We purchased our house on our 9th wedding anniversary, April 29, 2015. However we weren't able to move in until the first week of May (let's not talk about that...), so we've been here for 6 months, almost to the day. In some ways it doesn't seem that long, but then I go through all my pictures and look back on everything I've done to this place and I'm surprised it hasn't been longer!
To give you an idea of what we started with, our house was built around 1990 and we bought it from the original owners who raised their 11 children here (what??!). It's a 6 bed 3 bath rambler with about 3700 sq ft divided between the main level and the basement, on 0.5 acres of land. From what I've been able to gather from neighbors and friends, the house had been vacant somewhere between 6-12 months before we moved in. On top of that, practically nothing had been updated since it was built, so the majority of the paint, flooring, carpet, cabinets, fixtures, etc. were original to the home. And as expected, all those kids took a toll on the house as well - the walls were patched, discolored, and dirty with crayon/marker all over, paint was chipping off the doors, the floors were worn, scratched, and dented, every room has a different color carpet, the list goes on. All very typical of what you'd expect from a house this old. Some may be turned off by all this, but this was EXACTLY what we had been looking for! There's nothing I love more than a good DIY project, and this house is full of them. Jackpot!
It was hard deciding where to start with so much that needed to be updated in our home, but I dove right in and began at the front of the house with the foyer and formal living room. Here are the before pictures. Anyone want to take a stab at what color that paint is in the foyer? The laminate looks a lot like hardwood, and it's pretty worn down, but I think it adds to the character of the home.
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| BEFORE: Foyer |
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| BEFORE: Formal Living Room |
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| BEFORE: Formal Living Room |
There's a lot of natural light in this home and so much wall space, so lots of decorating potential. Even though all my improvements were fairly inexpensive, they were quite labor intensive and I wanted to make sure that what I ended up doing was exactly what I wanted. I probably repainted our entire old house 3 times in the seven years we lived there, and even then I couldn't get the colors exactly right. Because I didn't do my research. Lesson learned.
Tip 1: Pinterest needs to become your new BFF.
Enter Pinterest. I researched the heck out of paint colors when we moved into this house. You can search any paint color and find at least half a dozen photos that show that color in different rooms with different lighting. The popular colors will have hundreds of photos. Either way, you'll at least have an idea of what you're getting yourself into with that specific color. Make sure the color you choose has the right undertones to go with your floor and decor. It really sucks to paint your wall a golden color that looks awesome on the paint chip only to find out it literally looks like baby poop on your wall. I speak from experience, friends. Please learn from my mistakes. In order to prevent said color fiasco from happening again, I even bought paint samples and tattooed every wall in the house with 7 different colors. In the end, the best indicator of what the color would look like was how it appeared on Pinterest. I'm not saying that testing samples is a bad thing, but I think unless you paint the entire wall, or at least a large portion of it, paint samples aren't going to do you any good. This brings me to...Tip 2: If you're going to sample paints, buy them from Sherwin-Williams, always.
Always. And for good reasons. Yes, there are many. 1) Sherwin-Williams color matches everything, even for their sample pots. 2) Their sample pots are almost a full quart instead of just a pint like Benjamin Moore's samples. 3) And for half the price of any other brand's samples! SW quart color pot: $6, BM sample pint: $7, Behr quart: $16. Need I say more? Probably not, but I will. There is a disclaimer on the SW color pots that the sample paint isn't meant for long-term paint jobs because the paint make-up isn't the same as the real stuff (??), but I've never had a problem using their samples for my small paint jobs. I mean, for $6 does it really matter if it doesn't last forever? For instance, I used two SW sample pots to paint my accent wall in the formal living room (scroll down for pictures) and haven't had any problems whatsoever. Of course, there isn't primer in the sample pots as there is in most regular paints, so you'll want to be sure you're not painting over anything that would need more coverage without priming first.
*Side note: I use SW color pots for EVERYTHING. And I do mean everything - from my painted dressers, to my kitchen island, to my kitchen floor. More on those in upcoming posts. You seriously can't go wrong with those sample pots. Have I convinced you yet?
I digress...back to Tip 1 and Pinterest. Here are some of my paint color inspiration photos that I used for this area, or click here to see my entire Pinterest board.
