ohbrooke

A Makeover and a Giveaway!

It sounds impossible, but painting straight lines is easy to do. I helped my friend update her master bedroom with a few straight lines and a strie paint technique. This only took about three hours of work and a thirty minute trip to TJ Maxx for Accessories.

The secret to a great line when you’re painting is getting the right tape! Scotch’s Blue Painter’s Tape with Edge-Lock will give you great results each time if you do this secret extra step. Check out my little video on how I tape off lines (please disregard the fact that I think my hair is long enough to wear a pony-tail when it’s not). The really dimply wall texture Shannon had put this tape to the test, but we had almost no touch up to do!

Here are the before pics:

Here are the after pics:

The stripe behind the low bed draws your eye up, making the room look bigger. The natural look of the strie ties in the shells on the lamps and the other browns in the room. It helps give the room dimension.

We mirrored the stripe on the opposite wall behind the dresser.

Close-Up of the Strie:

Here’s a quick look video at the before and after.

Now for the Giveaway!

Scotch is giving away a FREE ROLL OF Blue Painter’s Tape with Edge Lock to 16 READERS! Leave a comment below for your chance to win!

Comments will close at midnight PST on Wednesday Jan. 26 2011. Good Luck!

Before and After: Freebie Cabinet

I came across this cute little cabinet on Craigslist for free about a month back. Did I have a *NEED* for a new cabinet? No. Could I leave it helpless on someone’s curb? Hell no. Ha! Okay, maybe it wasn’t that serious, but I’m a furniture nurse and this little lady had a long road to recovery with no health insurance. I couldn’t sit idly by!

Luckily for me, the previous owner did most of the stripping/sanding; there was very little left to do! I think this used to be some kind of mid-century built-in cabinet because it had some oddities. For one thing, the top only had an overhang on one side, and not on the other. It also had a notch cut out on one side. I bought a new top and got a fancy little trim to hide the old edge.

Since I didn’t have a *NEED* for this cabinet, I painted it a neutral black hoping that it could be used in different places until I settled on the right spot. Doesn’t mean it can’t be a little fun on the inside! I used my favorite Rust-Oleum Ultracover2x spray paint {with comfort nozzle}, and in retrospect wished I painted the inside yellow. Oh well.

I tend to move my furniture around a lot – so I added casters so it would move more easily, and because who doesn’t love casters?

Made a little brass cleaner with household items to shine up the ultra-cool lion-head pulls.

Primed with my new favorite Zinsser primer {seriously heavy-duty primer!}, and painted with Glidden’s Satin Black.

So, remember the before?

Here she is, discharged and thriving:

Dresser Before and After

…And you thought I’d be bored on my Maternity Leave…

This dresser was a wedding present from my mom, and we’ve had it for over 7 years. I love this dresser. I even loved it white but it was getting pretty dirty after so many moves. Here are the highlights:

• The dresser was almost raw wood so dusting and very little sanding was needed
• I had four of those little knobs left over from another project, so I decided to save a little money and use these knobs instead of purchasing a whole new set. I was able to purchase the remaining knobs at Home Depot.
• Paint color was Elegant Silk Interior Satin Latex Valspar Paint from Lowes. This was my first time using Valspar and my review is mixed. I thought the coverage was great but the paint dried too fast. Of course, this has to do with many variables, such as the weather, but I had to work in double speed to not leave brush marks
• I almost never have a plan when I head out to get paint. I knew I wanted a fun color, and that’s about it. I spent about 10 minutes looking for a color, and decided on this fun teal. I like how it looks with the black and white and even lime green {risky move!} in my bedroom.

Here are some tips for a quick paint job

Roll the paint first using a small roller.

Get the paint into the crevices with a brush. Use the same brush to smooth out the nap marks left by the roller. Be sure to go with the grain of the wood and make your brushstroke last the entire length or width of the brush so it doesn’t leave a mark where you started or where you ended.

Keep the bottom of the piece raised a little bit. I had my dresser on a furniture mover so it was elevated and I could easily rotate it to paint comfortably. You can use little pieces of cardboard underneath each corner so you can be sure to get paint along the very bottom of the piece.

Glidden Paint Review: A Success

I was approached recently to do a paint review for Glidden. I do a lot of painting and have used several brands, but this was my first attempt at using Glidden paint: it passed the test.

