Paths is our journal where we tell stories of colour and home; sharing roads, steps and paths that lead you from here to a future place and space.

A boy on the bike

A boy – 13 or so, cycling to school. Arms folded, rucksack flung, damp combed hair and an easy smile. Sitting in traffic I watched him roll through, completely confident in his mode and with flair to spare.

The beauty of strength

We happily introduce our bio-based Steadfast Matt Emulsion.

Steadfast Matt Emulsion is our super hardwearing and scrub resistant emulsion. It is of course still breathable, virtually VOC free and formulated without an acrylic or vinyl binder. It is perfect for kitchens and bathrooms - and is particularly useful in commercial spaces and any other high-traffic rooms. Scrub resistant with a 5% sheen, it is a beautiful and pragmatic partner to our True Matt Emulsion.

Tiny places of joy

There is a cupboard at the top of my home that is the keeper of many things. It is original to the house and is humble in its attic room design, as is the way of Georgian houses. It is one of those places that could go quietly un-noticed.

Four books for the little and big questions on life

Lazing at home has come to an end. Students piled onto trains on Sunday afternoon, children headed back to school, and we are mostly all back into our normal life routines – whether work, caring for others, or other life choices.

We have hopefully all had time to think about life and home and how one informs the other.

Keeping magic where it belongs

We know that there is magic in the world. It is easier to feel with the smaller things in life. A magnificent cup of coffee, the first December box of Quality Street, Christmas reindeer antlers on your Labrador …

We know that there can and should be magic at home. A feeling of shelter, goodness and it being your safe and rightful place. It is a difficult feeling to name, but we should know when our home is exactly where and who we should be.

Walking over and around on wet November streets

We begin our seasonal shift to inside living – both of place and mind. Late Autumn and early Winter is the most natural season to think of decorating. We are always inside our home; the light is beautiful, and we have a perceived hard stop of one year ending and a new one beginning.  We have burrowed down into our kitchens and beds.

Finding your way

All completely different people, with different needs and wants - yet all looking for the same. Not the same colour, nor the same aesthetic, just something that says – this is me; this is we; this is us. I believe if you start with this sentence before seeking any samples or stepping into any showrooms, then your path will be so much more pleasurable.

Painting well – part one

People are often surprised that I actually know how to paint, and that I do paint a lot. 

I really, really love all aspects of it. I can twirl a sash brush with the best of them and roll (or preferably) brush a wall to perfection. On my wedding day, although a beautiful dress from egg was worn - I did find paint on my hands. Oh, how we laughed.

Your home is good enough

Yesterday I met and talked with someone I (and many of you) admire greatly. We talked of colour and paint and home. His home is very beautiful, but we still talked of getting it right and getting it wrong and being ok with all of this.

Some of us will have the good fortune of having a much bigger and fancier kitchen than others. That’s ok. Your street may be in a better postcode, but you have a tiny garden, or you may have an enormous garden on a perceived shabby street. That’s also ok.

The pleasure of making something exist that didn’t exist before

There is something profoundly human in the pleasure of making something exist that didn’t exist before. A tangible pleasure in using one’s own agency, hands, feelings and judgement to meld, shape, touch, handle and craft something unformed and turn it into something beautiful. Milk becomes cheese, fabric becomes clothing and paint on walls becomes a home.

Featured
Tiny steps towards better
Remaining Steady
Two courgettes and good ingredients for paint
Afternoon snacks of bread & butter
Featured
Why home is never finished
On Breathability - Why 0.004 is a beautiful number
 The pleasures and sorrow of working with tradespeople.
 Colour choices - how not to get lost.