Interview with Kate from House of Hollingsworth

Please tell us a little about you and your business. 

In my interior design and furniture makeovers, I strive to achieve a high-end look on a low-end budget. My aim is to make functional, stylish home designs achievable to anyone, on any budget. In doing this I have a huge emphasis on DIYs and upcycling.  

How long have you been using Gilly’s products and how did you first come across them? 

My dad introduced me to Gilly’s products as he had been using them since the 1980s. However, it’s only been the past few years that I have really honed my skills in refinishing timber furniture so that’s when I started using Gilly’s products regularly.  

Is there any particular product you prefer to work with and if so, could you explain why? 

I can’t pick a favourite! I have three products that I simply can no longer work without:

1. Restoring Polish - it nourishes the timber like no other wax does.

2. Cabinet Makers Wax - it gives a protective coating to furniture and is my go-to for lubricating drawer runners.

3. Black Wax - this is my secret weapon for giving any timber a rich, old-world look.  

Could you tell us about what you are working on right now and give us a step by step guide on how you are making it. How are you using the particular Gilly’s product(s) that you have chosen for the project? Please feel free to include other manufacturer’s products that you use in the process. We love to hear about different techniques. 

For this piece I’ve been asked to restore a client’s family heirloom secretary desk. After some minor fixes and fine sanding all over, I used Restoring Polish to nourish, Cabinet Makers Wax to protect and Lemon Cream to polish. 

This desk is in excellent condition overall, including the zinc door-lights with no damage. The timber has been coated unevenly with some sort of stain. A perfect candidate for the Gilly's 3 step waxing process.

1. Remove doors, drawer and fold out desk board. Clean and sand back to bare timber.

3. Apply Cabinet Makers Wax to fill tiny gaps and imperfections, whilst building a protective finish

4. Apply Cream Polish to protect and enhance waxed finish. Buffed to a soft sheen. 

Do you have any tips and tricks pertaining to Gilly’s products that we haven’t included in our own material? We often have people contacting us with some amazing and innovative uses of our products! 

A quick easy way to upcycle ugly porcelain lamps and vases - a couple coats of Mezzie and Frank chalk paint in neutral earthy tones followed by Gilly’s black wax. This will give you a collection of modern rustic decor which looks like it came straight from a Studio McGee collection 😘

Follow Kate's amazing furniture transformations on Instagram and find out more on her website