Before formally establishing Little Shabby Hen in 2012, I had always been in quite stressful and demanding jobs with very long hours.
One day whilst scrolling through the internet I came across a vintage company selling furniture paint and thought how therapeutic that must be.

So... I ordered a tin and enjoyed every second of it, so I ordered more and more!

I painted for family and friends initially and was approached by a local antique centre who asked me to put some of my painted pieces in their shop.
Then I got the bug! 
 
I thought that I would love a shop of my own, and I came across a small shop in Matlock and voila Little Shabby Hen had its first premises! 

After a few years, we had outgrown this shop and an opportunity came to take on a larger shop a couple of doors down the road where we stayed for another 10 years.
 
Then in January 2025, after many sleepless nights I decided to close our premises in Matlock and moved back to my home town of Chesterfield.
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This gave me more time to concentrate on workshops, commission work & family life
 
We now operate from a  studio in a beautiful old building in Chesterfield where we provide workshops of many kinds& as always they are lots of fun.
 
I still stock lots of different painting & crafting products.
 
We work on an appointment only basis at the studio but our online shop is always open.
 
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions at all.