Color Me Home Episode 13: 3 Surefire Decorating Fails

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In this episode, Betsy and Dan discuss 3 Surefire Decorating Fails (and, of course, how to avoid them!). In every decorating project there are certain things that can trip us up, wreak havoc with our plans, or just complicate everything we’re trying to accomplish. These are common pitfalls. But the good news is that they’re remarkably easy to avoid!

Check out all the projects we discussed on this episode!

Episode Outline

  • Mistake 1: Choose Your Paint First! (0:50)
  • Mistake 2: Go All “Matchy-Matchy” With Your Colors (6:06)
  • Mistake 3: Keep Something That Doesn’t Fit With Your Style! (13:40)
    • Fix 1: Paint It! (16:03)
    • Fix 2: Strip It! (19:54)
      • Tip: Use a Heat Gun (23:33)
      • Tip: Strip Painted Hardware in a Crock Pot! (23:58)
    • Fix 3: Repurpose It! (27:16)

Choose Your Paint Last!

We were pretty clear about the importance of choosing your paint last. Still, we have a number of resources on our blog that speak to this point. And here they are for your reading pleasure!

The Crockpot Solution!

At one point, Betsy referenced a Crockpot solution for removing paint from painted hardware. And, of course, there was a bit of a discussion as to the right methods to use: is it plain water brought to a boil? Or do you add vinegar. Dan thought vinegar made sense. Betsy thought just water. Turns out, Betsy was more right (which, by contract, Dan is forced to admit).

Anyway, the process is simple:

  • Get an OLD Crockpot that you intend NEVER to use again for food!!!
  • Put water and a little liquid laundry detergent in along with the hardware and set the Crockpot to medium.
  • Let it “cook” overnight.
  • In the morning, you should be able to peel the layers of paint off with your fingers.

 

Color Me Home Episode 12: The Keys to a Happier Laundry Room

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Did you know that on average, a mom can spend up to 5 months of her life doing laundry per child! On today’s episode, Betsy and Dan talk about how the right color–used in the right spots–can help you make your laundry room a better–possibly even happier–place to be.

Check out all the laundry room ideas we discussed on the episode!

 

  • The Thrilling (Depressing) News Article about Laundry! (0:48)
  • The Importance of Color in Decorating (4:00)
  • A Brief Overview of the Psychology of Color (4:24)
  • Choose Color Based on Your Goals for the Room: (6:17)
  • Great Colors for Laundry Rooms (6:50)
  • How To Bring Color Into Your Room
    • Put the Color on the Walls (7:30)
      • Tips for Working With Yellow in Your Decorating: (9:32)
    • Put the Color on the Cabinets (12:11)
    • Bring in Unexpected “Pops” of Color (16:22)

Betsy’s Color Recommendations

As we mentioned in the episode, Betsy pulled some Benjamin Moore colors that she thinks would be perfect in a laundry room. We’ve included each color with a combination of other colors recommended by Benjamin Moore. Use these for inspiration for your laundry room. And be sure, as Betsy mentioned in the episode, to come and see the colors in person–the actual chip will probably look quite a bit different from the color you see on the screen!

Color Me Home Episode 11: Brighten Your Basement Walls!

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On today’s episode, Betsy and Dan discuss a question that comes up at RepcoLite Paints all the time: how do I paint my basement walls? Basement walls often present homeowners with a number of unusual obstacles when it comes time to paint them. In this episode, you’ll discover everything you need to know to confidently brighten up what can often be one of the darkest, dreariest places in your home!

Episode Outline

  • Check for Moisture and Determine the Cause! (2:28)
  • What is Efflorescence? (6:50)
  • Fixing Moisture Issues Inside! (8:27)
  • Fixing Moisture Issues Outside! (12:16)
  • Getting the Walls Ready for Paint (16:17)
    • Dealing With Efflorescence (16:40)
    • Remove Flaking Paint (18:36)
    • Remove Dirt and Grease (19:48)
    • Kill Mold and/or Mildew (21:30)
    • Dry the Walls (22:22)
  • Painting a Bare Wall with No Moisture (23:03)
    • Betsy’s Easy Test for Moisture (23:45)
  • Painting Bare Walls that Have Moisture Issues (26:58)
    • WaterBlock (27:10)
    • Applying WaterBlock (30:24)
  • Painting Previously Painted Walls (33:16)

WaterBlock by Insul-X

As we mentioned in the episode, WaterBlock is a masonry waterproofer that needs to be applied over bare concrete in order to be effective. In the episode, we debated whether or not it was tintable. Turns out, it is! You’ll be limited to lighter colors, but it definitely can be tinted. If you’d like more information, check out the podcast. Or, you can click the button below and download the Technical Data Sheet!

Download WaterBlock Info

Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets in 6 Steps!

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bigstock-Cabinet-detail-13573895_webDid you know that the average cost of remodeling your kitchen is right around $20,000? Yes, $20,000. That’s a significant amount of money. So significant, in fact, that it means I won’t be doing any kitchen remodeling anytime soon. Sure, I’d like new cabinets or a new backsplash or a new floor, but we’re just too attached to having things like groceries and running water. And I don’t think we’re alone. A lot of people like groceries and running water. And yet, many of those same people also wish they had a better kitchen.

