ANYONE who has spent hours painstakingly stripping paint or varnish off old furniture in the name of restoration will appreciate what Pam Burchill and Merran Tedman are trying to achieve with their new range of chalk paints.
Hailing from the Sunshine Coast, Pam and Merran are the duo behind Mezzie and Frank - a colourful range of chalk paint born in their Caloundra workshop, Shrine Furniture and Homewares.
There's nothing new about chalk paint. The product has become popular in recent decades, thanks largely to a trend towards shabby chic effects and vintage furniture.
Pam and Merran were using existing brands of chalk paint in their upcycling business but became frustrated when they couldn't find the colours to suit the Australian environment and way of living.
"We were upcycling furniture of our own using chalk paint and we found we just didn't like the colours," Merran said.
"We started to do some research and eventually found a small paint company in Sydney that is producing the paint for us."
The Mezzie and Frank range features colours named after Australian icons including Pavlova, Uluru, Coral Trout, Rosella, Wattle, Daintree, Bondi, Noosa and Coal Mine.
Pam is no stranger to the business of retail, having run her own agency for many years.
She's now using her network of contacts to find stockists for the Mezzie and Frank range, including Roma's Gifts at Teacup where the duo caught up with the Queensland Country Life recently.
"Our aim is to sell the paint through small independent retail businesses like Gifts at Teacup where the range can be a point of difference," Pam said.
"We have been travelling around doing workshops with our suppliers and their customers, teaching people how to use the paints.
"It's been crazy busy but so far we have done Mackay, Townsville, Ingham, the Gold Coast, Marian, Injune, Wallumbilla and Roma.
"It's been such a blast meeting so many people who are just thrilled to find the product."
The attraction of chalk paint, according to Merran, is its simplicity.
The only sanding required is a light sand between coats and every piece is finished with a light wax to create a chalky matte finish.
"It's instant gratification," she said. "It's never a four day project. You don't spend hours sanding - you just start painting straight away.
"You can use the paint over almost every surface - wood, metal, laminate, and cane.
"It's just perfect for people who want to give something a fresh, new look without having to buy a heap of new furniture."
Tahnee Holland, from Gifts at Teacup in Roma, has co-hosted three paint workshops with Mezzie and Frank in recent months and said the range had been popular.
"It wasn't something that I had used before but I loved the fact that it was so simple to use and the colours are amazing," she said.
"People are having a lot of fun with it."