Tag Archives: painting

How Much Paint Do You Need?

Getting ready to paint a room? User this guide to determine how much paint to purchase. There are some great paint choices out there these days. I ought to know. I’ve been priming up a storm in this house to get it ready for interior painting. Primer is pretty easy to measure. You just get a big bucket of it and use it throughout your rooms. The “real” paint, however, is a little bit tricky. You don’t want to overbuy and waste money, especially when some custom and designer paints are so expensive. And you don’t want to underbuy and … Continue reading →

Prepping and Painting Stained or Damaged Surfaces

A leak? Oh, no! What a mess. After you get the resultant dampness out of the way, treat to prevent mold, and repair the area where the leak occurred, you’re probably going to need to repaint. If you’ve replaced wood, drywall, or other surface materials, you can prep as usual and get down to business. In other situations, say you’ve replaced the outer materials and the insulation, but the inside materials are still useable (and have been thoroughly cleaned and dried) you may need to do a little extra prep work before pulling out the paint brush. First, make absolutely … Continue reading →

Decorating Your Front Door

Spring has sprung in our neighborhood. I know this because Mrs. Malagday’s gigantic floral wreaths are hanging from her front doors. Mrs. Malagday is a lovely woman who lives in a huge home with a double door entrance a few streets down from us. My daughter and I pass her “mansion” on our way to the neighborhood park. Yesterday, we noticed that she had placed the massive wreaths up and also added a potted plant to her front stoop. It made me hang my head and wonder what people must think of our front door and porch area—-all I have … Continue reading →

Recommendation: Out of the Way Places in Paris

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The last few years that I was working, I spent a lot of time in Paris. It is the greatest tourist city in the world. If asked to list the things to see, most people would say the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Museum d’Orsay, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triumph and the Champs Elysees. My two favorite places to visit in Paris are not on that list. They are a little difficult to find. But they are well worth the effort. My recommendation is that you go out of your way to see the Musee Marmottan and Sainte Chapelle. … Continue reading →

Secret Sources of Free and Low Cost Paint

While painting is a relatively inexpensive way to improve your home, the price of paint and supplies can really add up. However, there are a couple of frugal tricks to getting free and low cost paint. Ask Friends and Neighbors Chances are, there are plenty of garages all over your neighborhood where paint is hiding. Primer, interior paint and exterior paint, it is all there. Most people are only too happy to pass it on to someone who will use it. People tend to overbuy paint because they are afraid they will run out. They don’t realize that with computer … Continue reading →

Tips for Frugally Decorating a Child’s Furniture

The furniture in a child’s bedroom tends to be smaller in size than a normal bedroom. Dressers hold less, beds are smaller, and even closets tend to be smaller. In a child’s view though, these items can seem enormous and are just waiting to be decorated to their liking. My first tip for finding great kids furniture is to ask around to friends and family, check out freecycle.org and craigslist to see if you can find things on there. Flea markets, garage sales and the newspaper are also great places to search. Even if what you find, is less than … Continue reading →

Painting Your Child’s Room The Frugal Way

A child’s room will go through many changes over the course of their infant/child/teenage years. First and foremost it is their place in this world, and should be treated as such. But decorating it can be expensive, especially when their interests change and grow continuously. I’m going to give one big piece of advice today, that now after having five children I can completely say with confidence. Do not, I repeat, do not paint your child’s wall with any color other than a neutral color. Ever. Do not attempt to paint one wall blue, another green, another yellow and the … Continue reading →

How to use Stencils to Paint Your Walls

Many do-it-yourselfers find that stencils are the perfect way to put a nice, delicate pattern on any part of their wall. Many people use stencils for the trim, while others find that putting stencils on the entire wall creates a lovely scene. No matter how you plan to use your stencils, there are some basics that you should understand and practice to make sure that your first application is a success. First, you should learn about stencil procurement. Many people purchase plastic or cardboard ready-made stencils. These stencils are available online and at just about every craft and hobby store. … Continue reading →

Faux Finish: Whisking

Whisking is a very simple faux painting technique. It is usually done by painting a solid background color first, then applying another color with a new, clean, whiskbroom, allowing the base color to show through the secondary color. The whisking technique is often used to add a bit of subtle texture to a space, and it can create looks that mimic other materials such as silk or wicker, depending on the application. For a wicker look, a basecoat may not be necessary. You might simply use the existing color of cabinet doors or drawer fronts for your background color. Next, … Continue reading →

Updating Textured Ceilings

If you don’t like your textured ceilings, you’re not alone. Many people are interested in a more updated look for their homes. The problem is that textured ceilings can present many challenges. Here are some options that should prove helpful: Scraping You can attempt to scrape away the textured material from your ceilings. This is the most affordable method of updating this look, but be aware that it is also messy, labor intensive, and time consuming. Another problem arises if you don’t know what is under that texture. The ceiling may be damaged or unattractive, and it may in fact … Continue reading →