by Craftsmans Corner | Oct 31, 2018 | Uncategorized
While you could paint a room with just a paintbrush and a bucket of paint, you may not get the best results. Paint can easily splatter onto the floor. You may also have trouble creating a straight line when using a different color on the ceiling or an accent wall.
If you want your interior paint job to look as if it was done by a professional, you should invest in a few essential tools.
Paint Rollers
Using a paint roller will save you a lot of time. A roller also makes it easier to apply light, even coats of paint across large surfaces such as the walls and ceilings.
A typical paint roller frame includes one roller refill. You may want to purchase a few extra refills, especially if you plan to use more than one color.
Paint Brushes
A paintbrush is still an essential tool for interior painting even if you use a paint roller. The brush is necessary for painting near the edges of the walls and ceilings along with painting the baseboards and trim. You may also need a brush to complete touch-ups after finishing the paint job.
Use a one-inch or two-inch chisel trim brush or angled brush on the window and trim. For the edges of the walls and other flat areas, consider using a four-inch square trim brush.
Putty Knife and Compound
Before you paint, you should fill any holes or cracks in the drywall. Use a putty knife to apply joint compound to these areas.
You can purchase a small container of the ready-to-use joint compound, such as a one-pint or two-pint container. The compound can be applied directly to the wall without any mixing.
The type of putty knife is not a major decision as it is simply used to fill in the holes and scrape away excess compound.
Sandpaper
After the joint compound has dried, you will need to sand the area with sandpaper. Use 100- or 120-grit sandpaper to create a smooth surface for your paint job. When sanding near the outer edges of the dried compound, try to smooth the material so that it blends into the wall as much as possible.
Ladder or Step stool
Attempting to reach overhead to paint the ceiling is bad for your back, shoulders, and neck. You will also have difficulty applying an even coat of paint. You should always use a ladder or step stool to reach the ceiling even if the low ceiling is within reach.
When working in an area with a two-story opening, such as an entrance or foyer, you may also want to use an extension pole that attaches to the paint roller. This will allow you to reach further without climbing as high on the ladder.
Essential Painting Supplies
Along with the tools listed, there are a few supplies that you may find helpful. Tape and drop cloths help protect floors, furniture, doors, and windows. You can also use tape for creating straight lines or preventing one color from bleeding into another.
You do not need a lot of tools for an interior painting project. However, ensuring that you have these essential items can make the project go a lot more smoothly.
by Craftsmans Corner | Oct 18, 2018 | Uncategorized
Everyone deserves to have their own sanctuary, and your game room is yours. You’re happy to share the rest of the home with your spouse and children. The kitchen, living room, dining room, master bedroom, your exterior décor – all of that is a team effort.
Your game room, though – that’s yours and yours alone.
To set your game room apart, you want to make it feel like it’s truly your own.
There are plenty of ways in which you can do that, the most obvious of which being to simply deck the halls (and walls) with all your favorite things. It’s your game room, so go ahead and lay out all the game paraphernalia you want.
Of course, that still doesn’t quite answer the question of how to best prepare your game room to be painted. That’s a game of an entirely different sort, and one which, when won, can result in a room that’s brighter and better than ever before.
Cover and Remove Your Games and Valuables
First and foremost, you’re going to want to remove your games, consoles, and other paraphernalia from the game room itself for the duration of the paint job. The last thing you want is a stray globule of paint splattering onto your games, or worse, actually getting into a gaming console and preventing it from working properly. While it may be tempting to simply cover your games, there’s always the chance that flakes of chipped paint and other elements may lead to problems down the line. That being said, some items might not be easily removable. For example, your sofas, other large furnishings, and TVs are all likely to be too big to move in and out of the space in question. As such, you’ll want to take the time to carefully cover them. If your TV is mounted on the wall, be sure that it is completely covered on all sides to prevent paint from splattering onto it from any angle.
Get Rid of Old Paint
Next, you’ll want to set about covering the old paint. If you are simply retouching your existing color, you can take this opportunity to smooth out any rough patches. If you are painting the room a new color, you’ll want to uses a primer coat on the wall if it is too dark for your new color. If it is lighter, however, you may just be able to paint over it.
Getting Started with the Painting Process
After that, you’ll want to add a preliminary layer of paint to your walls. This should just be a nice, even, basic coat of paint on top of which you can apply the coat you’ll actually see. Again, these coats of paint should either be the same color, or a lighter color as the first layer followed by a darker one. Think of that first layer as “preparing” the canvas, allowing you to paint the second coat on as if you are dealing with a blank canvas.
Paint your game room a better way and bring out its true vibrancy with these painting tips.
by Craftsmans Corner | Sep 30, 2018 | Uncategorized
The days of having to choose between pink and blue for your child’s room are long gone.
