Hello to you all – hope you are having a fantastic week! In reading design and decor mags, websites, etc. or shopping your fav decor stores, you will no doubt have noticed the trend in metallic finishes with gold, silver, bronze and platinum leading the pack. These are NOT the shiny reflective metallic finishes of decades ago – these are burnished, brushed and/or stressed finishes that add texture and depth to our rooms. But did you know that metallic finishes are coming available in a whole range of other colours?! Think metallic and pearlescent finishes in various shades of blue, yellow, red and green.

Colour leader Pantone has recently created the Metallic Shimmers collection which includes a wide range of metallic shades in order to meet the demand for coloured metallics in a number of industries including home furnishings and decor.

The metallic pearlescent colours are already available in a range of craft paints and these can provide a quick and easy update to home decor items. This week I experimented with metallic paints; I updated a plain glass vase and found the paints easy to work with, clean up and of course got a home decor accessory for my efforts!

I have an ongoing love affair with all shades blue so of course that was the colour I chose! But you can find metallic paints in a range of metallic colours that are suitable for any colour palette.

I began by washing and drying the vase to make sure there was no residue that might interfere with paint application or adherence.

The paint requires a good shaking to make sure it is well mixed for an even application and rich colour. I used a soft bristle 1” brush for my project but you could use a smaller or larger one depending on the project you are undertaking.

The paint went on smoothly and was really easy to work with. The first coat left noticeable brush marks which added an interesting texture to the glass but I continued to see what multiple coats would look like.

Clean up was easy with warm water and dish soap. This combo also took the paint off the counter and me! (I really just do those things so I can help you avoid problems :)

Once the paint had dried, I added 3 rounds of jute rope just below the ridge in the glass. I love the mix of earthy and elegant textures and elements to keep things looking comfortable and not too formal or overdone. To complete the look I added in silver blue hydrangeas and twig stems.