Inexpensive Bathroom Redux

A couple of months ago I decided to upgrade the upstairs bathroom. This room is used by two twenty-somethings, so needless to say it needs to look good, but be able to be cleaned efficiently. That basically means that I want to scale down the "stuff" and make it easier to clean.

The area consists of two small rooms, one for the toilet and one for washing up. Currently the walls are green, with a faux finish and a wall paper border, white molding/fixtures with white cabinets, white tile floor and white counter top. Here is the most cost effective changes that I can do myself.

1. Paint the room. Takes one can @ $30.00. I'm going lighter this time to make the room look larger. The green was dark and closed the room in.

2. Since I'm going light on the walls, the cabinets will go dark. I'm looking to create a dark, rich wood tone on the cabinets. Much easier to clean too after a few coats of polyurethane.

3. I've selected 2 decals for the walls. I like them and they are easy to apply and give the room a "younger" feeling.

4. Change the faucet. Currently there is one ugly, cheap silver fixture there- It's going-I hate it.

5. Change the accessories-towels, rugs and shower curtain.

6. Change the light fixture

7. Frame the mirror with wood.

The room is prepped for painting. This time I purchased Sherwin Williams paint. More expensive but not as great as I thought it would be, however the results were nice. I also painted the ceiling with the same color. Next came the cabinets. I lightly sanded all of the drawers and base just so the paint would adhere to it. I decided to use artist's oil paint to create a "walnut" appearance. First I painted the drawers a light pink (base coat) latex enamel.

Then I blended 3 colors of oil paints: a light yellow ochre, burnt sienna (rusty brown) and a dark brown. I picked oil paints because they take days to dry and that would give me plenty of time to blend the colors and get the effect I wanted.

Above photo gives you an idea how the blending goes. After blending the three colors. a large brush is used and dragged down the front of the cabinet.

Three coats of glossy polyurethane finishes them off and this is how they came out.

All the handles are original but repainted with Rustoleum.

Above you can see the entire vanity and also a small curtain that I made to cover a storage area. Lord only knows what's behind that! If you look closely you can also see the replacement faucet. I selected a bronze faucet, about $98.00 in Home Depot. Put it in myself and saved myself a bundle.

Above you can see the decal I added plus the actual paint color (a creamy beige-yellow). I added this light fixture to replace a very ugly, dated silver fixture.

Above is the other decal I hung above the shower.

Added some nice fabric shower curtains.

Below.....and I'm not sure you can really see what I'm doing here, but I am building a wood frame that will surround the large, plain mirror that hangs above the vanity.

I haven't finished the top and bottom pieces yet. I used fluted wood with four wood squares for the corners. It's glued to the mirror with clear, silicone adhesive. I've done this before and it works very well. The wood is easy to cut because it's all straight cuts, not mitered corners. The wood was painted dark brown and in between the flutes is black paint to add some dimension.

With all considered, this upgrade didn't cost me much since I did all the work myself. It's all finished now except the frame that surrounds the mirror. I was happy with the way it came out and even happier that it didn't cost me an arm and a leg.

Christy

01 02 12

New Painting Product

Green Toad Painting System

The Green Toad company was kind enough to send me several new paint supplies so I could try them out and share my thoughts with you. I do a lot of painting around here. It's the easiest and cheapest way to change the look of an entire room. Anything that makes this job easier is great.

A few things about these products.

*the brush handle is warrantied for life!

*The brush twists and turns 360 degrees, which certainly comes in handy while painting around windows, trim and doors. This saves you time. What a great idea-you just click and turn the handle and the brush changes the position.

*the handle has a little ridge around the base of the brush, so there is less of a mess. I really like this feature. All of my painting brushes have paint on the handles. It's impossible to get it off.

*the grip that the handle has, is comfortable, much more so than the regular brushes. Less wear on your wrist.

*when you are done, a button is pressed and the brush is released.

The roller system works the same way. You change rollers with a click of a button. Quick and easy-no struggling.

All the components are biodegradable. Throw any of it away and don't worry about it sticking around for 100 years. It's compostable.

Check out their web site for more information. http://www.thegreentoad.net/

Here are some photos that I took while using the tools.

Here it is in a straight position for painting.

Notice the handle grip? This just makes painting "more comfortable".