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Because Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter has such stellar reviews on Pinterest, literally hundreds of pictures and satisfied bloggers, I knew it couldn't be a bad choice. I was looking for something neutral and it fit the bill perfectly. It's one of those "greige" colors so it looks more beige or gray depending on the light. (Spoiler alert: I loved this color so much that I've used it throughout my entire house. More on that later.) I also really loved the idea of Sherwin-Williams Sea Salt as it's one of those chameleon colors that looks either blue, green, or gray depending on the light, and has been trending as a new neutral. However I was afraid to commit to something not classically neutral as blues and I have not met on the best of terms in the past (he was friends with the baby poop wall color in our old home...maybe more on that later, too). Instead of giving up completely on the Sea Salt, I opted for a striped accent wall. I mean, why not? I have the perfect space in our formal living room - the wall that juts out just like the black and white striped inspiration photo above. So that's what I did. When the time came to buy paint, there was no way I could afford actual BM and SW brands, so...
Tip 3: For heaven's sake, color match!
That's right, color match. Unless you're absolutely loyal to the more expensive paint brands or you're painting something that requires a specific type of paint like cabinets, use the name brands for their colors then ditch them to the curb. You'll save hundreds. I received a bunch of 20% off coupons to Lowe's after we moved, so that's where I bought all my paint. I've always used Behr in the past, but decided to go with Valspar because that 20% off really adds up when you're buying multiple 5-gallon buckets. The Valspar Signature in eggshell ran about $116 for 5 gallons after the coupon and I found the color match to BM Revere Pewter to be spot on. I also color matched Benjamin Moore Hale Navy in Valspar's exterior paint in semi-gloss for all my exterior doors and that matched perfectly as well. For the small accent wall I used the $6 quart-sized color pots from Sherwin-Williams in Sea Salt and color matched to BM White Dove (color pots only come in satin).
Tip 4: Invest in good painting supplies.
If you want to cut down on mistakes and make the most of the time you spend painting, make sure you're using the right supplies for the job.
1) Get a good angle brush for cutting in around the ceiling, baseboards, windows, light fixtures, etc. My absolute favorite is a Purdy 2" angle brush. I've had mine for years. She's like a child to me.
2) A sturdy roller tray that can take a beating. I like this one from Home Depot. I've been using the same tray for years. What's my secret? Line the inside of the tray with heavy duty tinfoil before pouring in the paint. Makes for an easy, no mess clean up. You're welcome.
4) Ziploc bags to keep your paint from drying out - the gallon size fit perfectly over the cans with the pour spout on, and the sandwich or snack size bags work great for my angle brush.
5) Quality rollers. I used to think that the roller I used didn't make much of a difference. Wrong. Use a high quality roller like Wooster Pro Classic rollers. I've found that the nap lasts longer and they hold more paint than the cheaper varieties.
6) Frog Tape. I've used every kind of the blue stuff, but it just doesn't compare to the crisp lines you'll get from using Frog Tape. Just make sure that you follow the instructions for using it on top of freshly painted surfaces. It sticks best if you wait 24 hours for the paint to dry before taping over it (like for stripes).
7) A handheld paint cup with a magnet for the paint brush like this one. I don't know why it took me so long to buy one of these. They're amazing and comfortable, they hold your paintbrush so you don't have to leave it in the paint, and it's less than $3! I use this every time I have to do any cutting in.
8) I do all my cutting in by hand. It takes a very long time, but I have a very steady hand and I get much better results than I've had with tools that cut in for you. However, if you don't feel confident in your ability to cut in by hand then you may want to consider using a paint edger.
Tip 5: Paint efficiently and effectively.
There is a method to the madness of painting things. I'll just focus on the walls for this post, but I'll touch on doors, cabinets, floors, dressers, etc. in a later post.
1) Work on one room or area at a time. Depending on how large the area is that I'm working on, I edge about as much as I think I can completely finish in 2 days. That way if I lose steam, at least I have part of the room completely finished instead of the entire room outlined in paint for weeks or months. If I'm working on a bedroom, I'll usually tackle the whole thing in a day or two. Whereas when I painted our 1800 sq ft basement, I broke it down into sections and just did a few walls and hallways at a time.
2) Remove all light switch plates and outlet covers. Because you don't want to waste your time trying to tape around something that can be unscrewed and removed in 30 seconds. Don't be that guy.
