This time last year, I did quite a full ‘front of house makeover‘. I painted the door and I got up on a very high ladder and painted around the windows too. The house went from hugely discoloured red to clean white with a punchy dark blue door. But one thing I failed to update was the house sign. And over the last few frosty months – it took a bit of beating and completely fell apart. We needed a new one ASAP.
See what I mean?! So when Village Green Signs got in touch and asked if I wanted one of their signs to review, not only was the timing perfect, but it was also exactly the kind of thing I had been imagining for the front of our house too. Their signs are traditional-styled and look just like the old cast iron ones, but made from a far more durable resin material. Each sign is bespoke made in a traditional handcrafted kinda way; from being hand cast to hand painted and hand finished. It means each one is unique and it’s the traditional kind of craftsmanship I absolutely love. It’s perfect for a period house and is a new take on the old original. Not to mention, absolutely beautiful and hella detailed!
So this is the design I have chosen – an oval-shaped sign with pink roses and a simple gold ’27’. I felt the roses were quite fitting for our *way OTT* pink-roses-everywhere kinda garden. And it’s also a little nod to the previous owner, who planted all those roses and lived here for 60 odd years. Not to mention, of course, I thought pink would look FAB next to our dark door.
You can see just how much detail has gone into the making and painting of this sign; the leaves are made with several different greens and you can even spot some hints of yellow too. And the roses (which can’t be an easy thing to paint!) are blended to perfection. It’s really quite something special – and I highly recommend you take a look at some of their other designs with are even more detailed and intricate. We’re talking detailed animal fur and even fabulous water scenes – some seriously stunning and skilled designs!
Pretty right? I mean, I wouldn’t mind standing out at a front door waiting for it to be answered whilst staring at this. It’s the kind of sign that makes a real impact and I suppose in a way, also set the standard of expectations for the interior of the house. Something I’m not sure we’re *quite* living up to just yet! But give it time 😉
I love this sign so much and really wanted to share some photos of the actual production of the signs too – which I personally find really fascinating (side note – I used to love watching those ‘how it’s made’ TV shows! Anyone else remember those?!) and shows exactly how much work, time and care goes into each sign.
The first step is to make individual templates which will be used to make a mould. As each sign is bespoke, it means a new template must be made each time. The selected motif/design and lettering/numbers are positioned onto sign of choice, and it’s then sprayed to ensure they won’t get stuck in the mould.
Individual moulds are made from HIPS material, which starts out as a large sheet and is set around the template.
Once the individual bespoke moulds have been made, the resin can then be poured into them and this is left to set for a couple of hours.
Each sign is then sanded and sprayed for a perfect finish before painting can begin..
And finally, each sign is hand painted by in-house artists before being sealed for weatherproofing and shipped out for delivery.
From start to finish, each stage is done by hand, tailor-made to each order. It’s a true work of art, which Village Green Signs have perfected since 1989! And they now have over 800+ designs with several shapes and sizes of signs available for each one. Whether you’re looking for animals, flowers, trees, cars, dragons or even bagpuss (yep, the cat!) – there’s literally something for everyone and every house. And they also do special commissions too if you’re looking for something really unique! I have to say – it took me quite a while to finally pick a design, since there really are so many incredible options to choose from and I very nearly almost went for one with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel on, at one point!
So, if you want to treat yourself, a friend or family member (or perhaps just give the house a good treat!) to one of these gorgeous house signs, then please do check out Village Green and their wondrous selection of designs. I promise you will not be disappointed!!
*I was gifted a house plaque to feature and review in this post. All views and content are my own. Thanks for supporting this blog 🙂
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