![\"This](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Millhouse-Rooms-DSC_6332-1200x1798.jpg\")
- <\/a>
- <\/ul><\/div> This old painted cupboard worked perfectly against the watercolour wall.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/5-DSC_6399-1200x1798.jpg\")
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- <\/ul><\/div> The branches I painted on this wall were very subtle and fitted so nicely behind this old velvet chair.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
I spent my first few weeks at the Mill spending all my time in what we now call \u201cthe blue room\u201d which, if you\u2019ve visited our showrooms in Loughborough recently, you\u2019ll know just what room I\u2019m talking about. Paul, deVOL\u2019s Director, and Helen, our Creative Director, had expressed that they wanted the walls to look very organic, matte and natural; but because this was all new they weren\u2019t completely sure on what they wanted. Every time Paul, Helen, and Huw came down to see what I was getting up to, we would have mini design meetings about what worked best and we eventually refined the idea down. We ruled out acrylic, emulsion, and gouache and were left with watercolour. I don\u2019t know if you\u2019ve ever painted with watercolour paints but they aren\u2019t so easy to use on a vertical wall!<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG-2603-1200x1185.jpg\")
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- <\/ul><\/div> The flowers that started it all.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
One day I painted some flowers on the wall using a hairdryer, many layers of watercolour and a few accidental drips, and they were the ones! We had to decide how they would work in the space, so I photographed the flowers and printed out about 200 copies. We had fun sticking them all over the walls, moving them around to create a really blossoming composition. When we had finished, it was a great relief to have come up with something really special that worked well in the room. However, I then had the feat of about 150 individual flowers to paint in watercolour. I was nervous at first because I hadn\u2019t done anything to that scale before, but I ended up having the best time in that little blue room. I listened to audiobooks, a lot of Taylor Swift, and actually started to learn Italian – something I still keep up with to this day. I had the most beautiful view over the millpond to greet me every day and kept pinching myself that I had actually landed a job in a place so utterly stunning.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG-2957-1200x1354.jpg\")
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- <\/ul><\/div> The ladder that served me well the best part of 2 months, next to a wall full of stuck-on, ready-to-be-painted flowers.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG-2800-1200x1200.jpg\")
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- <\/ul><\/div> The view from the blue room that I just can’t get enough of.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
The second room I painted was in the newest part of Cotes Mill – the Millhouse showrooms. These three rooms were still being developed when I moved my little ladder and paintbrush in. It was such fun to watch these magnificent showrooms developing around me every day. I got a great insight into all the hard work and effort that goes into what they do here at deVOL.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Classic-Millhouse-DSC_0965-HDR-Edit-1200x795.jpg\")
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- <\/ul><\/div> The absolutely stunning new kitchen showroom.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Utility](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Millhouse-DSC_0088-Edit-1200x1798.jpg\")
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- <\/ul><\/div> Utility room inspired by old-style Italian kitchens.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
When I was researching for this room I had a much better idea of the style that deVOL loved so it was a lot easier to get started. When Helen was telling me her initial thoughts for the space, I got really excited. She talked about creating an old-style Italian kitchen with terracotta floors, white walls, marble sinks, and she wanted to completely fill it with hanging plants. It sounded like a dream! We settled on the simple, humble cow parsley, but we went big! The cow parsley was angular with a contemporary feel and was a lot more sparse than the blossoming florals upstairs. Towards the end of my time painting, when the room was starting to come together, everything just seemed to fit so perfectly. It was almost like the view from the huge window was carrying on into the showroom.<\/p>\n
![\"Hello,](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Rosie-Painting-DSC_7333-1200x1798.jpg\")
- <\/a>
- <\/ul><\/div> Hello, that’s me!<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Cow](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Wall-Painting-DSC_7248-1200x1798.jpg\")
- <\/a>
- <\/ul><\/div> Cow parsley and hydrangeas<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Gorgeous](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Millhouse-DSC_2062-1200x1798.jpg\")
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- <\/ul><\/div> Gorgeous hanging baskets mixing well with the watercolours.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
Originally that was all the painting I was going to be doing in the mill house, but I\u2019d expressed to Paul and Helen that I\u2019d absolutely love the chance to paint the back of some of deVOL\u2019s Curiosity Cupboards. They had just made a gorgeous white cupboard for the end showroom, with a beautifully sunny yellow interior to match the original yellow beams in the room. Following on from the cow parsley walls, I started painting a climbing dog rose all over the back panels. Something seemed to be missing so Helen told me to \u201cgo crazy\u201d with the foliage. I added a bunch more leaves and some big ferns and the cabinet started looking suitably summery (which was lovely because it was snowing outside!)<\/p>\n
![\"Painting](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG-4220-1200x1324.jpg\")
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- <\/ul><\/div> Painting the sunny cabinet on a sunny day.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Some](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG-4390-1200x1313.jpg\")
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- <\/ul><\/div> Some details of the dog roses.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
The styling really made this piece. Helen filled it with gorgeous old vases, pots and pictures that she had picked up from various antique fairs. My favourite thing by far about all the paintings I have done is right at the end when the room gets styled and the photographs get taken by Tim. It\u2019s like everything comes together and starts to make sense, like the painting was meant to be there all this time.<\/p>\n
![\"So](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/curiosity-cupboard-millhouse-dsc_1082-1200x1798.jpg\")
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- <\/ul><\/div> So many great colours and items in this cabinet. It’s really something special to showcase beautiful things.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
I\u2019ve been working on some exciting smaller projects since then. I painted the windows of Cotes Mill ready for the springtime. This was really different for me and was such fun. The peacocks always came up to see what on earth I was up to and made me laugh way too much.<\/p>\n
![\"Window](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG-4664.jpg\")
- <\/a>
- <\/ul><\/div> Window painting at Cotes Mill.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Glass-Painting-DSC_3160-1200x1798.jpg\")
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- <\/ul><\/div> A section of the finished window. We kept it simple and natural, with trailing leaves and small blue flowers to match the blue painted building.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
I\u2019ve also been developing a little range of wrapping papers and hand-painted cards to sell here at Cotes Mill.<\/p>\n
![\"IMG-5488\"](\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/IMG-5488-1200x1352.jpg\")
- <\/ul><\/div> A section of the finished window. We kept it simple and natural, with trailing leaves and small blue flowers to match the blue painted building.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> Window painting at Cotes Mill.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> So many great colours and items in this cabinet. It’s really something special to showcase beautiful things.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> Some details of the dog roses.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> Painting the sunny cabinet on a sunny day.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> Gorgeous hanging baskets mixing well with the watercolours.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> Cow parsley and hydrangeas<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> Hello, that’s me!<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> Utility room inspired by old-style Italian kitchens.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> The absolutely stunning new kitchen showroom.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> The view from the blue room that I just can’t get enough of.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> The ladder that served me well the best part of 2 months, next to a wall full of stuck-on, ready-to-be-painted flowers.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> The flowers that started it all.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> The branches I painted on this wall were very subtle and fitted so nicely behind this old velvet chair.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
- <\/ul><\/div> This old painted cupboard worked perfectly against the watercolour wall.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button?&url=https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/a-hand-painted-journey&media=https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Millhouse-Rooms-DSC_6332-1200x1798.jpg\")