The above photo shows the handle now in a different position.

Easy clean up. The handle washes nicely.

Showing another position here. It's so neat.....You click and turn the brush easily. This comes in very handy when you are painting around windows and doors.

Another position.

Here shows the "ridge". This does a good job of keeping the paint off of your handle, keeping the handle nice and clean.

The little black button. Click it to release your brush and attach another tool-such as the roller.

One of the roller attachments. Clicks right onto the handle.

You only buy the handle once. After that all you need are the brushes or rollers. The prices are very reasonable and the entire collection makes painting easy.

I want to thank the folks at Green Toad for sending me the tools to try out. I'm sold on them!! I don't mind painting, but anything that makes it easier-is a good thing!

Check out the site @ http://www.thegreentoad.net/

Christy

01 02 12

The Paint Quaility Institute sent me some more great tips for improving your home. It's all about paint!

Paint Quality Institute

HOW TO REPAINT A ROOM IN A WEEKEND:

10 TIPS TO SAVE YOU TIME (AND MONEY)

Recent surveys reveal that consumers will be doing a lot of remodeling this

year. But with the sluggish economy, many are opting for do-it-yourself

projects to squeeze the most out of their budgets. One of the most common

undertakings: interior painting.

“Nearly everyone agrees that some jobs – like reroofing or electrical work – are

best left to the pros, but most people think they can do their own painting,”

says Debbie Zimmer, spokesperson for the Paint Quality Institute. “And,

generally speaking, they’re right.”

Many people regard painting as a weekend project. As such,

they want to see the fruits of their labor by Sunday night. “That’s a realistic

goal, but to achieve it, you have to plan out the job and be well-organized,”

she says.

If your organizational skills leave something to be desired, Zimmer offers some

suggestions:

1. Get all of your furniture out of the way by moving it to the center of the

room, using plastic sliders on heavy items so you don’t have to lift them.

Cover everything with plastic, blankets, or old sheets. Then, put down

drop-cloths to protect your floors from stray droplets of paint.

2. Scrub all the surfaces you’ll be painting with a sponge and mild household

detergent solution before going to the paint store. That will give them time to

dry while you’re out shopping.

3. Making multiple trips to the paint store can consume gobs of time, so try to

do all of your shopping in just one visit. Before leaving your home, see what

painting tools and accessories you have on hand, then create a shopping list. .

. or save even more time by going to www.paintquality.com to download a helpful

checklist.

4. Buy technologically-advanced top quality 100% acrylic latex interior paint.

These durable paints, some of which serve double-duty as both primer and paint,

are better at hiding the color that’s underneath. As a result, you may need to

apply just a single coat – saving you not only time and effort, but money as

well.

5. Tape the edges of the surfaces you’ll be painting to enable you to apply the

paint faster. You’ll quickly recover the time spent doing this. And taping

will make your finished paint job look a lot neater.

6. Work “top down”: paint the ceiling; then the walls; next, the windows and

trim; and, lastly, the baseboards. Following this sequence will help keep

just-painted surfaces free of paint spatter or drip marks and cut down time

spent on touch-up work.

7. When painting a ceiling or wall, start by “cutting in” a corner section with

a paintbrush, applying a 3” band of paint around the edge. This will enable you

to quickly fill in the area with a paint roller. Repeat this process in 3-foot

increments.

8. Apply the paint liberally. Trying to “stretch” your paint by applying a

thin coat is false economy: You might end up needing a second coat to

completely hide the original color.

9. Assuming that you purchased top quality 100% acrylic latex paint, your

cleanup will be a snap. Being water-based, these paints can be quickly and

easily cleaned off of brushes and rollers with plain soap and water.

10. The last time-saver when using top quality latex paint? Not having to wait

for the “paint smell” to go away. Eco-friendly latex paints have very little

odor, so you can put a freshly-painted room back into service right away.

For more tips on saving time and money when doing interior painting, Zimmer

suggests that you invest a few minutes checking out the Paint Quality Institute

website at www.paintquality.com.

01 02 12

Room Painting

Someone sent me this email from the the Paint Quality Institute. I read through it, checked out their website and found that they had tons of great information on painting your house. The article below is strictly about painting a bathroom. I thought it contained some very useful information.

