light will 'bounce'. The colours are also of natural tones which also much more restful to live with. They are also better for the environment and smell better! Lastly the colour range is subtle - the colours often have multiple pigments in them which is why the colours vary even more than other paints in different lights. For example a simple off-white, Pointing, has white, black and yellow in it making it not just an off white but actually an interesting colour. If you appreciate art or fabric you will appreciate these paints. Having said all that if your budget can't or doesn't want to stretch that far there are other ways of getting similar quality colours (if not paints) at half the price: I suggest getting hold of unwanted F&B cans on ebay, or using colour match services or superstore own-brand (F&B inspired) ranges which can often do just as well.