Category: painting

  • Don’t DIY An External Painting Job

    Don’t DIY An External Painting Job

    Painting your home can seem like a really straightforward task, especially when you see people online casually making videos of DIY external painting like it’s easy. But the reality is that external painting is a tough job, and it takes a lot of work to get right, and this isn’t a new concept. 

    External painting companies such as All American Trade Network have a long process to get people’s homes and commercial buildings painted correctly and the following are the reasons why. 

    It’s Not a Safe Process

    House with a glass wall and a pool
    Photo by Florian Schmidinger on Unsplash

    Painting can be unsafe if you don’t have the right experience. You may need to use a ladder to reach higher areas, and you’ll need to have a steady hand on top of this. Ladders can also be shaky and unstable on certain surfaces, and this can make painting a dangerous thing. 

    When you call the professionals, they can bring with them specialized equipment, such as cherry pickers to paint second-story safety and specialized equipment for hard-to-reach areas. 

    The Costs Can Get Higher

    When you DIY your paint job, you will have to purchase all the project materials and tools yourself. This means you need to buy paint, primers, tools, ladders, drop sheets and more. This also means you’ll need to consider any damage to your walls as well, so you may also need sandpaper, filler and other such materials that will be needed for the repair. 

    Then on top of all of this, you may need to take time off from work to get everything done, and if anything goes wrong, you’ll probably end up paying professionals anyway. 

    Avoid Stress & Save Time

    The whole process of painting your exteriors can be time-consuming messy and physically tiring. Calling in the professionals can take most of the effort out of it, and you can just sit back and relax while your space gets a revamp. 

    You Can Use the Wrong Paint

    Outdoor garden with chairs, sofa and coffee table
    Used with permission of Jenny Keenan

    Choosing paint isn’t as simple as just picking a color. You have to make sure you get the right type of paint, especially for exterior painting, and every painting has a different finish. If you get the wrong paint, you may have to re-paint things multiple times to get it right. Most professional companies come with a color expert to help you know which colors would suit your space if you don’t already know. 

    Professionals Mean Quality

    No DIY paint job looks or lasts as well as the professionals, and that’s simply because practice makes perfect. It takes skill to get it right and your DIY job will never look as good. 

    Be Careful of Materials

    The material you’re painting over matters. For example, brick can be tricky as it’s just a great way to protect your home, but when you paint it you can cut off the material from breathing and trap moisture inside, causing erosion and damage over time. 

    Call The Experts First

    White house with dark roof
    Photo by Georg D on Unsplash

    If you take anything from this article, it should be that the experts know what they’re doing, and there’s no harm in taking something off your to-do list by calling the experts. All you have to do is click here and get started! 

    Thanks to allamericantradework.com for consulting on this post.

  • A look back at my tiny kitchen 10 years ago!

    A look back at my tiny kitchen 10 years ago!

    It’s always fun to look back and see what your space used to look like, so here’s one for kicks!

    I’m so excited to share with you guys the brave feat of painting that just took place in our kitchen, which Chris and I moved into in August. I was lucky enough to have the gracious folks over at Royal Design Studio contact me to see if I’d like to do a stencil review on Decorology. Uh….yeah! I instantly knew the effect I wanted to get, which is a sheen effect.

    The inspiration for the look I wanted – a gloss/matte sheen effect  came from photos I’d collected similar to the one below:

    So…here was our kitchen before…pretty standard for a 1 bedroom apartment in a building…

    And…here is the kitchen after…

    pretty drastic change right?

    The stencil I selected was the Large Marrakesh Trellis. Chris and I took a trip to Morocco two January’s ago, and the tiles and ornate plaster work will leave your jaw on the floor. The stencil reminded me of the tours we took of medersas in Fes and Marrakesh.

     

    The stencil as featured on the Royal Design Studio site

    An illustration of the stencil showing the registration marks and the scale.
    The stencil also came with some instructions and stencil care information.

    Once I received the stencil, and before setting off to paint – I did some research on how to achieve the look I wanted. Like most projects, prep work is key!

    The Royal Design Studio site offers a lot of resources and tips for stenciling. I got the basics from their Basic Stencil Techniques page for all over stencil patterns.

    I knew to achieve the look I wanted I would need the same paint color, but in different sheens.  I chose gloss and flat.  Here’s where I ran into a little issue.  Once I got the stencil I realized that, if I put down the solid flat coat first, the way the stencil is cut, most of the wall would end up being gloss.  I didn’t want that because I was afraid the room would be too shiny.  However, upon doing research and asking around, painting a solid base of the gloss and then painting the stencil in flat over the gloss wouldn’t work either, because the matte paint would not adhere to the gloss painted wall.  Hmmm…I was stuck.

