Getting It Right - #2 Strattons

There aren’t many hotels we’ve been back to more than once. In fact, I’m pretty certain there’s only one – Strattons.

Based in the heart of Swaffham (did you just read that as Swaaaaaaafham? Thought so), in Norfolk’s Brecks, Strattons is a boutique hotel, with restaurant café and deli all thrown into the mix, too.

Unlike many boutique hotels, you get the feeling that while Strattons takes its work very seriously, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s no snobbishness or air of superiority, the website and social media output is fun and friendly and the staff are down to earth and as helpful as can be.

Strattons, Swaffham

We like Norfolk. It’s probably fair to say we love Norfolk. From the charm of Norwich, one of Britain’s most pleasant cities, to the wide open beaches of Wells, Brancaster and Holkham, and charming towns such as Holt and Burnham Market. The downside to this, is that lots of other people like Norfolk. So, on a sunny day, the roads to and from Hunstanton, Sheringham and Cromer are a nightmare and the more upmarket establishments can be flooded with flash cars and loud mouths. That’s where Strattons comes in. Swaffham sits just outside of the main throng, yet is only 45 minutes from Norwich or the north Norfolk coast. It’s a real secret gem and we’re not sure we should be sharing it…

Opium - we're a sucker for a bath in a bedroom

The 14 rooms each have their own sense of style and character and are as comfortable and relaxing as they are opulent and charming. Though the hotel is set just off the main market square, via a narrow drive, you could easily be forgiven for thinking you’re in the middle of the Norfolk countryside, or perhaps even in rural France, such is the sense of seclusion.

A selection of deliciousness from The Rustic

As well as being a terrific place to stay, Strattons is a fine place to eat. We’ve had some of our favourite ever meals in the on-site restaurant, The Rustic. Using local, seasonal ingredients, The Rustic offers contemporary English cuisine, which is as well presented and innovative as it is delicious – and what’s more it’s the first place we ever tasted Bacon Jam. Oh, and the breakfasts… I’d happily drive the hour and half from RVHQ just to eat a Strattons kedgeree.

We forgot to mention the resident cats...

Take a look for yourself, there are always special offers and great deals to be had – you won’t regret it and you’ll definitely be back for more. And, if you stay in Edie, you’ll see they also have great taste in furniture, as you’ll see from the chest of drawers, supplied by a little Rutland-based outfit called Reloved Vintage…

Edie, complete with chest of drawers by Reloved Vintage

What to look for when buying painted furniture

How to buy vintage furniture and tell bad painting from good painting

We recently wrote a small article for one of our local magazines, Stamford Living, aimed at trying help customers know what to expect when buying painted furniture.

So often we've seen shoddily painted pieces for sale at events and in shops - that we wanted customers to know that there is a difference in quality and that not all hand-painted furniture will have drips and scruffy edges. We've even seen furniture painters claiming that all upcycled painted furniture will have drips, blemishes and discolouration due to the nature of the business. We firmly believe this is not true - and that a poor finish is only unavoidable if you rush the job.

Here's the article as it appeared in Stamford Living.

Painted furniture for the home has never been more popular. Laura Harvey, founder of Rutland-based painted furniture specialists Reloved Vintage tells us what to look for.

From TV adverts to high street shop windows, painted furniture is everywhere.

More and more people are growing tired of the flat-pack, throwaway culture and opting for more solid, traditional pieces with a contemporary twist.

Some high street chains sell new, mass-produced furniture, designed to look old (despite being made in a factory in the far east), but if you want a genuinely vintage piece of furniture that has been reloved, there are a growing number of independent sellers to choose from.

So how do you know that the item you’re buying is of good quality? What telltale signs of shoddiness should you know about and how can you tell if your ebay ‘bargain’ is going to be more trouble that it’s worth?

Here are three key things to remember when you’re buying painted furniture, to ensure you buy a top-quality piece that will last you for years to come.

• Has the paint been protected? This is vital. If the paint has a chalky or rough feel, it has not been protected with a varnish or wax – this means your new chest of drawers will soon be chipped, stained and basically ruined. The finish should feel smooth and spilt water should simply bead off. If buying online, always ask what wax or varnish was used.
• What’s it like inside? Are there scruffy paint marks where the interior has not been masked off during painting? Have the drawers been lined? Is there dust on the shelves? Do the drawers stick? All these point to a careless attitude.
• Are there drips or brush marks? The paint should have been applied carefully, so as not to drip and leave ugly blobs. If the paint has been slapped on in one thick coat, you’ll see nasty streaks and bare wood showing through. 

Below are a few photos showing a badly painted chest we rescued for a lady who had bought it from someone selling painted furniture on ebay.

