Lulabelle's House has been featured in the Northern Irish addition of The Daily Mirror by the lovely Jilly Beattie!

1. DMUULS
ART Your Life Daily Mirror
TUESDAY 03.1.2012 36
Bringing new life,
one chair at a time
The recession might be biting hard in Northern Ireland, but one artist’s idea is
brightening lives and instilling hope through a series of workshops. By Jilly Beattie
THE skies may be dull, the weather
gloomy but 2012 is set to be
bright and beautiful thanks to an SEATS YOU:
BRUSH UP:
enterprising young artist who is Tasha
Working on Copeland,
splashing colour into homes across old chairs right, and
Northern Ireland. Donnella
Tasha Copeland is beating the recession Bremner
blues with a simple idea that can not only
revitalise a home, but teaches clients
how to carry the look throughout even
on a brutal budget.
She runs Lulabelle’s House, a workshop
that pumps new life into the old and tired
– that includes furniture AND people.
From her studio in Larne, Co Antrim,
Tasha said: “I’m just doing what I love to
do and people have taken it to their
hearts.
“It may have seemed a bit mad to start
a new business in the middle of a credit
crunch but it was a dream I shared with
my sister who is doing them same in
Australia.
“Money is tight but I offer good value
for money and a great
day out plus of course a
lovely and unique piece
o f f u r n i t u r e t h at
everyone will admire.
“The workshops are
regularly booked up
and it has proved to me
t h at f o l l ow i n g m y
dreams can be the
perfect solution in a
credit crisis.
“I take pieces of old or
unfashionable furniture,
from lamps to chairs,
tables to bookcases, and
breathe new life into
them by using amazing
new colours and paint
techniques.
“The results are
absolutely amazing but
the work is completed ON THE
pretty fast and abso- SHELF:
The UK’s
lutely anyone can do Finishing
it. touches
BEST
“The results punch
way above their weight
compared to the effort that needs to go
that means no one needs to sand down with steaming coffee and pastries, Wo r k-
life
into them.
real
“Our day-long courses include a late to strip their pieces before the fun part everyone chooses an item of furniture shops
breakfast and lunch served on our pretty starts. WIN A CHANCE and we get started. are held
“It’s a secret recipe that I share with “The transformation of the furniture is
vintage china.
“Over the course of a day in the people who come to my classes. TO TAKE PART IN incredible and the groups gel wonderfully
in our
studio in
workshop clients will learn a range of
painting and decorative techniques
“It’s amazing and a brilliant shortcut
that takes away the tedious part of
A WORKSHOP as people admire each other’s work.
“There’s a lot of laughter and a lot of
Larne.
The workshop costs
whilst transforming a piece of restoration.” TASHA is offering FIV fun. £60 although we often have
E Daily
furniture from shabby to Tasha, a trained Interior Mirror readers a pair of works “In fact there’s something special offers on our
chic which they can then D e s i g n e r, wo r k s w i t h vouchers. For a chance to win hop very basic about people website.
take home and treasure.
“Imagine that tired,
People have furniture fanatic Donnella answer the following question
Bremner to make little Where is Lulabelle’s .
joining together to help
create something.
There’s a lot of “The feedback has been
humbling and I’ve realised
House
old, battered kitchen
table, those chipped
taken the idea dreams come true in their workshop situated?
workshop. Email your answer to
“The atmosphere is
always great.
laughter and that the old saying of
finding a job you love
chairs.
“Then imagine them in
to their hearts And Tasha has spent a j.beattie@mgn.co.uk and
decade buying and selling include your name and contac
“No one needs experi-
ence. In fact, no one needs
a lot of fun means you will never have
to suffer a day’s work is
t
a wonderful blue or pink, in the vintage and antiques telephone number. anything really except the true.
something ver y Cath trade so she is able to source willingness to give it a go. “The recession is biting
Kidston with none of the expense of ugly duckling furniture and “I supply the items of furniture – or the hard here in Northern Ireland
buying a new piece of furniture. accessories from around the globe homes – something everyone can have. client can bring their own if they wish. but Lulabelle’s House is busy and
“And the great thing is, everything can which she transforms. It’s amazing to see people coming to the “I supply the paints, material, brushes, I hope homes across the country are
be mixed and matched, painted and She said: “With my passion for design studio with no ideas what they’re going glue, everything that’s needed to make getting more and more pretty as old bits
repainted without costing a fortune. I am able to add a little something extra to be doing or what the day is going to be the transformation work. of furniture find themselves transformed
“I have created a new paint technique to create beautiful pieces for beautiful like. But after a lovely relaxed breakfast Lulabelle’s House Furniture Painting into things of beauty.”