The article covers:

expense, color scheme, colors that make your room look larger, preparation, clean-up, warmth or coolness of colors, types of paint, durability and the "order" in which to paint.

INTERIOR PAINTING AN ECONOMICAL WAY TO REFRESH A TIRED-LOOKING BATHROOM

Waking up and walking into a tired-looking bathroom is

a tough way to start the day. . .which may explain why the bathroom is the most

frequently remodeled room in the home, according to recent research by the Paint

Quality Institute.

But in these trying economic times, many families either can’t afford –

or refuse to spend – the thousands of dollars it can cost for a new shower,

vanity, and tile.

What can you do if your bathroom is in need of a makeover, but your

budget won’t allow it? “Think about repainting the room,” suggests Debbie

Zimmer, spokesperson for the Institute. “For less than $100, almost any

bathroom can be refreshed and given an exciting new look.”

The fun part of painting is selecting a color scheme. Most paint retailers

have an abundance of color cards from which to choose. Your job is to pare down

the palette to the ideal color for your bathroom.

Consider whether you want your bathroom to feel warm and cozy or look cool

and sleek. Reds, oranges, and yellows tend to warm up a room, while blues and

greens make it seem cooler.

“Your preference may depend upon where you live,” says Zimmer. “Up

North, where the winters are longer, you might welcome the warm feeling created

by a golden tone, for example; but if you live where the summers are long and

hot, you might prefer a ‘cooler’ color.”

Color can also be used to enhance the perceived size of your bathroom, says

Zimmer: “Many of us wish that our bathrooms were bigger, but aren’t willing to

incur the expense of enlarging the room. Interior painting offers an

inexpensive alternative: Painting the room in a light color will make it seem

bigger.”

While there really is no right or wrong choice when it comes to color, that

cannot be said of the quality of paint you use in your bathroom.

“If you’re on a tight budget, you might be tempted to buy a cheap paint, but

even the best paints are still very affordable,” says Zimmer, “and there really

is no comparison when it comes to performance.”

The Paint Quality Institute recommends that consumers purchase only top

quality 100% acrylic latex interior paint for indoor projects. This type of

paint is more durable and long lasting than ordinary paint. It also is ideal

for use in bathrooms and other damp, humid areas, since it typically contains

special additives to fight off mildew.

Zimmer recommends that consumers use a glossy top quality paint in the

bathroom. “Top quality paint made with 100% acrylic in a high gloss or

semi-gloss finish has especially high mildew resistance. Plus, paints with

higher levels of gloss resist staining and are easier to clean,” she says.

If you’re still hesitant to pay a little more per gallon for a top

quality 100% acrylic latex interior paint, consider: Many of these paints

function as both primer and paint, and they have improved “hiding” capability.

So, you’ll likely need to apply just a single coat of top quality paint, while

you might need two or more with a lesser-quality coating.

Only a small amount of prep work is required before painting a bathroom.

First, clean the walls, ceiling, and woodwork by scrubbing them with a sponge

and mild detergent solution. If mildew is present, it should be removed with a

bleach solution of one part bleach to three parts water. (Note: When using a

bleach solution, or working overhead to clean the ceiling, it’s wise to wear

rubber gloves and safety glasses.)

After cleaning all the surfaces, rinse them off with clean water and

allow them to dry before applying your paint.

If you’re doing a complete makeover of your bathroom by painting every

surface, you should follow some time-honored procedures.

Start by painting your ceiling to help prevent any paint spatter from

marring a just-painted wall. Next, paint the walls. Then, follow up by

painting the windows, door, and trim. Complete the job by painting the

baseboards.

While working, you may want to keep the room ventilated by opening a window

or two. But if you’re applying one of the new top quality latex paints, you

will probably notice little paint odor. That’s because today’s advanced latex

paints emit only a small amount of the “volatile organic compounds” that cause

the typical “paint smell” associated with oil-based paints.

Take comfort in the fact that low-VOC latex paints are good for the

environment. . .and for the health of you and your family. And enjoy your

freshly-painted bathroom!

For more tips on interior painting, visit www.paintquality.com.

01 02 12

What can I do with my purple room?