It was a good excuse for a much needed project. After hanging my T-shirt art, it became ever apparent that the my stark white master bathroom needed to be painted.  I used Glidden’s interior satin in Haystack and it was a painter’s dream: I only needed ONE COAT! Since we are the first owners of the condo we live in, all of the walls hadn’t been painted, and I found out the hard way, that most of the walls hadn’t even been primed. I learned this after 3 coats of paint on our ceilings in the great room and kitchen. What. A. Project.

I’m happy to report, however, that the Glidden paint covered the semi-gloss starkness with ease, and was really great to work with. I didn’t use tape for this project, but I’m certain when pulling tape that the paint will stay put.

I also used the Glidden paint to do the stencil work in my nursery. This was another example of great paint coverage and finish.

I have one more project I want to attack with this Glidden paint, but my mind is already made up: it compares equally with Behr, my favorite paint to date. They have the same price tag, the same great coverage, and both nearly measure up to the higher end Benjamin Moore. I will DEFINITELY choose Glidden for future projects!

Here is my sad bathroom when we first bought our condo.

And here’s what the bathroom looks like now, {with Glidden’s ‘Haystack’ interior satin paint}

It’s still a little sparse, but it’s a step closer. And do I hate the lights in this bathroom? Yes, but nothing will ever be perfect.

Create Your Own Wall Stencils

I wanted to do some geometric shapes on the wall in the baby room, so I created a stencil. Start to finish on this project is about 1-2 hours.

Pick your shape

You can trace fabric, freehand, or create your own shape. I used one of Tristan’s Photoshop brushes.

Trace your shape

Trace your shape onto the stencil surface. I used leftover shelf-liner {contact paper}. It has a sheen on it, which means it won’t get soggy or ruined like paper would. You can also use posterboard to create the stencil.

Cut out your stencil

I added thickness to my shape. Remember that if you have a shape like mine, you need to leave pieces of the inner portion attached to the outer portion or you’ll have a hole.

Start stenciling

Tape your stencil on the wall with blue painter’s tape. You may need to use your fingers to hold parts of the stencil down to get a crisp line.

I’m using a mini roller cover I had, because I thought it would work best, but you can use a stencil brush, foam brush or sponge.

Get in the corners

I always think it adds interest for your stencils to round the corners. Just use your free hand to help lay the stencil flat in the corner.

If your stencil gets yucky…

Just wipe it off, let it dry, or make a new one.

Clean Up

You can always fix mistakes. Keep a wet paper towel nearby. If you pull your stencil off and see that the paint has bled, you can easily wipe it off. Once it’s dry, just touch up with the wall paint. You should go back and fill in the gaps that were left by the stencil, but in this case, I like how they look. I’m going to keep ‘em.

Painting Tips

By now, I am half-way to Oahu, but I wanted to share some trusty tips that help me get through painting a room. Over the Labor Day weekend, I decided to finally paint our guest bedroom grey. And I found the PERFECT grey (Behr Premium Plus Antique Beige).

To my surprise, Behr (At Home Depot) has a new line of paint that is primer + paint in one. The walls are so new in our condo that I’ve had to prime EVERYTHING, which turns into a big fat hassle, and is probably why it has taken me a year to paint that final bedroom. BUT, with this new Behr Premium Plus Ultra, I was done in two coats.

Despite the fact that I have painted nearly 100 rooms in my lifetime, I didn’t want to use up a whole day to paint. 3-day weekend? I needed to do some movie watching and eating and shopping too. So… these are my tricks:

1. The Handy Paint Pail - This is a lifesaver. See how that brush is rested nicely on the edge of the pail? There’s a magnet there so you can set your brush down without getting messy. It also has a square lip on the opposite side where you can remove the excess paint from your brush before you start painting… no drips! I always start painting a room with this paint pail, so I can cut in the baseboards, door trim, window moldings, and ceiling. I don’t use tape for those jobs, you can see in the background of the picture, I just cut it in by hand, and with practice, you’ll hardly need to touch up afterward. I only have one of these pails, and I don’t lend it out, for fear that I’ll lose it!

2. But with my tall ceilings, I didn’t cut the whole room in at the same time. I needed a snack and a nap, you see. So I wrapped it up with a grocery bag, air-tight, and I can keep it that way for about a day or so without remorse. The paint won’t harden and your brush won’t dry up.