This antiquated boy versus girl color split has taken a back seat to ensuring an individualized aesthetic appeal and, not so surprisingly, making prudent paint selections based on the psychosomatic effects of environmental color schemes during the early developmental stages.
Color Transitions From and Emotive and Cognitive Perspective
Over the past several years, ever since pre-adolescent mental health transformed into a monumental aspect of parenting, psychologists have been delving into the effects of children’s room colors, namely with regard to how various shades, accents, and hues can trigger behavioral responses, mood shifts, and beneficial changes in temperament.
However, it’s not about manipulating your child or projecting your own preconceived notions; it’s simply about understanding the heavily corroborated, scientifically proven effects of colors on the human mindset:
- Yellow and gold are closely linked to better concentration and improved memory, meaning that yellow-colored surroundings are the perfect option for workspaces and desk areas; in other words, the backdrops where he or she tends to do homework. But be sure to balance it out with a soft gray or cerulean blue to avoid overstimulation.
- Brown, tan, and earth tones represent the ultimate base in terms of stability and steadiness, which enables parents to create a simple nature-based canvass on one of the walls. You don’t need any complicated stencils or wall art, just some painter’s tape to create outdoor-colored striping on the secure, brown-tinted backdrop.
- Green is commonly utilized in counselor’s offices and classrooms because it positively alters neural activity when reading and learning. Cool, minty colored greens can synergize with brown bases to lend a sense of organic comfort and consolation, which is the ideal combination for an overly anxious or apprehensive personality.
- Blue tints can be likened to green hues, as they have demonstrated the ability to assuage blood pressure and normalize respiratory rates, but an overabundance of blue will create a depressing or dulling effect. This is why cheerful yellow polka dots and self-assured red geometrics are popular accent options for ocean blue or cobalt backgrounds.
As you might imagine, the essence of color palettes for children’s rooms relies on sequential transitions and a slightly more complex approach than a uniform coat throughout the space.
Creating an Epic Plan That Can Adapt as the Child Ages
Believe it or not, a single gallon of paint can effectively cover about 400 square feet of wall space, and an unopened can will be useful for up to a decade, which makes it relatively easy to conceptually split the room in half and create a multi-year plan with a single trip to your community paint shop.
Prior to the age of five, you’ll want to pay close attention to your progeny’s behavioral tendencies and acclimate his or her bedroom to underpin and support intrinsic traits; just use the above-mentioned guide to tailor each wall appropriately. Then, once the child’s individuality and independence begins to blossom, you can coordinate succeeding paintjobs with his or her unique proclivities and partialities.
Painting your little one’s bedroom is an enriching, very personal experience, and now you have the tools to recreate and redefine this integral part of your child’s life, so start organizing your ideas today.
by Craftsmans Corner | Sep 24, 2018 | Painting
Home Painting Tips: Color Psychology
With the summer season in full swing, it is a great time to spruce up your home with a fresh coat of paint on the walls. It can be difficult to find the perfect color that matches your interior taste, and no matter how many you test and mull over, you just can’t seem to pick the perfect shade. Well, we have some tips to get you painting in no time, and one helpful way to choose paint colors is to look into the colors themselves and the effects they have on our emotions, also known as color psychology. Below, we will break down different rooms in your home, and the color schemes that best fit those spaces, keeping color psychology in mind.
Living Room (Green, Yellow)
Living rooms are where you spend relaxing time with loved ones or throw energetic gatherings with your closest friends. Vibrant greens or cheery yellows compliment both occasions, depending on the shades you choose to bring into your space. Bright bold yellows evoke happiness, optimism, and mimic the tones of warm sunshine. Lighter hues, like tans, are a more neutral option that pair with any bold accent color of your choice. Paint the walls tan, or place bold accent pillows and throws on a vintage-inspired tan colored sofa, to accommodate both family and guests.
Vibrant greens are the perfect hue to bring in natural tones while creating an elegant, calm, and fresh atmosphere. Darker shades are most commonly associated with nature, and have a serene calming effect on the mind, making it a great accent wall color when paired with lighter neutrals like white. Dark green leafy plants are an easy way to add touches of green while having the added benefit of purifying the air in your home. If you want to go bolder and make more of a statement, use hints of mint green and other lighter shades for a more vibrant space. Pair it with other pastels like coral or teal for a modern aesthetic.
Dining Room (Purple, Red)
The colors you bring into a dining room can not only affect your mood but your appetite as well! Blue has the ability to lower appetite levels, so try and stray from using it in the dining area. Instead, create a regal and elegant space with purples, or a joyous, energetic atmosphere with tones of red.