And that brings me to the good news: there are many things you can do that will help you update your kitchen without forcing you to give up those little luxuries we all like to have. Like food in the refrigerator. And one of those projects is painting your kitchen cupboards. If the doors and drawers are structurally sound, why rip them out and replace them? With a little elbow grease, some time, and the right products (I’m looking at you RepcoLite and Benjamin Moore), you can brighten them up and, in so doing, completely change the look and feel of your kitchen. And all for very little money!

If you think this project could be perfect for your kitchen, here’s what you need to do:

STEP ONE: Remove the hardware and hinges and label the doors with their location. Removing the hardware and taking the doors down requires no explanation. However, let me stress the importance of labeling the pieces. You definitely want to make sure you do this!  Find a system that will work for you and make sure to mark each door and drawer as well as the place they go in the cabinet. Safe-release (Delicate Surface) painter’s tape works well. Just make 2 tags with a “1” and put one on the back of the door, and the other on the frame of the cabinet where the door goes. It’s a simple step, but will help you when it comes time to put things back together!

STEP TWO:  Closely examine the surface of the cabinets and drawers and be sure to remove any peeling paint by sanding and scraping. Whatever paint remains on the surface of your cabinets must be sound! New paint brushed over a peeling surface won’t make that old layer stick. The old layer will continue to fail and will take the new one with it. So make sure that whatever paint you leave on the doors is adhering well. Also, if you have to scrape or sand off some of the paint, make sure that you spend some time feathering the bare spots into the spots where the paint remains.

STEP THREE: Clean the surfaces thoroughly. After taking care of loose, flaking, or peeling paint, you need to clean the surfaces with a mixture of 1 part TSP to 4 parts water. Kitchens are sources of many different surface contaminants and you need to make sure that the surface you’re painting is clean and free of grease, dirt, and so on. Use a Scotchbrite (“scrubby”) pad with the TSP to thoroughly clean the surfaces. And if you have some really stubborn dirt or grease, use the degreaser Spray Nine.

STEP FOUR:  Scuff-sand the surfaces you’re going to paint. You can use an orbital sander for this, or you can do the sanding by hand. Either way, use either 180 – 220 grit sandpaper. The goal isn’t to sand through the current finish, it’s just to lightly scuff it. And when you’re done, remove all the dust from the cabinets. You can blow them off with an air compressor, vacuum the dust off, or wipe it off with a solvent like Denatured Alcohol or Xylene. However you remove the dust make sure that it’s all removed before moving on to the priming step!

STEP FIVE:  Prime the cabinets with a good bonding primer. We recommend STIX Waterborne Primer. It will bond to the previous coating on your cabinets and will provide an excellent base for your topcoat! Let the primer completely dry and then assess the cabinets for any bleed-through of stain or tannins. This can happen if you’ve cut through the original coating while scuff sanding. If you do see some bleed through, spot prime those areas with an oil based primer or a white pigmented shellac like BIN.

STEP SIX:  Topcoat with a good finish paint in either a satin sheen or a semi-gloss (for washability). If you’re brushing, we recommend giving Benjamin Moore’s Advance a try. It’s a waterborne alkyd which means you’ll get the performance of an oil-based product without the drawbacks. It will flow out remarkably well, providing you with a smooth finish even when you brush or roll the paint on. And, best of all, it cleans up with soap and water and doesn’t have the smell of an oil. Another great option is RepcoLite’s own Hallmark Ceramic. It rolls and brushes well and or can be sprayed. There are also a few other options we may recommend in the store, depending on your situation.

And that’s basically what you need to know. Yes, there is some work involved. Yes, it will take some time. You’ll have to do the sanding and the cleaning, the priming and the painting. But, when you’re done, you’ll be amazed at the difference in your home. And all for as little as $200 – $300 (or less!)

If you’re interested in this project, please email us with your questions or type your questions in the comment boxes on this post!

How to Paint and Distress Crown Royal Bottles

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So, what does The Purple Stiletto do with things that most people would throw away? Get creative, of course!

I was presented with some clear glass bottles, the contents having long since been enjoyed. The texture was exactly what I was looking for! This made things interesting and, in some way, made my job easier.

I started by gathering the supplies that I would need for a day of creativity….and waiting for paint to dry.

  • Empty bottles … check!
  • X-I-M primer (because it sticks to glass) … check!
  • Metallic spray (bronze because I’m currently on a dark metallic kick) … check!
  • Latex paint for topcoat (way more than I needed but it was a mistint gallon I changed to suit my mood) … check!
  • Denatured alcohol & rags for distressing … also check!

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With my supplies gathered together, I was ready to prime my glass. Now, I should mention that all adhesive residue and grease had been cleaned from the bottles before I started this project. Also, I realized that the lids may not screw back on correctly if the threads had been painted over, so I decided to tape the opening of the bottles to be on the safe side.

