Back in 2019 we purchased a 1970’s car paint shop just on the outskirts of our local town of Gouzon. It’s a bustling little town conveniently situated very central to the historic towns of Boussac, Aubusson and Auzances. It came with a house too, which we redecorated, removing alot of the issues a house lacking in love, often finds itself with.

The paint factory was in rather better shape and needed just a good sweep and jet wash to rid the carbon from the car breaks and copious sanding of grey undercoat and painting in cheerful shades. However life throws curve balls and with covid raging and my poultry flock growing substantially, we found ourselves living at our farmhouse near Boussac rather than near Gouzon at the Barn, but a consequence was that the factory decorating came to a standstill!

Then after a horrible bout of illness this may, partly a thyroid and migraine doing their best to floor me, we moved back to the barn to renovate feeling rather guilty having been away for almost three years. On a very sad note, my illness and moving pushed me downsize my flock and rehome them all. It was an extremely upsetting but travelling every three days to feed, water and tend to any injuries was proving difficult, juggling renovations and my time. Creativity was falling on back-burner.

In winter frozen water bowls was no go and geese need alot of water. Hard though it was, I had five years of absolute joy with my feathered friends and I managed to rehome with close friends and can visit often.

After a week of blubbing tears and missing the birds, I threw myself into cleaning g and painting my studio in the factory. I had collected alot of 1950’s sideboards and cabinets some in bright retro formica and lamps and fabrics. I found cushions from my very first home back in 1990, carefully wrapped in tissue paper and boxed up for my future home after I split from my first husband.

I missed my studio at the Farmhouse, but it was a tad overcrowded with my growing collection of majolica birds, toys and books, so many of these will find a new home at the Factory. Its been loveky unboxing items I haven’t used for over twenty years, including many I inherited from my mother back in 2018. I collected lots of fabrics via brocantes including a lovely 1970’s rug, pictured here. The filing trays I made from two drawers and stencilled them with fleur-de-lis in chalk paint.

I adore orange and turquoise, perfect retro colours and a lovely combination of warm and cool shades. The telephone was a great find and it still works! I recently bought three lamp shades, but once home realized two were for ceiling lights….no matter, with a bit of creative licence, I turned them upside and made them as uplighters.

Another coat definitely needed.

So a start has been made. A lot more to do on this space, but the vision is progressing.

Behind the studio is a room where the cars would be repainted, a large cleaner space that is ideal for my future printing….lino cuts etching, etc. It needs a good jet wash on the floor and being insulated will be a cool space in our hot summers and warm in winter. I need to check the lighting that’s in every corner and ceiling, fluorescent tubes, as can be too bright, but it may give a good even light great for printwork. The walls are perfect for hanging work in progress and luckily there is a rail with three hanging hook systems perfect for drying prints after inking up. Couldn’t be better!

I will take more photos this coming week of the blue walls and the sewing mezzanine, which currently is a bit like a storms been through it with upturned tables, boxes everywhere that haven’t been explored for years and a room to be found for a huge cutting table, which at this time I have no idea how to get it up there! Sadly we scratched another table pulling up the staircase. It’s not too bad but it niggles me. So paintbrush at the ready, will update shortly.