Exciting News: Our Physical Training Courses Are Back!
We’re thrilled to announce that our in-person training courses in the UK are now resuming! In addition to our popular online courses, you can now join us for hands-on training in microcement, Venetian plaster, and our exclusive workshop where you’ll learn to create your own polished plaster and waxes from scratch.
Visit www.koubidesign.com for more details!
Online tutorials and training courses to learn mineral & bespoke decorative finishes
- Learn at your own pace from experts in their fields to increase your skills and techniques
- Full HD in-depth tutorial videos with multi camera configuration and close up shots for a perfect view of each technique taught
- Seamless streaming from any device : smartphone, tablet or computer
- Lifetime access at anytime for all courses purchased
Your main instructor
​I am a French decorative artist, who lives and works in Berkeley, near Bristol in the UK. I studied fine arts and history of arts, and in 1991 started to paint on canvas. Meanwhile I pursued my artistic activities, I was asked to collaborate for the design of some restaurants and stores and very quickly it became the opportunity to start a career in decorative arts. Since then, year after year, I learnt and improved the techniques, from the most traditional and ancient to the most modern and recent ones. I also became a specialist in lime polished plaster and in microcement, working alongside architects, interior designers and private clients, providing artistic and decorative finishes for traditional and contemporary interiors, incorporating both residential and commercial, in addition to restoration and bespoke artworks. Since I moved to the UK in 2014, I founded, with my partner Rachel, Koubi Design which supplies products for decorative finishes such as natural polished plaster and microcement. To ensure the best standard of application we also started in 2014 to offer training courses which became very popular with students coming not only from the UK but also from the US, China, South Korea, Africa... We also travelled abroad many times as far as Australia and the US to train applicators in bespoke finishes such as polished plaster or microcement.
The idea of giving online courses came actually from people wanting to attend our courses, but who could not always physically travel to our premises or fit a course in their schedule. Also, some students who did attend one of our courses suggested online classes simply for having an additional support and a reminder easy to access from the internet.
Dimitri Koubi
The different categories
Secrets of the trade
This series is dedicated to provide practical advice, valuable tips and general techniques which will help you to achieve better finishes.
Online courses to come soon.
Secret recipes
This series contains priceless video tutorials showing the recipes to make your own products such as waxes.
Online courses to come soon
Bespoke finishes
This series is purely focused on how to achieve bespoke finishes. You will learn how to obtain different effects, textures and colours in very detailed videos with different materials such as microcement and polished plaster.
Online courses availabe.
MasterKlasses
This is the series where a course becomes a masterclass. The "MasterKlass" with several hours of videos, contains in a single training course everything you could possibly learn to plainly understand a specific material to work with.
The Masterclass " Everything you should know about natural polished plaster " will show you how to create your own 100% natural polished plaster, how to work with the most common types (coarse, fine and extra fine ), mixing different colours, creating different effects and textures and how to protect your work with old and secret artisan recipes. The first Masterclass is currently in production and will be released in 2023.
More info to come soon
NEW ONLINE COURSE !!!
Microcement bespoke finishes part 2
Creating textures with microcement
4 hrs 20 mins of videos
- Beyond Smoothness: Explore the wide spectrum of textures you can achieve with microcement.
- Prep for Success: Advanced techniques in surface preparation for textured finishes.
- Finishing touches: Expert advice on sealing and protecting textured surfaces for beauty that lasts.
- Real-World Application: Experience the dynamics of onsite work, offering invaluable insights into large-scale project management.
Watch the trailer below ( click on full screen and increase the resolution for a better viewing experience).
Available online course
How to create smooth finishes with microcement :
The "wet on wet " technique
NEARLY 2 HOURS OF VIDEOS
* This course will show you how to apply the best technique to obtain smooth finishes.
*You will learn the sanding process with precise case studies to enhance the tones of your microcement to obtain the most natural looks.
*You will learn how to create different finishes, such as marbly looks, distressed, slightly textured ones, but all have in common to be very smooth.
*The course is designed for you to carry on using your regular microcement as the technique is not "brand specific" and works with most microcement (as long as they really contain cement and not epoxy or acrylic instead).
Available online course
Working with liquid metals
NEARLY 4 HOURS OF VIDEOS
* Dimitri and his special guest Dean Reynolds will show everything you need to know to start working with liquid metals such as bronze, iron, copper, brass and gun metal.
*You will learn how to create your own liquid metals made of genuine metallic powders with common or specialist binders.
*You will learn how to apply, polish and protect your metallic surfaces to create beautiful and bespoke finishes.
*You will know how to create genuine patinations and oxidations to enhance the beauty of your metallic textures.
