My motivation to complete house projects comes when I get ready to entertain. I will be hosting a house full of friends soon and that is the perfect way for me to finally tackle some much needed projects around the house. So when a representative from the Paint Brush Cover contacted me to review their product, I was on board! I had some walls that needed retouching around the home, but knowing me, I never finish a painting project in one sitting. I might do one wall one day and then move on to the next wall a few days later. But, I always dread washing out the paint brushes! Sometimes, they are still wet when I am ready to start painting again. But luckily, I don’t have to worry about that any longer! The Paint Brush Cover allows you to keep your paint filled brush safe in an airtight container for days, even weeks! Made of a clear, durable plastic, it ensures that your paint brush stays safe and ready to use, no matter how much it’s tossed around.
DIY: Painting A Ceramic Tile Backsplash
Well, the project is complete! I know you might be wondering if this was worth it and if I’m glad I did it… the answer is yes!! I was so excited to modernize my tiles a bit and go for a cleaner, more updated look. My tiles were white, which was great, but they had flowers scattered throughout the backsplash.
Before
Total cost for this project… $48.00! In the future, I’m sure we’ll replace it with something different, but I will enjoy this for a long time.
Creating Contrast in Your Rooms
I received an e-mail recently from a reader, asking about my dining room transformations and how to choose the best color in your space. I thought it would be a great post to present on the blog and open up the discussion with all of you! My original paint color in the dining room was Bungalow Gold by Eddie Bauer. While I enjoyed the color for a while {7 years, to be exact!}, I needed a change. So, I decided to stencil one wall, after receiving a free stencil for a product review.
While the stencil was fun and something new, I still wasn’t feeling it. I realized the main reason why, was because there was not enough contrast in the room. The oak floors blended with the table, which blended with the walls. I have been meaning to make some of my spaces lighter and brighter, and I knew this was the room to start! This space did not need another warm tone… it had too many, already. What this space needed was some contrast. It needed a cooler color in the blue/gray/green family. Fast forward to my decision… and we have Halo, by Benjamin Moore. I love that it appears almost white when the sun is shining, yet provides that cool tone of gray/green that this room needed. I know I have already shown the dining room reveal here, but I thought it was also worth mentioning why this color was chosen and how to achieve contrast in your home. Here is the new paint color:
For me, adding a cooler color helped to break up all the similar tones, and I am so much happier. The paint brush can be put down, for now!
One Door Down…
I am excited to show you a recent change we made in our foyer! I have been thinking about painting our interior doors black for quite a while. I love this look and believe it can work with many different design styles. It sounds like a dramatic change, but truly adds depth and character to any space. There are some blog posts, images on pinterest or magazines that just help me make decisions and go for it! (Does that ever happen to you too?) I am very confident when making decisions for client spaces but sometimes indecisive when it comes to my own home. When I recently saw Emily’s post from her blog, A Well Dressed Home, I knew that I had found the right color for our doors. I immediately got to work and here is the after…
After…
The paint color is Dragon’s Breath by Benjamin Moore, and I am in love. It’s a muddy, gray/black that shows very soft in person. I went with an eggshell finish to avoid a very glossy look. I knew when going with a dark color, the glossier it gets, the more imperfections it shows. This door did have some dents, but doesn’t show at all with this finish. I also like the way the brass knob and locks show against the black. A useful tip when painting doors, is to use a fine tip artist brush when going around molding and window openings. It allowed me to get into the crevices without a lot of clean up and painter’s tape! I know we all love a little before and after, so let’s take you back to how it looked before…
Before…
And after…
Sorry about the lighting on some of these pictures. The sunshine changes everything! Besides the door color, a lot has changed since the ‘before’ shot. We have replaced the coat rack with a bench, pillow and driftwood mirror. Our fun ceramic horse is on display and we replaced the ceiling fixture with a more dramatic drum shade light. I have also decided to take out the sheers on the door’s windows for good. I think it updates the entrance a bit more.
So like I said in the title of the post… one door down! I plan on painting most of our interior doors this color and also move on to finishing our railings.
Black Trim Beauties
Little changes in home decor tend to yield the biggest results. Just a change of paint color can dramatically transform a room from ok to wow. That always makes me feel happy, because dramatic changes can also be easy on the wallet! Recently, I have began to love the look of black trim on the windows. I think it adds a bit of glam to the space. It really makes you take notice! Lately, I have even started looking at beautiful rooms and thinking, this space would be perfect with black trim on the windows. Here are some gorgeous images of rooms that have taken the plunge with black trim:
I love all of the different examples of how black trim can be used. And what I love best, is that it can work with a super traditional space or ultra modern! This spring, I will definitely be adding some black paint to some of our interior doors and trim!
My Painting Tips and More After Photos
I am so happy that our room painting is complete! It was a huge task with lots of walls and brush cutting around doorways and windows. And since wall painting is not one of my favorite tasks, I had to approach this project in a way that I could manage! Here are some more after photos of our kitchen and family rooms:
And here are my tips for a manageable painting experience (for those of us who don’t like it!)
1. Set aside time that is quiet and all to yourself. It allows you to not get distracted and really focus. I had the tv on to HGTV for some background inspiration!
2. Start painting on a full stomach, so you are energized to go and off to a great start.
3. For me, this step was key: work on only one wall a day! Since I was painting over dark walls, I knew I needed 2-3 coats to get the look just right. There was no way I was going to paint a bunch of walls this way in one night. So, I just focused on perfecting one wall a day. This way, I didn’t get tired and sloppy with the paint job and the end was always in sight! Also, try not to stop in the middle of a wall- the sheen might look different when going back to it another day. When you stop in a corner or at the end of a wall, you would never know the difference!
4. Make sure you buy enough paint in one visit to the store! (I have made this mistake before and it cost me!) When you go back to the store to get more of the same color made, it might not be exact. A different employer might add a drop more of a color when mixing, causing the color to be a tad different. So if you’re still working on the same wall, you might see a difference!
5. And last but not least, buy quality rollers, brushes and paint! If you ever need to clean your walls, make sure you go with an eggshell finish or paint that can be wiped down and scrubbed! And great rollers and brushes speed up your finish time, give a great paint job and resist splatter!
These were my go to tips that got me through! I don’t feel too burned out and actually might start another room soon! More to follow on that…..