3. Same goes for the paint rollers and tray. When you let the room dry before the second coat, no need to rinse out the rollers just yet. Use a kitchen trash bag to tie them up tight for later.

4. And because this paint was particularly stinky in my teeny-tiny 3rd bedroom, we wore respirators so we didn’t go loopy. We ARE smiling under there…

Wall Stripes: Subtle or Circus?

It is becoming popular to paint stripes on walls, and rightfully so. The technique has the same feel as wallpaper, but in my opinion, looks better and is easier to replace. While noticing this trend, I have also noticed the good, the bad, and the ugly.

My theory on wall stripes is: less contrast is better. It is easy for your striped wall to morph into a circus-tent-feel if you aren’t cautious with the colors. For example: painting a baby boy’s room – it might sound cute to paint the walls blue and brown. Naturally, blue and brown look good together, but on the walls it will be too intense. Instead opt for dark blue stripes and light blue stripes, a less-contrast option,  to avoid that circus look.

My favorite stripe effect? Sheen on sheen. Once, I had my bedroom painted a celery green, and the stripes were flat celery, and shiny celery. It was subtle, charming, and non-invasive. This can be achieved by painting the first wall color in a flat sheen, and masking off and painting the stripes with glaze or with the same color in a satin sheen.

Here’s what I mean by ‘the good’:

Here’s what I mean by the bad {and ugly}:

Of course, everyone has their own tastes and opinions, and this is just mine. This is a rule I like to stick to, and it hasn’t failed me yet!

image credits {in order of appearance):

kris omalley
shannon nicole design
igloodgn.blogspot.com
garay artisans
bookhuntersholiday.wordpress.com
mobcreative.ca
brenna-girl.blogspot.com
www.mackpainting.com

How to Pick a Wall Color, Part II

My sister, decorative painter and interior designer, was featured in this month’s issue of Sunset Magazine. In the article, she helps Sunset’s editor, Allison Arieff, choose a wall color for her dining room. Allison’s sister is daring with color and picks palettes on a whim and it always turns out great. Allison has had bad luck with colors, but was ready to take the plunge. Here is an exerpt from the article:

So what does Kaye suggest? Well, it’s somewhat ironic, really, because in this case, the color consultant’s cure-all is the very antithesis of color. “You have a lot of color in your furniture and accessories,” Kaye observes. “Most people are afraid to do that. But for the dining room, I’d pick a color you can start to tie things together with, something to enhance things. I’m thinking a pale shade of gray.”

You can read the full article at Sunset Magazine, and learn more about Shannon Kaye at ShannonKaye.com.

How to Pick a Wall Color

Picking a wall color seems to stump everybody. I get asked to pick wall colors frequently and I always use the same logic to pick the right wall color to suit a client/friend/family member.

Unless it’s a brand new room, I don’t pick any random color in a deck. It has to make sense. I will look around the space, and find things that the homeowner is most fond of that has patterns or colors that they feel signify them and the feel of their home. This is usually a pillow, painting, rug or other piece of art. From there, I pick the wall color.

After I have chosen a hue, I can then decide the saturation. Depending on the size of the room, the feel of the home or the personality of the homeowner, I can direct how bright or dull the color should be. Here are some examples of colors that can be taken from what you already have in your home, and how you can bring them together.

Here are some examples of how I have discovered color swatches:

Here are things I have learned along the way:

1. The color is always brighter than it looks on the swatch. Swatches are tiny, and whenever possible, buy paint samples (as available at Benjamin Moore) so you can see the paint on the actual wall.

2. Lighting varies. A color will look completely different under flourescent lighting, sunlight, low-light, etc. View your color in the room at all levels of light before you commit.

3. You get what you pay for. Buying cheap paint will never leave you satisfied. My favorite brand is Benjamin Moore, and my favorite alternate brand is Behr from Home Depot. I have always been happy with these brands.

4. Tint your primer. If you are covering a dark wall, ask to have your primer tinted to the new color. This will require less coats of paint.

