PAINT Archives - Everyday Edits

How to Stain Small Objects in Minutes

May 30, 2019

I love a good hack! My family would say I hack every time I cook or follow a recipe. It’s true; following a recipe is so conventional. I created this hack on the fly when I had to stain multiple wood embroidery hoops for these orbs. I had a paintbrush, deadline and I needed to find a way how to stain small objects.

There was more stain on my hands than on the embroidery hoops. It was more labor intensive than I anticipated; technically there are four sides to each hoop and the area around the hardware.

It was a messy process and each hoop required additional coats and touchups.

Staining each embroidery hoop one by one was slower than waiting for a load of towels to dry… while standing in front of the dryer. It was a brain drain technique.

This hack shows how to stain lots of objects in minutes.

I loved this hack when I painted dozens of cabinet pulls without incident, meaning they did not wobble and smudge the freshly spray painted cabinet pulls.

I grabbed an aluminum tray from the ~~upcycle bin~~ the stack of take-out trays and I poured just enough of the stain into the shallow aluminum tray. And, then I dunked the embroidery hoops into the tray; like an Oreo cookie into a glass of milk.

I completed this stain hack with a sturdy piece of cardboard under the aluminum tray.

Instant stain…on all sides of the hoop ( interior, exterior, and the narrow sides). The stain reached the nooks and crannies around the hoop’s hardware where the paintbrush just missed those same nooks.

It was a great way to stain small objects.

How to Stain Small Objects

How to Paint Vinyl Windows

May 20, 2019

Did you ever invest in a project or purchase and realize something was not quite right? Now multiply that mistake by a few thousand dollars. That’s what happened the day after our new vinyl windows were installed. I realized I had made a huge, expensive mistake. Huge! I ordered oatmeal trim windows instead of the white trim package.

Gasp! I know.

With white casings around our kitchen windows, the almond window trim package was a huge mistake. Did everyone notice the oatmeal shade of trim? And, it was going to bug me.

The almond color casings set in motion the challenge to figure out how to paint vinyl windows. So I did what I always do when I find myself responsible for a HUGE house related error. I searched online for solutions and told no one in my family. Just like the time I told no one about this online purchase mistake.

My first attempt was to use a paintbrush and white primer and just paint over the almond trim. But with the visible brush strokes, paint drips and the crank handles (which is what I loved about my new windows), I needed to find an easier way how to paint the vinyl windows.

After a trip to Home Depot, I grabbed a few white cans of spray paint and said a Hail Mary on the drive home.

Vinyl Windows Prep

To prep the window, I lightly sanded the vinyl trim and cleaned the window to remove any dust or errant bugs. Neither do well around spray paint.

I used a spray primer for the first coat and finished with two coats of a primer + white semi-gloss finish. Next time, I will skip the can of primer. The dual primer and paint combo provided great coverage and meant one less step to screw up the window finish.

And, guess what? Within 10 seconds I knew I had found the best technique, for my skill level and patience, to paint the vinyl windows. The spray paint adhered to the vinyl with a smooth finish. There was a bit of overspray on to the windows, but it was an easy cleanup with a razor blade. The results were immediate.

I applied two more applications and allowed plenty of dry time.

And the crank on the window, my favorite feature was the section I was most nervous about with the paint. The spray paint went over the window crank like the first coat of a new bottle of OPI nail polish; a smooth finish with instant results.

I love it! The hardest part was getting a crisp picture of the white handle in front of the newly painted vinyl window! Love it!

After almost two years the windows still look great. And, no one notices the windows. Which is the best compliment, right. Kind of like when someone gets a little work done and everything thinks she (or he) looks “rested.” wink wink

how-to-paint-vinyl-windows-everyday-edits

How to Refresh Window Well Grates

May 17, 2019

My family gave me a collective eye roll when I mentioned I wanted to paint our window well grates. Before our exterior was painted, I NEVER paid attention to the window well grates in our backyard. All of a sudden, the aluminum finish was a little dull, tired and did not look great against the freshly painted exterior.

Kind of like my complexion after the long winter.

Window well grates serve a purpose. They are the gatekeepers for blowing leaves, little critters and random debris that finds its way to the edge of the window well.

And, if you have a garden level or walk out basement you may have a few window well grates to cover your egress window. But, safety doesn’t mean window well grates can’t get a refresh!

You can see where a plan to refresh the window well grates was lower on the to-do list for some family members. The concrete foundation did not add a pop of color.

I used Primer + Paint black flat spray paint for this project. That’s it! I taped packing paper to the adjacent wall to minimize paint spray on the house. I’m not always the most diligent when it comes to the prep part of the paint. I always say, “That’s why there’s touch up paint.”

How to paint cabinet pulls with Toothpicks

April 30, 2019

I purchased and installed 14 cabinet pulls in the wrong finish. I ordered the cheapest pulls in an oil rubbed bronze finish to replace the builder grade nickel hardware in our laundry room.

In this case, the low-cost cabinet hardware came at a steep price; the cabinet pulls were non-returnable

I thought the oil rubbed bronze would look great against the white cabinets, but I did not love the finish. However, I was pretty sure I would love an all-black cabinet pull.

Painting over a dozen cabinet pulls without incident (meaning no coverage issues or drips) had me looking at a long, drawn-out paint fix. And, then I got an idea on how to paint cabinet pulls. An idea that would take seconds and mean little to no downtime in a room that is used every single day.

With an Amazon box, 1/2 can of black spray paint + primer and a handful of toothpicks I set up my impromptu paint station.