Someone actually sold it like this

They thought: "Yep, that'll do"

We stripped it back and repainted

Drips are "unavoidable" eh?

Horrible greasy staining coming through the paint

Strip, sugar soap, repaint, wax. Sorted.

“What paint do you use?”

Farrow & Ball, Annie Sloan, Little Greene, Autentico? Which paint is best for furniture?

That’s a question Laura gets asked all the time. The only real answer, unless we’re talking about a specific piece, is “any paint I like the look of”.

Unlike a lot of furniture painters, we don’t really have any brand loyalty. Sure, there are some paints we like to use more than others, but each has its own merits, depending on the desired finish.

Over the years, we’ve used Farrow &Ball, Little Greene, Annie Sloan, Dulux, Crown, Habitat, Pinebrush Colourman, Sanctuary, Craig & Rose and others we’ve probably forgotten.

And, by and large, we still use all of them to this day.

Chest of drawers in Farrow & Ball

Lots of people like to use Annie Sloan (and lots are contractually obliged to do so…) and we understand why: there’s very little preparation of the surface required – as the paint will stick to pretty much anything. You can also lay it on quite thick, wax, distress, wax, and you’re done. That’s great. It’s good for certain pieces that require a certain look. We’ve used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the past and been pleased with the results, but we’ve never attained the smooth finish we prefer on our higher-end pieces.

In fact, often, we find that ASCP ‘bobbles’ when we use it. It can be very awkward to use, but that may be down to Laura’s painting style. She taught herself to paint using eggshell, and always likes to use at least three thin coats to achieve a smooth, drip-free finish. That style doesn’t seem to be compatible with Annie Sloan’s paint. I guess that’s why people pay to go on special courses.

One furniture painter told us she uses Annie Sloan Chalk Paint as an undercoat before applying Farrow & Ball – clever.

Chest of drawers in Annie Sloan

(I’m deliberately glossing over – groan – the whole ‘chalk paint’ copyright debate, but it’s safe to say that Annie’s not really done herself many favours with the way it was handled and I feel sympathy for those people whose Facebook Pages were deleted as a result.)

Among some ardent Annie Sloan or Farrow & Ball users, there seems to be a mindset that only one brand could possibly be used, but that seems awfully restrictive.

Why limit yourself to a narrow range of colours because of brand loyalty? We much prefer to find a colour we like and use it, regardless of brand.

Some of our most popular items have been painted using non-glamorous paint brands, and many of them are much easier to apply than the expensive designer names, so we’re happy not to be tied to one brand (although, if you’re reading this in the future and we’ve since become a retailer for a particular paint brand, you can ignore everything I’ve just written).

Now, what paint do you use?

Side table in, whisper it, Dulux

Getting It Right - #1 Bread & Jam

We're nosy little people here at Reloved Vintage. We're always checking out what other small (and big) businesses are doing – looking for great ideas we can be inspired by, or terrible horrors to make sure we avoid. 

Every so often, we see something that just makes us want to stand up and applaud - and that's what we'll be celebrating in our Getting It Right series.

You Are My Cup Of Tea mug £8.50

We love Bread & Jam. In fact, we love Bread & Jam more than we love bread and jam. And who doesn't like bread and jam? Hedgehogs can't get enough of it, and it's really bad for them. The prickly fools.

We first saw the work of Jamie and Catherine (aka Bread & Jam) on Facebook and assumed they were a huge, successful, Paperchase-style giant. Turns out they're a tiny, soon-to-be-ultra-successful small business.

Jamie and Catherine both have a background in interior design - and it shows in their eye-catching, retro-meets-kitsch-meets-modern-meets-cute-meets-cool products. The simple elegance of their patterns is reminiscent of classic Hornsea, but what sets Bread & Jam apart from the many talented designers out there is their eye for words, a perfect turn of phrase to melt your heart and lift your spirits. They also photograph and accessorise their products so well it makes us secretly seethe with jealousy (but don't tell anyone, it would make us seem childish).

Screen Printed Wooden Pencil Box £7.50

The quality of their work has not gone unnoticed and in addition to their Not On The High Street store, Bread & Jam products are also for sale through the style behemoth that is Anthropologie.

Not content with being bloody talented, they're also jolly nice, generous people, who have always been on hand to offer us advice whenever we've pestered them.

Bread & Jam are one of our biggest inspirations. Like us, they're a couple, originally working from home, selling online and aspiring to build a successful business. And, like us, they seem to live in a house that is permanently full of boxes...

We're so happy for them that their work is now being seen by a wider audience (especially as it means our Bread & Jam mug may one day become a collector's item!).

Notes Of Apology £9.50