For me, 2009 represents a year of color! When I bought my house, ALL (and I mean ALL) of the interior walls were stark white. The problem is......they are still stark white! I cannot stand plain white walls all over a house/apartment and now that I finally own my own home, this has GOT to change. So.....I have big task in front of me....well - actually two. One of them is the actual painting, but the other one is picking out the colors for the rooms & common space!I know that I will need to hire someone to do some parts of the house (my open staircase from the main floor to the 2nd floor - I can't get at those high walls/ceilings in that stairway), but I really want to try and do as much of it myself as possible (to prove I can do it, to learn how to do it, and to save money).
But....the first task is to pick out colors! I love decorating, but this is a very difficult task for me because I am not one of those super artistic people who can picture what the 'finished product' will look like by comparing swatches or paint chips. I need some visionaries!! So, this March I'm putting my visitors to work for a few minutes (hopefully before they start drinking margaritas) - they get to help me pick out room colors!
Get ready Renee, Jamie, Rachel, Toni, Beth & Stacie - I need your help adding color to my house and I need advice!!
Also - if you have done interior painting before, I would LOVE it if you could give me some tips to save time, money or heartache. Any war stories from painting your house? Have you found anything that really works well? Any and all advice, tips and do's/don'ts are welcome!!
5 comments:
I'm so with you on this Lauri! I haven't committed to any color yet...that is too big of a decision at this time. Hopefully your friend can help out. :) Abby
Make sure that if your paint roller is fuzzy, that you use your hands or your vacuum to remove the fuzz first, or you will regret it. Make sure to tape your baseboards with the blue paint tape before you start. I personally like using the long metal edge pieces to paint along edges, rather than the flat thing with little wheels. And make sure that you paint in W shaped strokes with the roller. Oh, and last but not least, make sure you are using the right finish of paint for the room that you are painting (ie, don't use flat paint in the bathroom). Home Depots paints work pretty well. Oddly enough, so does the Wal-Mart brand (the ghetto Wal-Mart in Bloomington closed).
You can actually use duct tape on the roller first to take off the excess lint. Also, purchase one of those small handheld paint buckets. They are plastic containers (about a quart size) that you can pour paint into from a gallon can to save yourself from carrying around the whole gallon for "cutting in" and trim work. I'll send you a picture of one via email.
I don't like using the painter's tape unless I am using around my wood cupboards or something like that. Don't bother with it at the ceiling, etc. Once you get some practice in you will find the tape just allows paint to ooze through certain spots anyhow and it's probably better to take your time and do a decent job "cutting in" without the tape. I did that for the first time in this house and it actually turned out pretty well (I must say). There may have been a few spots to touch up, but not many and I was able to fix those with ceiling paint (if you are going to be buying some anyhow).
The flat thing with wheels that LTL is talking about definitely doesn't work. LTL is right about that. I don't know about the metal edge piece.
I would suggest Behr paint from Home Depot if you do not want to go over your walls three times. I know the professional painters like Sherwin William's paint, but I swear it's because they can spend three hours instead of one hour painting a room! :) Getting paid by the hour of course. No, I guess they like that thinner paint because they can go around and touch up well or something... that's what they say. But I like doing one or two coats of Behr and getting it over with. (just my opinion though)
They have a new formula of kitchen/bathroom paint that is now supposed to resist mold as well. Not sure how, but that's what they claim.
I like Satin in most other rooms myself, but Michael prefers semi-gloss. I won. LOL
Good Luck!
~Lottie
Oh... and Purdy paint brushes are the best. Expensive, but worth it for a good look and longevity of use. Also, get a couple of those fancy little paint can openers. They are great! And don't forget the stir sticks!!
~Lottie
That will be fun! ....and because I know you, don't agonize over a color, you can change it if you don't like it. Just pick and go with it! It will be better than white!
Post a Comment