Looks wise Velvet Paints may be the ugly sister of nearby Bristol Paints but in terms of service? There is no competition. I’d heard glowing reviews of Velvet Paints but not being hugely crafty — or rental-house-proud — had never had reason to put said glowing testimonials to the test. That was until I acquired a rather lovely vintage cane chair in need of a good olé paint job and found myself at Clifton Hill’s pre-eminent painting and decorating shop. It would not be hyperbolic to say that Velvet Paints offers some of the best service I’ve had in Melbourne. Even when faced with clearly very confused customers who don’t speak painting and decorating, Velvet Paints’ staff are lovely, informative and very, very knowledgable. Don’t eschew Velvet in favour of Bristol owing to its relative down-at-heelness. If you’re in the market for anything crafty and need a little guidance Velvet Paints is the place to go.