Kathy from New Jersey writes:

Hi Christy,

I have moved into a new home recently. My husband and I have been painting and decorating some of the rooms in our house, but have left the guest bedroom for last. This was a young girls room from the previous owners. As you can see, it is very purple!! The top half of the walls have a faux finish, then a white chair rail. The bottom half of the walls are a light purple or lavender. I don't mind the purple, I just don't want it to look like a young girls room any longer.Any suggestions,

Kathy from New Jersey

PS The peace sign is from the Jersey Shore dating back to 1974!!!

Kathy:

You're very lucky to have a husband that helps you! When I first look at these photographs saw too much purple. They have painted the walls, ceiling and even the heat baseboards purple. Purple is a very pretty color, but like everything else, too much of a good thing isn't so good. There are lots of things you can do to this room to break up the purple effect.

Go to the Behr paint web site: http://www.behr.com/behrx/workbook/ Click on the Start ColorSmart bar. Go the purples and match up your room color. Then see what selection Behr recommends that you match it with. It gives you several choices, but in the end you can paint a bedroom on their site and see how the colors coordinate. It's another great site for "virtual" painting.

If I had this room to tackle, I would first re-paint that ceiling, it's just too much purple. I would paint that ceiling with a flat white and add a hint of beige/fawn/tan. I would paint over the faux paint (above the chair rail) with a very light tan (Khaki like). I would add some throw rugs to give a warmer feeling and perhaps look around for some wood side tables. Add some larger lamps on the side table. I would definitely paint over the closet doors to get rid of the tuxedo look.

If you love the faux finish and want to keep it, then change the color of the solid paint under the chair rail. You could paint a tan color there as well. Add some nice prints, some greenery and for heavens sake, ditch the peace sign!

01 02 12

A Painting Fiasco.......saved!

A Painting Fiasco............saved by a spackling technique


A few years ago a very talented friend of mine called me in a complete panic. She had tried to remove wallpaper in her bathroom and by doing so, had ruined the wall. What she did not realize at the time is that whoever had put that wallpaper up, had never primed the wall first. What my friend had done was not only remove the wallpaper but pieces of the wall board underneath. It was a complete disaster and the wall appeared to be ruined.

This is not the first time I've heard a horror story like this. Many people have made this mistake before. So what to do? Well, short of hiring a professional to come in and re-spackle the entire room or replacing the wallboard you have to look for a way to fix it. What we did really worked well.

Get a bucket of spackle and a large spackle knife. Coat a 4X4 area of the wall with a thin coat of spackle. Now depending on what kind of texture you want, you will need to find a tool that will create that texture. Some examples are: a nail brush, comb or just a narrow spackle knife. What I did on my friend's wall was to use a spackle knife and move it back and forth making an X pattern. When it was finished it looked like a basket weave design. Work in 4 X 4 areas so the spackle does not dry before you can work your texture in. Let it dry for a day and then drag that wide spackle knife down from ceiling to floor to knock off any high areas or bumps. Then paint your room like just like you would any other room.

This technique is great for rooms that have damaged walls or even if you just want to have a texture. Just remember, if you do this to your walls you had better like them. Smoothing them out again will be messy and difficult (lots of sanding). For my friend's bathroom it was a life saver.

Here are pictures of the wall. Unfortunately they don't show that texture at all. The walls in the photo's look completely smooth, but they are not. They have a texture, as described above.







01 02 12

What Color Should I Paint My Room?

What color should I paint my room?

When it comes to picking a color for your room the sky is the limit. There are so many to pick from. Ask yourself these questions; Does the room get lots of natural light or is it dark? Is this room unusually hot in the summer and cold in the winter? How much time do you spend in this room and what do you usually do in this room? Are you trying to create a certain atmosphere or mood? Is the room too small or too large?

Most people go out to the store and just pick the color they like. I'm certainly guilty of that! The following information will give you some ideas if you want to paint you room with a goal in mind. Please keep in mind that none of this is proven, but there is some science that backs up the theory. Frankly, it makes sense to me. Read on.........

Perhaps you have a small bathroom that needs paint. This room is dark with no windows. Yellow is a great color to use for a room like that. Yellow is cheerful, fun and makes objects seem closer making this room look larger after you paint it. Keep in mind that the color yellow is stimulating and can tire the eye, so don't use too much of it or your bathroom guests may come out irritated. Make your accessories another color. The opposite of yellow=violet.

