Lockdown has prompted a series of DIY requests from my other half, including the announcement at the very start of April that “I want a marble finish in the bathroom!” But where to get some suitable paint? As luck would have it, our nearby Derbyshire town of Belper is home to the only factory in the world producing marble-coloured paint. So this morning I paid them a visit.

Because of the current restrictions, the factory is only allowed to do either takeaways through a ‘hole in the wall’ or deliveries from online orders, a bit like restaurants. It seems that they’ve also adopted a bartering system for their pricing. When I asked how much my tin of paint would be, I could tell they were thinking “how much can you afford?” Fortunately, I had gone in my scruffiest painting clothes, so I managed to strike a good deal!

We opted for a light grey marbling
We opted for a light grey marbling

The factory is doing such a good trade with lockdown projects that they’ve recently had a magnificent new extension built. There was even a small opening ceremony, with some red flags being waved. The original factory dates back to the early 1900s, so I was pleased to see that the new build remains tastefully and considerately in keeping with the original style.

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The new extension to the old factory

Upon reading the instructions on the tin, I discovered that the paint needs a special marble paint applicator. Once again, as luck would have it, Belper is home to the only marble paint brush factory in the world, and they were also open for business on April 1st. So clutching my tin of paint in my hands, I called in so that they could check the exact brush required for my tin.

Marble Paint Applicator
Marble Paint Applicator

For anyone wanting to read historical notes about the award winning improvements to Thornton’s Marble Paint Factory, I can thoroughly recommend this article from the Royal Institute of British Architects.

A wonderfully atmospheric photo on the RIBA website

There must be a huge potential for different patterned paints from this factory. I did ask about the possibility of tartan paint and was told they are already working on the correct size of square tin. But what sort of paint would you like to try? Where would you put it? Let me know!

Thanks for reading, and please do leave me a comment below if you’re feeling brave enough! 😁

PANDEMIC POSTSCRIPT:
It’s perhaps a sign of our times that this April 1st I’m having to stay local and visit our nearest town. Whereas last April 1st I was visiting the Iberian Pig Cheese Cellars in southern Spain! Who knows where I might end up next April?