Giving The People What They Want
Carley Eldridge, Content & Communications Specialist at Borg, is responsible for the content, advertising and media relations at easycraft. So, it’s safe to say she knows a thing or two about our range of decorative panels!
“There’s been a rise in popularity across Australia for Easycraft panels,” Carley says. “This is because you can use them in older homes to cover dull walls, update an existing room in your home, or put them in a brand-new property. However you use them and whatever style of home you are going for – new to old, coast to country – they don’t look out of place. Because of this, we are seeing demand for different ranges and more profiles within these ranges.”
Why easyVJ60 Was The ‘Perfect Fit’
Carley would be the first person to tell you she was part of that demand for new profiles. Having purchased her home three years ago, she immediately wanted to add her stylistic stamp to the interiors and finishes, but couldn’t seem to settle on the ideal panel.
“I had plans to add panelling to each room to give it a cohesive look,” she says. “[Originally,] I was going to use the easyVJ100 or Silhouette Cove 50 as a feature wall behind my bed, but I held off as I couldn’t make up my mind on the right panel. I loved the smaller width of the Cove, but preferred the profile of the easyVJ. When I heard easycraft were bringing out the easyVJ60, I knew it was the one I wanted in my home – the decision was made!”
Plugging A Gap In The Market
Carley says there was definitely a gap in the market for a thinner easyVJ profile, which is ultimately why easyVJ60 was created. The new easyVJ60 now joins the easyVJ100 and easyVJ150 range, with the ‘60’, ‘100’ and ‘150’ referring to the width in millimetres of each board.
“They all have their place,” Carley says. “The VJ60 just expands the easyVJ family. It’s a much-needed and very welcome addition.”
The new easyVJ60 is available in General Purpose Interior, Wet Area Interior and Semi Exterior panelling. It delivers a less-traditional look than our wider profiles, but still retains a beautiful linear and timeless style.
“Panelling your walls is not a trend,” Carley adds. “It will not come in and out of fashion – it will always be around, which is why [it’s great to use] in your home or commercial project. You want it to be something that can stay around for many years, not only from a cost perspective but also an environmental one.”
How The Installation Went
While Carley wasn’t overly confident in her DIY abilities, the simplicity of working with easyVJ60 panels, along with the wide range of written and video tutorials available online meant she could get stuck into her reno straight away.
“The room is large and was a little bland, so I wanted a bit of a statement,” she says. “That’s why I decided to wrap the easyVJ60 around my wall and down the small hallway leading to my ensuite. To do this I needed five panels of 2400 x 1200 in size. I also added them straight on top of the skirting boards and fit under the cornice. This meant trimming them down to 2200mm. To learn how to do this professionally, I visited the easycraft website, found the correct nails and glue to use and watched the easycraft installation video from Kyal & Kara. I guess I was like everyone else doing DIY and needed the help from tutorials".
“Once we found the studs and worked out where the electrical wiring was going, we glued the boards and nailed them in. The tricky part was the mitred corner where I wanted the panels to go down the hallway. Again, the Easycraft website was a huge help here with advice in the Help Centre. We had to go back twice to cut one of the mitred corners, as we weren’t quite sure on the way it would sit – we left a few millimetres for error, but we didn’t end up needing them.”
Next, it was simply a matter of painting the panels: “The panels come pre-primed, but we did two coats to cover the sanding. We painted using a brush in the grooves and then the panels with a roller.
“It was a big job for someone who’s not an experienced DIYer – definitely not a job we could have done in [one] afternoon. After two full days, the room was complete with panels installed, painting finished, electrical sorted and everything put back together. The results are incredible!”
Where To Buy easyVJ60
easyVJ60 panels are made to order and now available for purchase from all Easycraft resellers and stockists. For Bunnings customers, simply visit the Special Orders Desk at your local store. Be sure to take a flyer with the relevant Bunnings code for easyVJ60 to streamline the ordering process.
Carley loves how easyVJ60 completely transformed her home – and now you can do the same. Whether you're tackling your own project or want to elevate your client’s home or commercial space, easyVJ60 has plenty to get excited about.