    So, being the extremely stubborn woman I am, I did a little more research and came across the talented Megan Bouton, who was the genius behind this wall treatment:

    Check out her gorgeous dining room here.

    Just the look I wanted! So I wrote her asking what she did to get the matte paint to work over the gloss, and she was awesome enough to reply that she hadn’t done anything special, and that even a year later she can’t even scratch the matte off with her fingernail.

    So, I decided to give it a try, and here is my process and results

     

    First, we covered the walls in a high-gloss navy called “Royal Hyacinth” from Olympic. I hadn’t painted in high-gloss before, and it sure is shiny! It also required 3 coats to get everything of uniform “glossiness.” You also need to work with a nice wet roller, because if it gets too dry it will just lift up the some of the paint you just put on – which is super noticeable the glossier your paint is. We also taped off the edges with a standard blue painters tape.

    Some supplies you will NEED:

    • stencil spray adhesive. Don’t go with a general adhesive spray – that didn’t work for me.  Get a spray specifically for stencils at a craft or hobby store.  Also – wear a mask when you work with it – it’s not the most lung friendly stuff.

    • level.  very important for making sure you aren’t taping the stencil up out of line.

    • a small roller.  If you are working with glazes and/or diluted paints use a stencil brush, which the folks over at Royal Design Studio recommend.   I knew I’d never finish unless I used a roller.  I used a brush for corners and touch-ups.

    • painter’s tape.  Okay, I hate to diss a product, but the green tape pictured here – called Frog Tape, wasn’t strong enough to hold up the stencil. I’m sure it’s great for it’s intended purpose, but it wasn’t sticky enough for the Mylar stencil.  I ended up using the traditional blue painter’s tape.

    • patience.  Don’t expect to finish this in the amount of time it takes to simply paint a room.  The more care you take doing research, practicing, and lining up your stencil, the more beautiful the result will be.

    Optional:

    • a brayer:  you can purchase at your crafts/hobby store. If helps press the stencil flat on the wall more quickly than using your fingers.

    Also – I recommend practicing before you start stenciling, especially if you haven’t done it before.  I just used a large piece of cardboard.

    Sorry the picture is so blurry.  But whenever I moved the stencil I would line it up best I could and then check that it was level.

    Once level I’d secure it with some tape so it lays flat.  The flatter your stencil, the crisper your lines will be.  Also notice how the stencil is now covered in paint?  Since I was using undiluted latex, the paint would eventually make the registration marks impossible to see.  So every now and then I’d let the paint on the stencil dry, and then I could peel it right off like a film.  No water, soap, or scrubbing required.

    A close up of the result, once dried.

     

    Since it took me so long to finish the project, since I’ve been so busy at work, I never got that “wow” factor because I had been looking at it for so long before it was finished.  I wish I could walk into it finished without seeing it before!

     

    Mugs from our travels we keep in the glass cabinet.  They don’t coordinate, but they remind me of the places we’ve been.

    Aren’t these acorn squash pretty? They are from my parent’s farm, Chestnut Creek. (The website is designed by your’s truly)

    The matte paint over the gloss is surprisingly durable, though if you scrape it with something hard it does scratch, so I wouldn’t recommend matte over gloss for places that see a lot of movement.  It’s also not as “scrubbable” as eggshell, semi-gloss, or gloss.  Luckily we have a very large stone backsplash, and most of the cooking and what not only happens beneath the backsplash.

    So, what do you think of my first stab at stenciling?  I wish the color had been a little bit darker, but I’m happy with it.   We still have a lot of work to do in the kitchen.  I’d like to add a runner, organize our pantry, and fix the crooked cabinets.  Since it’s a rental, there’s only so much we can alter.

    Once again, many thanks go out to Royal Design Studio. Make sure you check back next week as I will be introducing a giveaway from Royal Design Studio, and I hope to reveal some of the DIYs I will be doing in the kitchen next week. I can give you a hint: it includes repurposing a piece of furniture to increase storage space, and another DIY that will allow you to gain the equivalent least an entire cabinet!

    *disclosure: I received the stencil as a sample from Royal Design Studio

  • Mantel decorating ideas for spring and summer

    Mantel decorating ideas for spring and summer

    Mantel Decorating

    My favorite part of decorating the house is bringing in small personal touches that make me smile each time I look at them, or showing off a collection I’ve grown over time. Mantel decorating is a great way to do just that, because nothing is permanent! You can change out a mantel like you would a shelf and make it the centerpiece of a room.

