Paint by Conran

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Paint by Conran sample pots

We recently received some Paint by Conran samples to test out.

Paint by Conran sample pots and brochure

We were mulling over what to do with them when we spied this vintage Bristol Maid hospital locker at auction.

vintage Bristol Maid Hospital Equipment locker

We often leave such pieces untouched, but the paintwork on this one was a bit the worse for wear, so we decided to do a bit of refurbishment.

label on a vintage Bristol Maid Hospital Equipment locker

There were five sample paints and five compartments – it was meant to be!

label on a vintage Bristol Maid Hospital Equipment locker

So it was out with the razor blade & sandpaper – preparation is everything!

open sample paint pot of Dropped Pollen by Paint by Conran

The Paint by Conran range is inspired by British plants and landscapes and are grouped into five collections: Kitchen Garden, Cottage Garden, Harvest, Highland and Orchard. The paints we chose were all in the green/yellow colourway and are from across the collections.

open door on vintage Bristol Maid Hospital Equipment locker

The locker is perfect for the bathroom to house first aid items, medicines or toiletries.

detail of repainted vintage Bristol Maid Hospital Equipment locker

The new paintwork has given it a real lift…

repainted vintage Bristol Maid Hospital Equipment locker

…and it’s ready for a new life off the ward!

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Locker clean up

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Renovated vintage industrial locker now storing cleaning items in the kitchen

 

Justin picked up an old metal storage locker last week. Initially, it was going to be a case of a quick wash then off to the antiques centre. We then decided it would make a great home for all our cleaning stuff which is scattered around the house in various corners & cupboards. So it became an up-cycling project instead.

partly undercoated green locker

The weather was still gorgeous then – the perfect job for a sunny afternoon in the garden.

detail of partly undercoated green locker

The metal was primed, then painted a warm buttermilk cream colour to match other pieces in the kitchen.

top of repainted locker

We bought some clear, sticky-backed vinyl which can be printed on using a ordinary ink-jet printer. Then designed a little word cloud with appropriate housekeeping terms and ran a couple off (more of that later).

2 cleaning word clouds printed on to clear vinly labels

This was then attached to the door.

detail of word cloud on refurbished locker

The locker is tall enough for mops & brushes which is ideal. There’s space for buckets and also a shelf on which sit polishes & sprays. We have a small section of wall between the window and door to the garden. It’s exactly the width of the locker so it’s found a perfect home.

Completed refurbished cleaning storage locker

We’re very pleased with the results. If you fancy doing something similar, we printed off two copies of the word cloud. We can post the other one off. You could use it on a similar locker, a wooden box – or perhaps an existing cupboard that you have in the house. Anyone interested? Just leave a comment on the post and we’ll pick someone at random in a week or so!