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While I waited for the primer on the glass to dry, I painted the caps with a very small artist brush and practiced walking around in my stilettos.

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After letting the primer COMPLETELY dry on both the bottles and lids (and with aching feet!), I sprayed a couple basecoats of the bronze metallic according to the can instructions. This one specifically said to spray multiple light coats in a one hour window. And, being that it was quite humid when I did this project, it took all of my patience to let the paint dry all the way before moving on to the topcoat.

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After some lunch and a short walk with the dog (not in stilettos), my paint was FINALLY dry! I decided to try rolling the latex topcoat. I have done other projects that I brushed out and was not really happy with the brush strokes. This is nothing but a game of trial and error. As I found out, I did not like the rolling any better. Next time, I think I will try spraying.

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Two coats of latex (and more waiting) later, it was finally time to see what I could create!

Now, I will say I was going to just use a rag to wipe on the denatured alcohol but too much dry time gives one plenty of time to think of other ways to distress.

In the end, I began with a gray scuff pad lightly dipped in the alcohol. I did not want to put too much on, for fear it would eat away more paint in certain areas than I would like. I alternated between the scuff pad and rags, taking off paint only on the raised areas.

When I was happy with the raised areas, I moved on to the center of the bottle. For this, I tried a couple different techniques. The one I liked the best was cutting through certain areas with a piece of sandpaper. Just as I was getting to the metallic layer, I switched to denatured alcohol and a rag. From there, I was able to “buff out” the rough edges made by the sandpaper and reveal just the right amount of bronze. I could plan the “wear spots.”

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The other technique I tried was just continuously wiping the whole center section with alcohol until the bronze wore through. I did not like this as well because I felt it looked a little splotchy when it was done. I much prefer the “planned aging” look!

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I left one bottle center plain. I think it could be used for a monogram or initial. The jury is still out on what to use the blank space for. Perhaps the Purple Stiletto symbol (which I have yet to create)? These are the two completed bottles. Just another day’s work. The Purple Stiletto crafts again!

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Color Me Home Episode 10: Inexpensive Kitchen Updates

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On today’s episode, Betsy and Dan discuss some inexpensive projects you can tackle to update your kitchen! They discuss a quick way to make your old cabinets look new again, a way to cover up those old, dated tile backsplashes, and much more!

View our Pinterest Board for Episode 10!

Episode Outline

  • The Gel Stain Fix! (0:52)
  • Can I Lighten My Stained Cabinets With Stain? (5:49)
  • Painting Your Cabinets  (7:10)
  • Get Creative! (20:42)
  • How Do I Apply the Paint? Do I Spray It? Brush It? Roll It? (24:08)
  • Replace the Hardware! (27:01)
  • Update That Dated Tile Backsplash! (28:50)
  • What Finish Should I Use on the Cabinets or the Backsplash? (33:16)

The Gel Stain Fix

Betsy started the episode talking about an easy way to update old and scratched cabinets. Yes, it takes some work.  And yes, you need to do the right prep work . . . but if you do, this can be a great way to update your cabinets very quickly and for very little money. Here’s a blog post that explains the process in detail. And below are some of the photos sent to us by our customer who had such great results!

 Painting Your Cabinets

A second solution we discussed for updating your kitchen is a pretty basic one:  painting the cabinets. It’s not a complicated process, but it does take some time and it definitely requires that you do the proper amounts of prep work to make sure the finished product holds up well. Here are the steps we discussed in the podcast and a brief description. For more information, listen to the podcast and/or check out our blog post on painting kitchen cabinets!

STEP ONE:  Remove the hardware and hinges and label the doors with their location.

STEP TWO:  Clean the surfaces thoroughly using TSP.

STEP THREE:  Scuff-sand the surfaces you’re going to paint.

STEP FOUR:  Prime the cabinets with STIX Waterborne Primer.

STEP FIVE:  Topcoat with a Benjamin Moore’s Advance or RepcoLite’s Hallmark Ceramic.

Those are the basic steps we cover in the podcast. Again, listen to the episode for more details or check out our blog post on painting your cabinets! (Or, better yet, stop out at any RepcoLite, Port City Paints, or Snyder Paints location and we’ll walk you through the whole process!)

Painting An Old Tiled Backsplash

Another topic we discussed on the episode was painting an old, tiled backsplash. The backsplash in a kitchen can often look dated. And usually, people have no idea how to easily fix it. After all, ripping out the tile involves a lot of demolition, sweat, and (in my case) blood. But, there is a quick fix if you’re looking for an easy solution that will buy you some time. And of course, we’re talking about paint! Here are the basic steps. Again, if you’re looking for more detailed info, please check out our blog post on the topic!

STEP ONE:  Clean the surfaces thoroughly using TSP.

STEP TWO:  Prime the cabinets with STIX Waterborne Primer.

STEP THREE:  Topcoat with a Benjamin Moore’s Advance or RepcoLite’s Hallmark Ceramic.