    Here are some great ideas to welcome spring via your mantel:

    Love the mantle and pouffe

    via theinspiredroom

    If you are really open for change, painting your mantel and fireplace surround in a warm white is a great way to brighten it up for spring. Just make sure you are really committed if your surround is brick, as stripping paint off of brick is pretty darn tedious.

    Loving this very clean and simple mantle with the white and gold accents.
    via Pinterest via Centsational Girl

    Mantel | Home | Design | Decor | Style | Fireplace...this looks very similar to our family room walls.  Like the chalkboard on the mantel

    via interiorsbystudiom

    You can’t go wrong with a quote. Make it something you want to remember each day or your latest mantra!  Got a cool set of pottery or ceramics? Showcase it on your mantle.

    Adding a chic mirror above your mantle is a great way to make the most of precious natural light and makes a stunning focal point.  The coral on the mantle is also a nice homage to summer.  I always like to decorate with natural objects whenever possible.’
    via BHG

    Use your mantle as a revolving art gallery.  I have way too many prints and little pieces of art from my travels to have all hanging at the same time, so I rotate them every few months.  The mantel is a great place to do that.

    via BHG

  • Mixing Pastels and Brights

    Mixing Pastels and Brights

    Usually when you plan out a room you know what color scheme you are looking for and if you are going for a more subtle look or a bold look. What if you wanted both?
    I’m seeing a lot of pastels mixed with pops of color on my instagram feed and I am loving it!
    Lovely colorful breakfast/ dining in the kitchen! Pastel blue banquette seating, Saarinen inspired table and blue painted chairs with a pop of brights in the art and light.:
    The fun part about using accent pieces is that if you change your mind later, you can grab a few new pillows or a painting and have a completely different room.
    Love how textures and prints are combined here, especially on the sofa - so many accents, but great together. apartment of Swedish designer Elina Dahl:
    It is so fun when two unexpected things come together to make something so unique and beautiful.
    This is my dream Lounge room, from the Mozi Cockatoo Lamp, Deer Heads and the Horse Canvas, everything just works, it's chic, and a bit kitsch. Just the right amount of colour, pattern and texture. ~Sarah Cockatoo lamp. I want one!:
    via lushome
    Sometimes you just need to have a little fun with home decor. 
  • Painting furniture

    Painting furniture

    We have a few pieces of furniture that I am thinking would look great with a quick touch of some paint and would really add some dimension to my decor. Before I get in too deep, I’d love to here some success, and maybe some not so successful stories!
    Have you done, would you do it, how did you do it!? I’d love to hear it all. 
  • Wall Art and Wall Decals

    Wall Art and Wall Decals

    My first response to a wall decal is that they are perfect for kids rooms and nurseries! Since kids are constantly changing what they love it’s a great way to decorate a room that’s not permanent but also doesn’t require you to repaint and accessories their rooms multiple times!

    A great modern living room. The wall pattern was created with square wall decals! Square/Diamond wall decals from CozyWallArt.com

    But I will say I am pretty impressed with some of the options I’ve found that aren’t necessarily just meant for children! Wall Decals are a great option for those who are renting and can’t paint their walls as well as for people who just aren’t interested in painting!

    Simple and elegant love wall decal featuring a heart detail from Cozy Wall Art.

    Quotes are a common when it comes to wall decals but sometimes you can find that perfect one that fits your style and gives your wall a touch of personality.

    Love with this dahlia inspired, modern wall decal. The flower wall decal would be a great faux headboard. Wall sticker at CozyWallArt.com

    My favorite wall decals are ones that look like artwork and not even like decal at all! This is a great option instead of spending a pricey amount on a piece of wall art. You can find these great decals at Cozy Wall Art.

    A simple and elegant cherry blossom branch wall decal. Elegant wall art for your home decor. Vinyl wall sticker from http://cozywallart.com/

    I love that this one makes a statement piece for a headboard. It looks as though it could be one major art piece as a headboard instead of just a wall decal!

  • Spring and summer mantel decorating ideas

    Spring and summer mantel decorating ideas

    My favorite part of decorating the house is bringing in small personal touches that make me smile each time I look at them, or showing off a collection I’ve grown over time. A great place to do that is the mantel, because nothing is permanent! You can change out a mantel like you would a shelf and make it the centerpiece of a room.

    Here are some great ideas to welcome spring via your mantel:

    Love the mantle and pouffe

    via theinspiredroom

    If you are really open for change, painting your mantel and fireplace surround in a warm white is a great way to brighten it up for spring. Just make sure you are really committed if your surround is brick, as stripping paint off of brick is pretty darn tedious.