Darker shades of purple are known throughout history to symbolize royalty, and any shade pairs beautifully with natural toned or stained dining room furnishings. Accessorize with plum table settings, or bring in fresh purple-hued flowers, like lilacs or lavender, to create a fresh centerpiece for the table. Curtains, rugs, and table clothes are other easy ways to tie purple into a space. Get creative and paint a dark toned accent wall, and accent the space with brushed golds for an added touch of luxury.
Red is known for evoking power and passion, but is also the symbol for friendship and joy, making it the perfect color for an entertaining dining space. Tie it into your space with similar accessories as mentioned previously, like curtains, rugs, and table settings, but maybe introduce a patterned wallpaper with red tones woven through it for a nostalgic aesthetic. Red pendant lighting is also a great way to introduce any shade of this bold color into your dining space. Depending on the shape, red toned pendant lights can help to evoke multiple trending design styles like the modern farmhouse or urban modern style.
Bathroom (Black)
The bathroom is a great opportunity to get creative with color schemes and design, with almost any color working well within the space. One color that stands out, mostly due to its dark, bold qualities, is black. Black tones come in a variety of hues that range from neutrals to daring, mysterious dark tones. Dark black accent walls balanced with brights whites and chrome accents is an easy and classic design style. Or, let the daring qualities of black inspire a unique tiled patterned floor, or mosaic sink and vanity. Use pops of color in shower curtains or towels to soften the harsh dark tones.
Lighter shades of black work as great neutrals that compliment any accent color. Concrete can help create an urban design, while silver appliances and accessories add to the industrial atmosphere. Tie in silver wired industrial style lighting fixtures and Edison bulbs for added vintage industrial aesthetic.
Bedroom (Blue)
The bedroom should be a calming, serene retreat that you can escape to at the end of the day for a good night’s sleep. Blues tranquil qualities and ability to positively affect sleep make it the perfect color to incorporate into your bedroom space. Lighter shades are often used to help evoke a classic elegance and pair beautifully with lighter stained bedroom furnishings, or white furnishings accented with silver. Light blue bedding and curtains are a great way to accessorize a space with blue accents, and often compliment gray walls or other subdued neutrals.
Darker shades of blue create a cozy retreat, and pair well with other earth tones like greens, or darkly stained furnishings, accented by brushed golds, rose gold, or copper accents. Be daring and paint your walls a denim shade, or bring in darker hues through decor pieces and bedding accessories (i.e. sheets, comforters, accent pillows).
Blue also inspires creativity but can be overwhelming to the eye if pure blue is overused within a space. Use more natural shades for a calming, tranquil, bedroom getaway.
by Craftsmans Corner | Sep 23, 2018 | Uncategorized
If you’re planning a “paint-and-fix-up” project for the interior of your home, and the home is a two-story structure, you should include the stairway in the plans. There are a number benefits to this, including the most important one. The stairs in your home can be a key design element, in addition to being a functional part of the home. Include the stairway in your plans, and make sure you allow for it in your budget.
Start the overall plan with the walls in the stairwell. These walls should get as much design attention as any other surfaces. Take into account the size of those walls, because they can sometimes extend beyond “regular” height. This means that you’ll have to arrange for the proper equipment to complete the painting with little stress and minimal effort.
The Stairs
Your first step in this process is to carefully inspect the steps, including the risers, to determine if repairs should be made. If you live in an older home, you may find some of the steps are worn, even cracked or split. The best advice you can get is to make your repairs, fill cracks, and replace stair treads before you open a can of paint.
Homeowners who have been through this process before not only devote time to making sure the wood or other material is in good shape before painting, they have also taken the time to thoroughly clean all surfaces. If you’re fortunate enough to have walls, stair risers, and stair treads in good condition, complete cleaning, priming and a finish coat will probably do the trick, so to speak.
Making the stairway a decorative part of the home can completely change the way you look at this section of the home interior. Even if you just decide to make a color change, coordinating it with the paint choice for the walls, you’ll discover a total attitude change when you use the stairs. Choose lighter colors on larger walls to brighten up the area, or select your favorite “warm” color to make the stairwell more inviting.
Coordinating
If the stairway is open, even partially open, and in a room, take the time to coordinate colors with the rest of the space. The stairs can complement your room décor, just as any other wall or floor can. Some homeowners choose to make the stairway walls, or the steps themselves, bright, delivering some contrast to the subtler tones of the room. Others do the opposite, and have a bright cheerful room and a stairway that is understated in choice of color.
As for the steps themselves, once you’ve made absolutely sure the surfaces are clean, consider making the tread areas a darker color, to hide foot impact. You can contrast this with bright or white risers. Some property owners feel black and white is the perfect choice, while others might use white with a dark shade of blue or brown. No matter what your personal tastes, likes, and dislikes, don’t forget to paint the stairs. You’ll be glad you included them in your plans.
