About us

Family business Est. 1984
Eco-friendly, low VOC, water based/chalk paint
Made in Britain
Vegan paint
18th & 19th century reproduction colours for interiors, restorations & furniture

Chris Mowe in the early 80’s painting a chair he made with Col. 124 Budleigh Pebble before Colourman Paints was launched.

How it all began

Colourman Paints^® started life in the 1970s, created by antiques dealer and restorer, Chris Mowe in his Staffordshire workshop.

Renowned for his knowledge and traditional hand craftsmanship, he had a passion for colour and history. Frustrated by the lack of paint in authentic, heritage colours required for his restoration projects, Chris began to research C18th and C19th buttermilk paints. Mixing earth pigments, chalk and clay he worked on a unique recipe replicating the historic and rich colours and he created a quality water based chalk paint. Colourman Paints^® was born.

Colourman soon became the ‘go to’ choice for trade clients, furniture makers and interior designers working on historic & listed projects.

In 1984 Chris started exhibiting and demonstrating Colourman Paints at interior design shows, gaining wide recognition for his expertise and flair. He held creative paint and effects workshops, showing how easy, versatile and fun Colourman Paints are to use. The demand increased, the colour palette grew, ‘The Pinebrush’ was added and Colourman Paints launched into the retail market.

In 2007 Chris wanted to focus on his ‘Chris Mowe Folk Art’ from his home in Cornwall, refurb his campervan and retire! Chris’ daughter Rachel took over the company and is proud to continue her dad’s work with the same creativity, passion and enthusiasm.

Today our natural, hand-mixed paints continue to be made in the UK following the original recipe. Colourman is undoubtably a brilliant product, still loved and chosen for its quality, durability and beautiful finish

Rachel has recently been joined in the business by good friend Louanne, with her shared love and zest for beautiful interiors and colour the next chapter begins…

Going green and our values

We take our relationship with the people we work with and the planet very seriously. We constantly review and evolve the way we do things. We are working to get better at it and make a difference. Lots of things to update you on soon.

Why choose us?

The original water based chalk paint made with our own unique recipe containing chalk and china clay for creating the perfect paint effect

Colourman Paint is easy to use, quick drying and perfect for painting furniture, for use on walls, woodwork and floors as well as creating unique art pieces.

Luxurious paint with a high chalk and clay content
Exceptionally high quality and workability
18th & 19th century buttermilk effects
Wide range of traditional and heritage colours
A soft, velvety, matte chalk finish creating many fabulous effects
Eco-friendly formulation – Low VOC, BN-ES-71N (child’s room and toy safe)
Colourman waxes, finishes and brushes also available

Friendly service

We’re friendly folks

Designed and made in Britain

All of our paints are manufactured in the UK

Vegan

Our paints are vegan and cruelty free

We love dogs ❤️

Not forgetting Teddy the cat.

History of Pinebrush Colourman

Colourman Paints^® started life in the 1970s, created by antiques dealer and restorer, Chris Mowe in his Staffordshire workshop.

Renowned for his knowledge and traditional hand craftsmanship, he had a passion for colour and history. Frustrated by the lack of paint in authentic, heritage colours required for his restoration projects, Chris began to research C18th and C19th buttermilk paints. Mixing earth pigments, chalk and clay he worked on a unique recipe replicating the historic and rich colours and he created a quality water based chalk paint. Colourman Paints^® was born.