Introducing our Star Painters 2026
To kick-start a colourful New Year, we’re celebrating some of the best Chalk Painters by shining a light on their creativity and artistry, handpicked by Annie Sloan.
Over the coming months we’ll be sharing their work to inspire your own painting adventures. Stay tuned, over 2026 we’ll be celebrating their creations. In the meantime, check out their bios and make sure you follow them all!
Congratulations to our new Star Painters and welcome to the family.
Sharon Audrey Ingoldby
Sharon, founder of Audrey and Abode, is an interior designer in the Herefordshire hills in the UK. Discovering furniture painting as a child, she turned a 1940s dressing table into a lifelong passion. Working from a converted horse box, she creates original and commissioned pieces across the UK, bringing colour, pattern, and personality to every surface, inspired by folk art and family tradition.
Gosia Roczniak
Gosia Roczniak is a furniture painter based in Somerset, UK. Originally from Poland, she studied Interior Architecture and Design in London. After working in architecture, she returned to painting through furniture, combining geometry, abstraction, and colour. Her hand-painted pieces explore texture and palette with a playful, thoughtful approach inspired by her enduring fascination with visual art and colour.
Paulina Balińska-Kowal
Paulina Balińska-Kowal is a furniture stylist and painter based in Limanowa, southern Poland, running her studio for over twelve years. Her work features bold colours, varied textures, and modern design influences, particularly 1970s German ceramics, of which she is a passionate collector. Alongside her creative practice, she is also a devoted mother of four sons.
Adeline Lemétais
Adèle Lemétais, trained in art history, explores what paintings reveal about interiors, objects, and everyday life. Her playful, naïve world features recurring dogs and cats. Based in France, she is influenced by Swiss Bauernmalerei and folk traditions, and she balances digital museum-souvenir work with hands-on gouache painting on furniture, porcelain, tiles, and paper, favouring small formats for freedom and joy and playful creative exploration.
Aga Mandziuk
Aga Mandziuk is a Polish-born artist based in Padua, Italy. She holds a degree in Communication Sciences and works as a Local Producer for the Polish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. After years in a metal workshop, she developed a strong sensitivity to surfaces and colour, now using Annie Sloan paints to create bold, emotionally driven furniture pieces.
Kelly Akkouchi
Kelly Acckouchi, aka Attic Monkey, is a furniture painter who breathes new life into old objects. Using Annie Sloan paints, she transforms furniture, lampshades, doors, and walls with bold, playful colour. Based in Diksmuide, Belgium, her home is a vibrant playground of hand-painted pieces, while her workshops inspire others to experiment, embrace creativity, and rediscover joy through colour and upcycled treasures.
Heidi Roper
Heidi Roper creates a colourful world where pattern and creativity take centre stage. From her riverside workshop on the River Wyre in Lancashire, UK, she designs one-of-a-kind pieces inspired by the surrounding woodland. Painting with colour and pattern is her lifelong passion, and her bespoke home designs reflect a deep connection to nature, detail, and the changing seasons.
Margarita Voitovic
Margarita Voitovic, based in Ikšķile, Latvia, has worked with furniture for over fifteen years. Founder of shops, a paint studio, a restoration workshop, and MAG Handmade school, she is inspired by Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint techniques. She now combines traditional and historical methods – gilding, patination, multi-layered painting – often depicting flora, birds, and peacocks beneath her signature golden skies.
Carina Reimers – The House Warmings
Carina Reimers is a furniture artist whose work reflects a deeply personal blend of creativity, culture, and curiosity. Drawing inspiration from her inner nomad, she embraces global influences and combines them with her Scandinavian roots to create designs that are both eclectic and refined. Her use of pattern and colour brings a sense of harmony and individuality to each piece, resulting in work that feels both worldly and intentional.
Travel has long been a source of energy and inspiration for Carina, shaping her artistic perspective and approach to design. Each furniture transformation becomes an expression of her experiences, crafted with care and passion. Through her work, she celebrates the beauty of diverse styles and encourages others to embrace creativity as a way of telling their own stories through thoughtfully designed, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Daniel Cervantes – Other Man’s Treasure
Daniel Cervantes is a furniture artist and founder of Other Man’s Treasure, known for his passion for rescuing and reimagining discarded pieces. His journey into furniture painting began unexpectedly when he discovered a dresser left for disposal in downtown Toronto. Determined to give it a second life, he restored it in his apartment, sparking a creative passion that quickly grew into a career.
Since establishing his business in 2014, Daniel has made it his mission to divert furniture from landfills while transforming each piece into something unique and expressive. He describes his style as “eclectic blending,” using layered colours and techniques to bridge classic and contemporary design. Through his work, Daniel highlights the value of overlooked objects, proving that with creativity and vision, one person’s discarded item can become a meaningful and beautiful treasure.
