Chandelier
One of the things that I love about summer is spending time in the garden, especially when I get home from work. I love eating outdoors and spending time with my friends and family. When it starts to get dark, I light the candles and this creates a very pretty, romantic atmosphere.
I painted the chandelier shown here using my paint, which is called Chalk Paint™. I chose three different purples: Emile, Old Violet and a custom mix of Emperor’s Silk (which is a bright pure red) and Napoleonic Blue. I chose to use purple because I love how it works against the green foliage – and it’s a colour combination that is not seen that often.
Old Violet Chair
I have a real thing for chairs and fell in love with this one! It lived in a friend’s garden and had started to rot away. I knew it was a good Arts and Crafts chair, but that it had totally had it! The seat had gone, so I put a tray on top and used it as a plant stand. I then painted it in my colour, Old Violet, and left the paint to bake on in the sun. I never wax anything that is going to live outdoors.
Yellow Metal Chair
This is a wonderful metal chair that I bought from a friend. I love the shape of the chair and think it looks beautiful in the garden. I painted it in my colour, English Yellow – a glorious bright yellow. One of the amazing things about my paint is that it goes straight onto metal – no need to prime. I simply painted the chair on a very sunny day and left it to dry in the sun. The paint bakes on to the surface beautifully.
Watering Cans
I actually use watering cans in my garden regularly as the hose doesn’t reach the end of my garden! I painted the first watering can in Duck Egg Blue some years ago, so it’s looking a little worn but I like that. The other watering can has been painted recently in Old Ochre. I think it would be quite fun to have lots of these in the garden, painted in all different colours!
Ladder
I bought this ladder in England, although it is French. I love the construction of French ladders, They look so complicated and intricate, and are wonderfully unique. I had this ladder in my shop for a while and then realized it would look great in the garden to sit plants on.
I painted the frame all over in a wash of my colour, Old White. You can create a wash with my paint just by adding water. Then you can paint straight onto the wood without priming first. I loved the idea of putting a different colour on each step too. So I did the steps in a variety of Chalk Paint™ colours – mainly cool colours with the occasional warm colour in between.
Latest posts by Canadian Home Trends (see all)
- Creating the Perfect Outdoor Kitchen - April 23, 2024
- Classic Luxury Kitchen Design - April 23, 2024
- Color Journey: Spring 2024 - April 23, 2024
You have created a happy space that is really inviting.
I’m wondering whether I should have put a finish coat on my garden bench as it has lost so much of what I applied last year. I actually did 2 coats. We are located in Canada and have had extremely long and cold winters the last two years, so maybe that has added to the degradation. Is there anything you can recommend?