THE 2020 SHORTLIST

CHARLOTTE WILLIAMS – NOT TOO SHABBY BY CHARLOTTE




Charlotte's Written Submission
The frame has been given three coats of Sterling to frame the feature drawer fronts. I also painted the legs and top drawer in Sterling so that the metal tips and original handles could be showcased. This hardware has been painted in Fusion Bronze Metallic.
On this occasion I chose a pouring method consisting of Picket Fence, Sterling, Ash, Midnight Blue and Bronze layered in the cup and then poured with a rocking motion to create this agate effect.
The metallic gives it that subtle twinkle you get running through the veins of rock to give that authentic aesthetic.
I poured the resin from one end of each drawer front and strategically moved the drawer around as the resin flowed to create a natural effect that was unique on each drawer.
I took great care to wrap and protect the rest of the drawers and mask the edges to create a crisp edge to the pour.
I also had to carefully prop up each drawer front to ensure that the fronts which are angled when in the frame, lay perfectly flat whilst the paint pour dried.
To finish I hand painted the dovetail joints so the piece continues to look beautiful as the drawers are opened.
I love the mixture of textures with the gloss resin, matte fusion, metallic hardware and marbled pour.
FIONA ROBERTS – MONSOON DRAGONFLY




Fiona's Written Submission
For this French vintage carved wardrobe we used Homestead Blue Fusion Mineral Paint and Lefranc & Bourgeois Gilding Wax in Classic Gold. This was chosen by our clients from our inventory to act as a piece of art in their massive entrance hallway but also to serve a functional purpose, to hang coats.
Cleaned with TSP degreaser we use this for all our wash downs. Then lightly sanded the piece carvings and all. We normally do the first coat of paint as a thin watered down coat this really gets sucked into the wood.
The brushes used are always Cling On! S50 & F50 my absolute favourite. ❤️
The 2nd & 3rd coat go on. I do the brush strokes in even lines, I like the smooth tidy finish. Sometimes I find myself rocking from side to side to get my brush strokes as even as possible. ?
I go over the piece with my hawk eyes for any drips of paint or imperfections. After it’s dry it’s sealed with TOUGH COAT applied with a damp brush instead of a damp cloth. The carvings are then done in gilding wax painstakingly by finger! Not by brush because I like the effect.
The piece is given a good final clean from the inside and expensive wallpaper used as liners. Beautiful handles & tassels are added. Then its staged, photographed and packed to go to its forever home.
GAYLE MOORE – LIVE MOORE DESIGN




Gayle's Written Submission
I finished this bureau just before the first lockdown in 2020. My aim was to create a statement piece of functional furniture to work from home in style.
Initially my vision for the doors was to keep them all wood, with a taped design over the top. However, upon removing the dark varnish finish, I found some damage to the veneer, so I had to rethink my design. I decided to create a design that framed the natural wood, whilst also covering the damaged areas that I couldn’t save.
I wanted a vibrant colour, so chose Fusion Mineral Paint Homestead Blue, which I teamed with a custom mix of Frenchics Gold and Silver Frensheen, mixed with Frenchic Finishing Coat.
I applied even coats of paint, sanding in between and then wet sanded after the final coat to leave a soft smooth finish.
For a clean and smooth finish to the door design, I used Frog Tape. After removing the tape, I buffed the edges of the painted design to create a smooth transition between the painted and wood.
The natural wood grain was revived and enhanced with Hemp Oil, which gave a lovely soft sheen to the finish.
I continued the colour theme on the interior, adding a gold stencil on the drop-down desk and painting the shelves to match, whilst the back of the bottom half was lined with a matching wallpaper.
Finally, I replaced the old handles with new simple gold pulls to compliment the new look.
KAYLEIGH ANDREWS – KOOKIWOOD




Kayleigh's Written Submission
The brief I had from my client was for an Art Deco design, showing a hint of the natural wood.
I mocked up a CAD (Computer Aided Design) for the cabinet and planned measurements to create a vision for the final finish.
Using a ruler, medical scalpel and FrogTape delicate, I started transferring the central part of the design on to the wood – this was to prevent the bare wood being painted.
I used a microfibre roller to apply a thin coat of Ash Grey over the whole unit.
Once the paint had dried, I used an extra fine sanding pad to denib the paint and used a tack cloth to wipe away the debris.
I applied a further two coats of paint, de-nibbing in between to create a velvet smooth finish.
I removed the tape and left the paint to cure for a full 24 hours and began applying the final part of the design.
Using my pre-calculated measurements, a ruler, protractor and spirit level to achieve uniform, straight lines, I taped up the lines to be painted gold.
I used a meter long ruler and sharp scalpel to cut along the tape to create sharp, thin, continuous. I ensured that the tape was fully adhered to the wood to prevent paint bleed.
I applied the Vintage Gold Metallic paint following the same process as before; applying the first layer of paint sparsely.
I waited half an hour for the paint to dry before removing the tape.
NICKY CASH – DONE UP NORTH




Nicky's Written Submission
This traditional kitchen unit was the perfect dimensions for a contemporary open plan kitchen dining room to create storage and a drinks cabinet. My creative concept aimed to break up the tall shape visually and to give it a statement look as if a piece of art.
It was in a really poor state of repair so had to have large amounts of veneer removed and then other damaged areas filled with Ronseal Two part filler.
The sides were primed to grain fill with Zinsser BIN to even the surface before painting with Fusion Mineral Paint Coal Black.
The salvageable areas were stripped back with Home Strip paint and varnish stripper and sanded ready for the design.
The design was hand created free style across the piece with masking tape and with Coal Black.
Areas were then masked off to add in flashes of Metallic with Tikkurila Taika Pearl paint in Gold and also Wood Stain from General Finishes in the shade Provincial (after using their Pre-Stain conditioner)
The Interior bar section was enhanced with a custom mix of Pressed Fern and Coal Black to make a deep Green that adds extra interest along with the mirror and light installed inside.
The damaged veneer on the front of the piece were blended in with artist’s acrylics to mimic the wood.
The whole piece was finished in High Performance Top Coat from General Finishes in Satin.
The original hardware was also re-finished after cleaning using Rustoleum External Metallic Spray in Gold.
SHONA MURPHY – MADE BY MURPHY








Shona's Written Submission
This Cabinet was a mammoth task, but the final result was immensely rewarding.
First the whole cabinet was taken apart and dismantled. Every millimetre cleaned and then sanded back to bare wood, carefully keeping all the veneer intact.
The cabinet was then reassembled to ensure the design wrapped around perfectly.
The MBM stencil was used to mark out where the lines should go. Due to the shape and curves of the cabinet and the material of the stencil, it would have been impossible to get the lines neat and straight using the stencil alone.
Each gold line was then taped out individually and then painted using the Wrights of Lymm bronzing powders mixed with General Finishes Varnish. These individual lines were then taped off to add the colour in the spaces.
The Renfrew Blue from FusionMineral Paint required 4 coats, Vintage with Grace- 2 coats and Cornish Milk Paint- 3 coats. Doing it this way ensured all the lines were crisp and clean.
Around 60 hours of taping and 12 rolls of frog tape later, the design was finished. Thankfully due to some measuring and some major brain power, the design matched up on both sides and met perfectly in the middle.
The cabinet was then given 2 layers of osmo polyx oil to bring out the wood grain and to protect the design.
New mirrors, a new light and the new metal gold leaf back were all added to give it the finishing touches that really brings it all together.