    Loving this very clean and simple mantle with the white and gold accents.
    via Pinterest via Centsational Girl

    Mantel | Home | Design | Decor | Style | Fireplace...this looks very similar to our family room walls.  Like the chalkboard on the mantel

    via interiorsbystudiom

    You can’t go wrong with a quote. Make it something you want to remember each day or your latest mantra!  Got a cool set of pottery or ceramics? Showcase it on your mantle.

    Adding a chic mirror above your mantle is a great way to make the most of precious natural light and makes a stunning focal point.  The coral on the mantle is also a nice homage to summer.  I always like to decorate with natural objects whenever possible.’
    via BHG

    Use your mantle as a revolving art gallery.  I have way too many prints and little pieces of art from my travels to have all hanging at the same time, so I rotate them every few months.  The mantel is a great place to do that.

    via BHG

  • My kitchen reveal – check out our new paint job!

    My kitchen reveal – check out our new paint job!

    I’m so excited to share with you guys the brave feat of painting that just took place in our kitchen, which Chris and I moved into in August. I was lucky enough to have the gracious folks over at Royal Design Studio contact me to see if I’d like to do a stencil review on Decorology. Uh….yeah! I instantly knew the effect I wanted to get, which is a sheen effect.

    The inspiration for the look I wanted – a gloss/matte sheen effect  came from photos I’d collected similar to the one below:

    GORGEOUS!
    via ?

    So…here was our kitchen before…pretty standard for a 1 bedroom apartment in a building…

    And…here is the kitchen after…

    pretty drastic change right?

    The stencil I selected was the Large Marrakesh Trellis. Chris and I took a trip to Morocco two January’s ago, and the tiles and ornate plaster work will leave your jaw on the floor. The stencil reminded me of the tours we took of medersas in Fes and Marrakesh.

    The stencil as featured on the Royal Design Studio site

    An illustration of the stencil showing the registration marks and the scale.
    The stencil also came with some instructions and stencil care information.

    Once I received the stencil, and before setting off to paint – I did some research on how to achieve the look I wanted. Like most projects, prep work is key!

    The Royal Design Studio site offers a lot of resources and tips for stenciling. I got the basics from their Basic Stencil Techniques page for all over stencil patterns.

    I knew to achieve the look I wanted I would need the same paint color, but in different sheens.  I chose gloss and flat.  Here’s where I ran into a little issue.  Once I got the stencil I realized that, if I put down the solid flat coat first, the way the stencil is cut, most of the wall would end up being gloss.  I didn’t want that because I was afraid the room would be too shiny.  However, upon doing research and asking around, painting a solid base of the gloss and then painting the stencil in flat over the gloss wouldn’t work either, because the matte paint would not adhere to the gloss painted wall.  Hmmm…I was stuck.

    So, being the extremely stubborn woman I am, I did a little more research and came across the talented Megan Bouton, who was the genius behind this wall treatment:

    Check out her gorgeous dining room here.

    Just the look I wanted! So I wrote her asking what she did to get the matte paint to work over the gloss, and she was awesome enough to reply that she hadn’t done anything special, and that even a year later she can’t even scratch the matte off with her fingernail.

    So, I decided to give it a try, and here is my process and results

    First, we covered the walls in a high-gloss navy called “Royal Hyacinth” from Olympic. I hadn’t painted in high-gloss before, and it sure is shiny! It also required 3 coats to get everything of uniform “glossiness.” You also need to work with a nice wet roller, because if it gets too dry it will just lift up the some of the paint you just put on – which is super noticeable the glossier your paint is. We also taped off the edges with a standard blue painters tape.

    Some supplies you will NEED:

    • stencil spray adhesive. Don’t go with a general adhesive spray – that didn’t work for me.  Get a spray specifically for stencils at a craft or hobby store.  Also – wear a mask when you work with it – it’s not the most lung friendly stuff.

    • level.  very important for making sure you aren’t taping the stencil up out of line.

    • a small roller.  If you are working with glazes and/or diluted paints use a stencil brush, which the folks over at Royal Design Studio recommend.   I knew I’d never finish unless I used a roller.  I used a brush for corners and touch-ups.

    • painter’s tape.  Okay, I hate to diss a product, but the green tape pictured here – called Frog Tape, wasn’t strong enough to hold up the stencil. I’m sure it’s great for it’s intended purpose, but it wasn’t sticky enough for the Mylar stencil.  I ended up using the traditional blue painter’s tape.

    • patience.  Don’t expect to finish this in the amount of time it takes to simply paint a room.  The more care you take doing research, practicing, and lining up your stencil, the more beautiful the result will be.

