I took inspiration from the history of the seats for the paintwork and developed a Moulin Rouge design with lyrics from one of my favourite films growing up, ‘because we can, can, can’ by FatboySlim from the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack. The backs of the seats are inspired by my local Grade II listed Cinema in Clevedon, The Curzon which features a similar stone design above its entrance with the sunbeams. I lost track of how many Chalk Paint colours I used but I wanted the design to pack a punch and bring to life the flavour and energy of the Moulin Rouge and the French Cancan in 1920s Paris. I hand-painted the designs on the wooden undersides, after studying imagery from the time, using lots of texture to create a tactile array of colours. The backs were first painted Frida Blue, before completing the design, and then sanded back to reveal undertones of blue to complement the original red leather upholstery. I used Black Wax on the metal frame to restore the colour and disguise damage and rust. I then sealed the paintwork with clear wax.

These seats have original red leather - with only slight damage - and were a rare find when I purchased them to paint. They have been submitted as my first project as Annie Sloan’s latest Painter In Residence and are available to see at my shop in Clevedon. Price does include local delivery but a courier quote can be obtained for deliveries elsewhere in the UK.

H: 82cm
W: 158cm
D: 40cm (when upright)