Orange is another stimulating color. You'll notice that you see it in many fast food restaurants. Corporate America figured out a long time ago.....red, orange and yellow make people want to eat. If you family is constantly dieting this won't be the best color for a kitchen. It does however lift your spirits, provides warmth and makes you feel comfortable. Don't over use orange. The opposite is blue.

Red is not for the kitchen unless you need to gain weight. It stimulates the nervous system and increases appetite desire. Bright red can be very irritating so use it carefully. Red is a great accent color and full of class. The opposite is green.

Green, one of my favorites, lowers blood pressure and relaxes the nervous system. Now you know why most hospital operating rooms are green. If your cranky mother-in-law is ailing and needs to move in with you to recover, paint her room green. Green is a healing color and you'll get rid of her quicker. Green is great for a small room because it will make it look larger. The opposite is red.

If you have a room in the house that always feels warm, paint it blue. Blue is the cool color. This color also depresses hunger (maybe a good color for the kitchen). Great for small rooms too because they will look larger in blue. Blue can make a room look formal too. Too much blue though is not a good thing. The room can look too cold.

Violet is good for making a small room look larger. Yellow is a great accent to violet because it is opposite.

Brown is earthy, creates a tranquil look and provides intimacy. If over used it can make a room look too bland so use another color or textures to accent. Beige and tan can give a room sophistication. Opposite is green.

Pink is warm and comforting. If your room is unusually cool, pink is a great warming color.

Black is elegant and sophisticated. Use it for elegant accents but don't over do.
White is stark but a great accent or background color. A white background can punch out your other colors and make them vivid and bold.

Now you know more about color families and what they will do for your room and you. So when you decide to paint that room answer the questions above and picking that color won't be so difficult.

Hint: If you don't plan on staying in your house very long, keep all your room colors neutral. Prospective buyers will appreciate your neutral home.

Here are some great interactive paints sites that provide you with the ability to see your room, with the color that you pick all completed. I have tried them myself and they do work. You just pick a color and insert it into a room that the website provides.


http://www.sherwin-williams.com/do_it_yourself/
http://www.glidden.com/home/index.jsp#


Here is a good site for calculating how much paint you will need. Just enter your measurements and the site figures out the rest. http://www.glidden.com/products/InteriorCalculator.jsp







01 02 12

What Can You Paint?

You can paint wicker furniture for a new look...........


paint a bathroom cabinet with a faux finish.......................................

or a ceiling fan disk................

And a porch....................................

or a teens room.....................................................................

An Entertainment Unit...............................................

Walls............with a faux finish

Clay Pots..................

Kitchen Cabinets.............

Paint your fan blades....from white to cherry tone

A Child's Room...................... faux finish

Paint your bathroom....... faux finish

Your master bedroom..........................

01 02 12

20 Bucks Changes The Whole Room

Ok.....so you don't have a lot of money and you really want a new look for your room. Painting the room changes the look completely without spending lots of money.

What You Will Need:

Before you paint........
You may need primer
Sandpaper
spackle and a putty knife
painter's tape (for those of you who don't have a steady hand)
caulk
drop cloth (.99 cents at Home Depot-plastic)
a ladder
cleaning supplies
for the princesses-rubber gloves

Painting...........
A roller frame
paint tray liners
paint tray
a really nice angled trim brush (I use and love the Perdys. They are pricey but if you clean them after use they will last for a long time).
regular brush
extention pole for ceilings and higher areas (use an old broomstick).

What kind of paint..........
Flat: no shine, washable and shows a minimum of imperfections.
Satin: durable, scrubbable with pearl-like sheen
Semi Gloss: very durable, stain resistant, scrubbable
High Gloss: maximum durability, stain resistant, scrubbable

How Much Paint?

How much paint you need depends on the size of the room, the condition of the wall surface, and the paint's spreading rate, which is given on the manufacturer's label.

Measure the total footage around the perimeter and multiply by the wall height in feet.
From this subtract 20 square feet for each door and 14 square feet for each window.
Divide by the spreading rate (usually 300 to 400 feet per gallon). That's the number of gallons you'll need.

There are tons of web sites available for this calculation and others. Don't forget this: the guys at the hardware store can help you too (if you can find one). If you do find someone they can usually answer any of your paint questions.

Next Post: What can you paint?

01 02 12