Gilly's Wax and Polishes
Carolyn introduced Alice and Culver who had kindly bought along most of their current product range for us to see.
Alice said that the company was celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and was now based in a more modern factory in Malaga, but it hadn’t always been like that.
Because the climate in WA was drying out many of her antiques, Gilly originally started making her own lavender cream polish in the kitchen at home. This proved to be remarkably successful and was soon in great demand both far and wide.
The company grew from these humble beginnings, to now having most of their range stocked in Bunnings stores across the country. A fantastic achievement for a family business.
Both Alice and Culver took turns in answering our questions, they talked about many of their products, including their Mezzie + Frank Chalk Style Furniture Paint, a self-priming chalk paint that can be top coated with Carnauba Polish or Hardy Clear Coat. We all examined the wax sticks that are once again available, and ideal for carrying out furniture repairs. They explained the three steps recommended for new or striped back timber, nourish the timber with a coat of Restoring Polish using a soft cloth, fill the grain with Cabinet Makers Wax, feed 2-3 coats using fine wire wool and finally apply a topcoat of Carnauba Polish using a soft cloth, to bring out a fine lustre. Relatively new to the range are Black Wax and Lime Wax, particularly useful when working with antique furniture or trying to get the latest Hampton’s look.
We were still asking questions during the break whilst we browsed the selection of their range, they brought for us to buy, especially those products that were sometimes hard to find.
I am sure that we learned more about the different products that are now available, and which we need to use to give us that special finish we are all looking for.
Our thanks again to Alice for a fascinating talk about their family history and to Culver for his insight into the ongoing development and production of their products.