Karen Gibson – August Wren Furniture
Karen Gibson is the founder of August Wren Furniture, a Madison-based studio dedicated to creating bespoke, thoughtfully designed furniture. With a background in fine art and more than 20 years of experience in graphic design, she brings a strong understanding of colour, composition, and craftsmanship to her work. After years of painting furniture for her home, family, and friends, she established her business in 2020.
Inspired by nature, Karen often incorporates botanical elements, pattern, and colour to add character and charm to her pieces. Her approach balances artistry with functionality, resulting in furniture that is both beautiful and practical. Sustainability, individuality, and attention to detail define her style, as she transforms existing pieces into one-of-a-kind designs. Through her work, Karen celebrates creativity and encourages a more mindful, artistic approach to home interiors.
Maureen Bane – Signature Finishes
Maureen Bane is a decorative artist, educator, and founder of Signature Finishes, located on the southern coast of Maine. As an Annie Sloan Stockist and Global Technical Advisor for Annie Sloan Interiors, she brings extensive expertise and a deep passion for decorative painting to her work. Trained as a professional faux finisher, Maureen has built a career centered on both craftsmanship and education.
She is widely recognised for her ability to translate complex techniques into accessible learning, teaching countless students how to transform furniture, cabinetry, and interior surfaces. Her approach emphasises versatility, encouraging creativity across furniture, canvas, and walls alike. Through Signature Finishes, Maureen continues to inspire others to develop their skills and confidence, fostering a community of makers who value artistry, technique, and the transformative power of paint.
Sabah Bardhan – Just Restore
Sabah Bardhan is a renowned furniture artist celebrated for transforming everyday pieces into bespoke works of functional art. Her creative journey began at the age of six, experimenting with various artistic mediums before embarking on an 11-year career as a flight attendant. During her travels, she drew inspiration from the colours, cultures, and designs she encountered around the world.
Her transition into furniture artistry began with the successful sale of a hand-painted piece, leading to the founding of Just Restore in 2019. Sabah’s work is defined by bold creativity, attention to detail, and a commitment to sustainability through upcycling. A career highlight includes her role as Painter in Residence for Annie Sloan in 2021. Through her art, Sabah encourages others to embrace new creative challenges and discover the transformative potential of reimagined furniture.
Tania Trudel – Aube Design
Tania Trudel is a dynamic furniture artist and entrepreneur whose passion for life is reflected in every aspect of her work. As the founder of Aube Design and a mother of three, she seamlessly blends creativity, family life, and business with energy and authenticity. Her approach is bold and imaginative, characterized by innovative ideas and a vibrant, expressive style.
Tania’s work is driven by a desire to push creative boundaries, often surprising with unexpected designs and thoughtful details. She brings together her roles as mother, artist, and businesswoman to create pieces that are both distinctive and meaningful. Her personality shines through in her work, infusing each project with warmth and originality. Through her designs, Tania inspires others to embrace creativity with confidence and to find beauty in individuality and self-expression.
Martine Lestage – Martine Lestage Art
Martine Lestage is a furniture artist known for her intuitive approach to colour and texture, creating pieces that evoke a sense of history and authenticity. Inspired by the effects of time, sun, and sea, her work celebrates layered finishes and organic imperfections, with each creation telling its own unique story.
Her journey with Annie Sloan products spans several years and reflects a deep appreciation for the creative freedom offered by Chalk Paint. Martine has collaborated with the brand on a variety of artistic projects, including appearances as a featured artist at events, participation in creative challenges, and work as an artist in residence.
Through her practice, Martine continues to explore innovative techniques while sharing her passion with a growing community. She encourages others to embrace colour with confidence and to discover the hidden beauty and potential within everyday furniture.
April Waller – April Makes
April Waller is a painter, maker, and content creator based in Atlanta, known for her warm, whimsical approach to art and everyday life. Often describing herself as a “whimsical artsy mom,” she balances creative work with raising her family, drawing inspiration from the rhythms of home. Her practice spans painting, sewing, and hands-on DIY projects, all rooted in a belief that creativity should be accessible and joyful.
Her work centres on romanticising the ordinary – transforming simple moments, spaces, and materials into something meaningful and beautiful. Through her content, she encourages others to embrace imperfection, experiment freely, and create with what they already have. Her aesthetic blends softness, colour, and nostalgia, inviting viewers to slow down and see artistry in daily routines.
By sharing both her process and her life, she has cultivated a community drawn to creativity, authenticity, and the beauty of handmade living.
