Painter in Residence Olivia Lacy of Pigeon & Pip brings imagination to life with this music hall inspired bright red and Olive green radio cabinet. Chalk Paint® to make you dance!

The second piece of work by Olivia Lacy as part of her reign as Annie’s Painter in Residence is this beautifully staged radio cabinet. It’s been given a makeover from dull and damaged brown wood to the resplendent star of the stage, complete with clever references to Victorian English music halls.

The base of the piece has been painted with two coats of Chalk Paint® in Olive. Whilst the second coat of Olive was still wet, Olivia blended bright green Firle to the front panels. This shading brings character, energy and dimension. Using two colours from the same family is an excellent way to give your painting extra pizzazz. We recommend using a slightly damp brush and a spray bottle to make the blending process easier.

The top and sides of the piece along been transformed and emphasised fabulously with Olive’s colour opposite, Emperor’s Silk. The impact is striking and serves to give this radio cabinet real personality, whilst referencing the deep red of velvet music hall curtains. For added grandeur, Olivia used Imitation Gold Loose Leaf to highlight all the gorgeous moulding on this cabinet. Click here for a tutorial on how to apply Metallic Leaf to carving, moulding, and otherwise fiddly bits of furniture! Once again, this serves to emphasize design motifs consistent with grand Victorian theatres and entertainment venues (think of the gilding at the Royal Albert Hall). The whole exterior – moulding included – has been sealed with Clear Chalk Paint® Wax.

Not content with a transformation on the exterior alone, Olivia added further interest by adding a patterned design to the interior of her piece. She achieved the art-deco inspired pattern with a quick coat of Chalk Paint® in Napoleonic Blue, then laid out a diamond pattern using painter’s tape. A quick coat of Gold Size allowed her to lay more Imitation Gold Leaf  (this time Transfer sheets, which are best for large or flat surfaces) over the Gold Size before removing the painter’s tape to reveal her intricate trellis in striking cobalt and bright “gold”. This section of the cabinet has been sealed with Matt Lacquer, giving a slightly different texture between the muffled, intimate interior and the grandeur of the exterior which further adds to the music hall atmosphere of this lovely piece.