3) Do all your cutting in first. I start with the baseboards because I think it sucks the most and I just want to get it out of the way. I paint all the corners as I go, painting about as high as I can reach without a ladder. Then I get my ladder out and edge the ceiling, around windows and light fixtures, and the rest of the corners that I couldn't reach. Make sure to paint on a nice thick coat about 3-4" around the area you're edging. Not so thick that it's drippy, but thick enough that you won't have to go around and do a second coat, and tall enough that you won't risk hitting the baseboards, ceiling, trim, etc. when you roll. Because that will make you cry.
4) Roll your first coat. The first coat you roll will always take the longest because you need to make sure you cover every inch of the wall with paint. I've used both a roller and a roller with an extension rod, but I prefer the plain roller. I find that yields the best results because I have more control over how much pressure I'm putting on the roller which makes for better paint coverage. I'll work in sections, rolling the bottom half first, then getting out my ladder and rolling the top half. Make sure you have some overlap between your edging and your rolling so you don't miss any spots. Let that dry for about 30-60 minutes before rolling a second coat. Make sure you put your roller in a Ziploc bag while you wait so you can reuse it for the second coat. You might also consider putting the wrapped up roller in the fridge if it'll be a few days before you're able to get back to painting.
5) Roll your second coat. If it looks like the paint in your tray has started drying to the tinfoil, toss it and get a new piece of foil before pouring more paint. If the paint has started drying and you pour fresh paint on top of it, you'll end up with stringy, gooey, half-dried paint boogers on your roller. Not good. You don't have to be quite so anal about this coat since you're mostly trying to cover up any splotchy areas left from the first coat. I still roll floor to ceiling, but I'm just not so careful to get as much coverage as I got with the first coat.
a) This is where you tape off for stripes. Make sure you wait at least 12-24 hours for maximum tape adhesion before taping off your stripes. Also, you should have painted the lighter stripe color over the entire wall first. You'll be filling in the stripes with the darker color. I used a tape measure and a level to measure and tape my stripes - use whatever works best for you.
b) Paint two coats of the second color. Some suggest painting the base color over the tape to prevent bleed-through, but I haven't really had that problem when I use Frog Tape. I'd rather use a paintbrush to fix the bleed through than have to wait another hour for the paint to dry. Yep, I'm impatient.
c) Remove tape once paint has dried. Again, some suggest removing the tape as soon as you're done painting, but Frog Tape can be left on an obscene number of days and still peel off just fine. I think it's less dangerous to just wait for your paint to dry rather than risk smearing your new paint job.
6) Replace all light switch plates and outlet covers. Wait 30-60 minutes for the paint to dry and then screw everything back on.
7) Instagram the crap outta that room. You did it! Grab yourself a Diet Coke, stage your perfect photo, slap on a filter, and send it into the Instagram world so everyone will know of your mad painting skills and insane ability to pick the perfect paint color.
Without further ado, the afters!
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| AFTER: Foyer. Don't mind our pumpkin decorations or leftover Halloween candy. Walls: BM Revere Pewter Door: BM Hale Navy Light fixture: $7 at local thrift store, spray painted Rustoleum ORB, then hung it myself (high five!) Console table: $20 at local thrift store Rug: $14 at Ross Baskets: $5 each on clearance at Kohl's |
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| AFTER: Foyer Curtains: Made from Elly dish towels from IKEA ($3.99/4 pack) Vases, greens, and picture frame: $1-5 at local thrift store, spray painted Rustoleum Heirloom White and Rustoleum Bright Coat Gold Crocheted doily: Made by my mom for our wedding |
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| AFTER: Formal Living Room. Stripes: SW Sea Salt and BM White Dove Wall: BM Revere Pewter Dresser: $25 at my local thrift store, painted BM Leap of Faith, antiqued and stained the top with Minwax Dark Walnut, original knobs sprayed Rustoleum ORB Mason jars and all the crap in the dresser: $0.25-$3 at my local thrift store Floral arrangements and vases: Joann Fabrics Doily: Made by my mom |
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| AFTER: Formal Living Room Light fixture: $5 at my local thrift store Pleather couch: Big Lots Floor to ceiling storage cabinets: IKEA Billy Bookcases |
Now it's your turn. Get up and paint that room! You'll feel so much better once that fresh coat of paint is up. Tell me all about your favorite colors, and let me know if you've got any tips and tricks of your own to add to this list.
Thanks for reading! xo Amanda
Thanks for reading! xo Amanda
Awesome work!!! Maybe a few more of these posts and I'll be motivated to try something myself!
ReplyDeleteAwesome work!!! Maybe a few more of these posts and I'll be motivated to try something myself!
ReplyDelete