Another custom mix Duck Egg Blue transformation

I love this custom mix Duck Egg Blue mix and as it has so much depth to the colour I really like to paint it on a piece with clean simple lines. This is an op shopped solid wood chest which had huge ugly yellow and silver plastic knobs on it originally! She was in excellent condition so only took a small amount of prep work, a smooth chalk paint job, subtle distressing and some clear wax to finish. The knobs got changed out for some tiny crystal ones.

Here is her beautiful before mugshot...she's the one hiding in the back

And a couple more after shots to make her feel better again

Grungy Op Shop Bedsides transformed with Chalk Paint

This is one of my amazing Friday Finds. Out op shopping on a Friday and I came across a bedroom set ( 2 x bedsides and a dresser) with loads of old charm and heaps of details. They were in the worse shape , terrible flaking varnish, but solid wood and all drawers slide well. I knew I could get in trouble with bleed through if I went a really light color, so I saved myself some heart ache and work on these, and chose French Grey chalk paint, light but with enough tint to cover any problems. As they were very ornate I let the pieces speak for themselves and added quite a bit of distressing, clear and dark wax for a really time worn appearance.

Here is the before:

They turned out well and now I can't wait to start on the dresser.

New Vintage Stencils have arrived

Moulins Provence stencil $22

Stag A4 small $24 Stag A4 Large $34

Vintage Keys $28

Lower case alpha $38

Upper Case alpha $40

Set of 4 Borders $34

Amazing new stencils now arrived at Pyes Pa Villa Design!
The Stag head comes in an A4 and an A3, so many possibilities with these. Contact Carla at villadesign@xtra.co.nz for more info, we can mail anywhere in NZ as well

French Script Vintage Stencil

French Script - amazing new vintage stencil. This is a large one 800 x 300 so perfect to complete a table top, the possibilities are endless. Gorgeous!
Email Carla at villadesign@xtra.co.nz for more details

Stag Head Stencil in Two Sizes

The new Stag stencil is available in two sizes A4 and A3. 
Very versatile for smaller and now larger pieces of furniture.
Email Carla at villadesign@xtra.co.nz for more details

Vintage Clock Face Stencil

We have a new shipment of exciting new Vintage Stencil designs arriving into Tauranga any day now. The team at  Barleycorn and I have been working really hard to come up with great new designs and here is one of them

Vintage Clock stencil available in two sizes, how cool is this? I know, right. I imagine this on a table top and with the two sizes available you can pick what size. Would also look great incorporating a word within the clock. Sizes are 190mm and 360mm. Send Carla an email if you would like more info villadesign@xtra.co.nz

Chalk Furniture Finish in Colour Moth with applique

I wish I had a before pic of this little oak bookcase cabinet but it seems to have gone missing. I won it in a local auction and I liked it because of the curved front at the top. 

Being oak it required a shellac undercoat and then 2 coats of CFF chalk paint in colour MOTH, which I really like. It is a dark and deep colour, browny greeny grey and I know I will use it a lot now that tried it on a larger piece.

Inspiration took a while to come on this one but I had some rubber mouldings / appliques to hand, which I attached with all purpose rubber cement. It was a large one to the front to really draw attention to the beautiful curves of the piece.


Moth lends itself well to dark waxing for an antique look, I did this on the shaped edges and moulding only. Once complete I also added some Rub'n'Buff, colour, old gold, just to make the addition more dramatic.

I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I do.

Ice Blue Chalk paint custom mix with Barleycorn Vintage Stencils

I am into mixing my own colours at the moment and this was meant to be mint but turned out ice blue, which I quite like. Just a couple of little projects, a tray and storage box from an old drawer, with the addition of a Barleycorn stencil.

Friday Finds - Doily Bunting

My sister has always been the more crafty and arty one in my family and I have been very slow to get my craft on. So when I had an idea ( inspiration from pinterest) to reuse  old unwanted op shopped doilies, I asked her if she would help me.

I collected up as many as I could on one of my Friday excursions around the local op shops, they cost from 20cents to $1.00 each. Here is the original pile.

I popped them in the post ( she lives in the mainland) and she whipped them up for me. Here they are strung up between my new lights. I love them as you can tie them up everywhere and she made two for me, lucky!

Old Sconce Lights refinished in chalk paint

I love it when a plan comes together and I had a plan for these lights right from the first time I saw them. They were horrible old outside beige lights made from plastic stuff and metal. 

Before - beige on beige

I took them apart and got a bunch of chalk paint colours together in a plastic plate and went to work brushing on clean paint and mixed paint, until I had the verdigris look I was aiming for. 

During - paint swatches

Then we put them back together and installed them on the gallery wall. I love how they turned out, looking like old aged metal and I am amazed again at what this paint can achieve. I hope you like them and you will get to see them if you visit us at the gallery on Friday afternoons!