5. Learn from the experts! I have had the opportunity to work with four great color experts, all of which can be seen on television. They have great tips and excellent control over color, each in their own way:

Shannon Kaye – interior designer and decorative painter

David Bromstad - interior designer and artist

Danielle Hirsch – decorative painter

Karen McAloon - interior designer

Condo Chronicles: The Guest Bedroom

My extremely talented mother made me some gorgeous curtains for my much-neglected guest bedroom. This teeny-tiny room is home to a queen-sized bed, an adorable re-vamped vintage dresser, and every other posession I own that I’m not quite sure what to do with. Well, her beautiful drapes have left me with no option: I must do them justice and finish the room. I’m calling it my flea-market bedroom, because the pieces in the room are rare, well-loved and unique!

Also, see the pillows my mom whipped up with some scrap fabric I had, and a burlap pillow I made to compliment them.

Now, I need to pick a paint color and a finish. I, of course, cannot just paint a solid wall color because, well, it’s just not how I work. I like too many colors, too many patterns, and to paint a solid color would put me to sleep. I was a smart and coservative homeowner with my cremes and beiges in the other rooms, but with a guest bedroom, it’s time to have a little fun. Below are some swatch ideas, and I’ll be looking for pattern ideas. Hint: I think a painted headboard is in store.

Notice my colors aren’t too vibrant – I’ll be stuffing that room chock full of colors and patterns, and I don’t need the walls competing.

Images from Benjamin Moore’s Virtual Fan Deck

Shannon Kaye (my sister) on View From The Bay

My adorable and talented sister was on View From The Bay on ABC Network yesterday. She did a spot on creating your own stencils with posterboard, tracing paper and an X-Acto knife. This is such a great way to make patterns in your home. You can design your own, or Shannon says she gets her inspiration from fabrics and artwork.

Check out the video here… click on the segment titled “Personalize Your Space with Stencils.”

Love This

Wonderful Graffiti creates all kinds of different vinyl lettering for a range of projects. I love this set of vinyls as applied to a painted vintage highboy.

screenshot from http://www.workstatetest.com/.

Condo Chronicle: Living Room Makeover

Still in dire need of small decorative items, but the transformation is nearly complete. Here are the before and after pictures of the living room in our new condo.

Highlights:

• Walls painted a warm beige color (Lady Finger) by Benjamin Moore. Ceiling painted slightly darker for a cozy feeling
• New dark chocolate hardwood floors
• New ceiling fan with dark blades to match the flooring, brushed metal finish on the lights
• Brushed metal star lanterns hung from the ceiling
• New sofa from Basset Furniture
• Refinished vintage dresser with drawers removed as TV bench
• Mounted TV
• Velour drapes from Ikea
• Inner drapes: Coverlets from Target on curtain rings
• Moorish Tile rug from Pottery Barn
• Frames from Aaron Brother’s Penny Sale, with patterned scrapbook paper

Long Live the Stencil

Okay, I know stencils can sound hokey. But in moderation and good taste, stencils can look phenomenal. I have put together a collection of excellent uses for the stencil.

Okay, so how can we learn from these successful applications of stenciling?

• those that have the ENTIRE surface covered in stencil chose a low-contrast color combination. Choose two colors that are close to each other in the color family, to keep it from being overwhelming. If you want blue – chose a blue and a lighter shade of that blue.
• Those that had smaller applications of the stencil treatment could afford to use brighter colors. A neutral background (black, tan, white) looks great with small areas of reds, blues and brighter colors.
• Smaller doses keep the area looking special. Stenciling a dresser makes that piece unique and gives it personality. Then using the same stencil on the wall makes it kitschy and less effective.

I found a great website that has beautiful stencils that I would like to try out for myself. Stencil Gallery has everything from floral to lettering. Look at their impressive Photo Gallery.

How can this apply to your home? Do you have a stencil success story?

Teaching an Old Dresser New Tricks

The Scoop:

• bought this dresser at a garage sale for $30 (thanks Clare!)
• sanded down all of the paint
• the wood was a little too dry and spotty to stain, so I colorwashed the piece with latex paint and water.
• sealed the paint, and protected the wood with varnish
• removed the drawers
• had MDF cut at home depot ($7 total) into two shelves for the cable box, dvd player, etc.
• covered the MDF with calico fabric from JoAnn’s
• Cut holes in the back of the dresser to feed the cables to the electrical outlet
• Voila! Our new TV Bench

before

after