    Optional:

    • a brayer:  you can purchase at your crafts/hobby store. If helps press the stencil flat on the wall more quickly than using your fingers.

    Also – I recommend practicing before you start stenciling, especially if you haven’t done it before.  I just used a large piece of cardboard.

    Sorry the picture is so blurry.  But whenever I moved the stencil I would line it up best I could and then check that it was level.

    Once level I’d secure it with some tape so it lays flat.  The flatter your stencil, the crisper your lines will be.  Also notice how the stencil is now covered in paint?  Since I was using undiluted latex, the paint would eventually make the registration marks impossible to see.  So every now and then I’d let the paint on the stencil dry, and then I could peel it right off like a film.  No water, soap, or scrubbing required.

    A close up of the result, once dried.

    Since it took me so long to finish the project, since I’ve been so busy at work, I never got that “wow” factor because I had been looking at it for so long before it was finished.  I wish I could walk into it finished without seeing it before!

    Mugs from our travels we keep in the glass cabinet.  They don’t coordinate, but they remind me of the places we’ve been.

    Aren’t these acorn squash pretty? They are from my parent’s farm, Chestnut Creek. (The website is designed by your’s truly)

    The matte paint over the gloss is surprisingly durable, though if you scrape it with something hard it does scratch, so I wouldn’t recommend matte over gloss for places that see a lot of movement.  It’s also not as “scrubbable” as eggshell, semi-gloss, or gloss.  Luckily we have a very large stone backsplash, and most of the cooking and what not only happens beneath the backsplash.

    So, what do you think of my first stab at stenciling?  I wish the color had been a little bit darker, but I’m happy with it.   We still have a lot of work to do in the kitchen.  I’d like to add a runner, organize our pantry, and fix the crooked cabinets.  Since it’s a rental, there’s only so much we can alter.

    Once again, many thanks go out to Royal Design Studio. Make sure you check back next week as I will be introducing a giveaway from Royal Design Studio, and I hope to reveal some of the DIYs I will be doing in the kitchen next week. I can give you a hint: it includes repurposing a piece of furniture to increase storage space, and another DIY that will allow you to gain the equivalent least an entire cabinet!

    *disclosure: I received the stencil as a sample from Royal Design Studio

  • Reveal 1 – our new apartment

    Reveal 1 – our new apartment

    So last week boyfriend and I looked far and wide for an apartment in DC, because he’s starting his masters program at GWU in the fall. We searched in multiple DC neighborhoods – Georgetown, The Hill around Eastern Market, Dupont Circle, Foggy BOttom, Shaw, Cleavland Park, Glover Park, etc. We also scoped out Arlington and Alexandria in Virginia, and Silver Spring and Bethesda in Maryland. While there were areas of DC we really liked – we couldn’t get the space we needed with our budget. I work from home and therefore require more space than if I left the house for an office each day. We also really fell in love with old town Alexandria, but the only thing we could find in our budget was a good 20 min walk from old town. In the end, we decided on an awesome Bethesda apartment. I’m from Maryland but had actually never been to Bethesda, and was really impressed. Where our apartment is situated is only a 7 minute walk from the subway, and we can walk to shops and restaurants. In DC we just didn’t have the budget to live close to shops and the subway.

    We also have around 750 sq ft and 2 huge closets! That’s unheard of in NYC and Brooklyn where I was living before. Anyway, I have to decide on paint choices. We want to keep the colors somewhat neutral because unless colors are “extreme,” we aren’t required to repaint when we move out.

    I took some pics of the place and did some photoshop magic to show you the 2 colors we are thinking of. I’m really loving gray lately – so I’m thinking gray for the bedroom, and a nice, creamy light aqua for the large living/dining space.

    So, these 4 pics are the bedroom

    These are the living room – which includes a dining nook

    Let me know what you think? Has anyone painted a room gray? I’ve been seeing it a lot, and I’m really liking it.

  • Hapy Friday – Beautiful art for art’s sake

    Hapy Friday – Beautiful art for art’s sake

    Having majored in illustration from RISD, my first love has always been painting and drawing, and it’ll always be close to my heart. So occasionally I like to feature painters and other artists that I discover and like. Here are my most recent finds

    Beautiful collages by mixed media artist Kristen Neveu



    This one is my favorite. Isn’t it gorgeous?
    See more at KristenNeveu.com

    These striking floral oil paintings are by Jo Beer. I discovered her while working on a design for a wedding invitation and needed a reference photo for ornamental kale. I ran across the painting below




    See more of Jo’s work at Jo Beer Art

    For those who are more into graphic design and poster, check out Fieldtrip’s etsy store.


    I love this origami heart poster

    …and the peace cranes. So pretty.