The sharp point of the toothpicks made it easy to press into the cardboard box. The cabinet pulls might have wobbled on the toothpick, but they didn’t fall down.

Never under underestimate the power of a toothpick.

I lined the toothpicks up, poking them just a bit, into the box. I placed each cabinet pull on top of the toothpicks. The cabinet pulls were hollow so the toothpicks could handle the weight of each cabinet pull.

A can of black spray paint changed the look of the cabinet pulls in seconds. The toothpicks made it easy to spray around each cabinet pull without coverage gaps. meant I could get around each cabinet pull without coverage gaps.

The painted cabinet pulls gave me the look I wanted for a space that is all about lost socks, stains and loads of laundry. It’s the most popular room in the house.

After hundreds of loads of laundry, the spray painted cabinet pulls have not faded or chipped. They look brand new!

Love it! And, no one in the family ever knew of my initial disappointment in the finish. I started and finished and reinstalled the pulls in a matter of a few hours. In fact, NO ONE in the family noticed I had changed the cabinet pulls from the original pulls!

Pinnable graphic below!

Pottery Barn Kitchen Table Knockoff

March 14, 2019

I was this close to selling my kitchen table on Craig’s List when I saw this table on Pottery Barn’s website. In just a few minutes of side glances over my shoulder and back at the screen I knew I had a PB kitchen table knockoff in the works!

I looked at this table, zoomed in on the base and looked over to my World Market clearance table. This white PB kitchen table turned out to be the inspiration for my Pottery Barn kitchen table knockoff I finished last summer.

My veneer-ish, shiny black table was mix-matched with the shades of blue. I was so close to trading it in for something new.

I painted my round table with this Benjamin Moore color. It is Mascarpone and it is a favorite white at my house. The hardest part about this creamy white is spelling it correctly. I have to Google it everytime.

And, this Pottery Barn kitchen table knockoff is one of my favorites! My kitchen table went from a shiny, veneer-ish finish to a creamy color to brighten the space.

kitchen-table-pottery-barn-knockoff-feature

I think this table is the longest I have kept a piece of furniture free from new paint. Yes, I do touch it up, but I have not wavered in my decision to paint it a different color. I love it!

Garage Entry Door Makeover in an Hour

November 20, 2018

It’s the week of Thanksgiving. I should focus on mashed potatoes, fresh linens and a vacuum to reign in the dog hair. But that’s not what happened yesterday. In between a quick inventory of the Christmas trees and hauling out bags of clothes to drop off at Goodwill, I painted the garage entry door. That’s right in less than an hour I had a garage entry door makeover. Welcome home…

You know when you reach that point where you have to drop everything because something bugs you so much? Like a mosquito bite; that you can’t reach to scratch? Well, my garage entry door was that mosquito; except it was door and days before Thanksgiving.

This was the door a few years ago before it got a quick update with a coat of black paint and new hardware. But over the years the door got banged up with tennis bags and a 93 pound Bernese Mountain dog covered in mud.

She may also be the reason the updated door hardware tilts.

I switched things up with a couple quick coats of Chelsea Gray. The same paint I used to paint our living room hutch. There is an Instagram account just for Benjamin Moore’s Chelsea Gray.

In our house, the entry door from the garage is the most popular door. The only one who visits the front door is the UPS or Fed Ex guy. So it only made sense that my family members have a door with fresh paint.

In less than an hour, I had a garage entry door makeover. And I added a little something to welcome my family home.

It turns out the crazy, packed schedule is the deadline I needed to haul out a paint tarp. The time spent painted rolled by quickly with thoughts of all three of my children home for a few days. #fullhouse

I plan to make these as these breakfast rolls in the days before Thanksgiving.

Hello there!

Sharing:

Across the Boulevard

Rustic & Refined

Never Underestimate the Power of Paint

November 7, 2018

“Do you think we can find paint ideas on Pinterest?” My husband asked this question while driving home with three salvaged doors hanging out the back of my car. The fact that my husband knew how to use Pinterest in a sentence made me so happy. His question told me he listens to some of my crazy house ideas. And, my crazy house ideas and my time are not wasted on Pinterest in the early hours of most Saturday mornings. Never underestimate the power of paint.

As a Realtor, I remind sellers paint has all the power in a room. A paint color has the power to turn off or engage potential buyers when they walk thru the front door.

The same can be said for your friends and family members. Don’t we all have a relative who has too much tchochtke and a crocheted toilet seat cover?

For older homes, buyers plan to paint and carpet.

But, sometimes paint can overpower the “bones” of the home. The paint hides the details.

I speak from personal experience. Heavy, dated walls make rooms feel dark and clutter.

Paint has the power to see the small details.

The details that are conversation starters with friends, family or homebuyers.

Paint has the power to create a mood or invoke a feeling.

Dated paint colors are a distraction. At some point, most of us apologize for one of our rooms:

“Yes we know the color we picked out nine years ago is so 2009. I picked that paint color. I own it.

Thankfully the paint is long gone and so is that wall between the kitchen and dining room.

Never underestimate the power of paint. And, maybe a few other updates.

Painted Glass Accessories are a Game Changer

October 26, 2018

I love paint the way Oprah loves bread! Paint is multi-purpose like bread, but without the carbs! So imagine how much more I loved paint when I discovered we can paint glass. Painted glass is a game changer for craft enthusiasts.

I use the word accessories loosely because paint is a game changer for jelly jars and Costco size pickle jars. I saved a few glass pint size glass milk jars from Sprouts. White spray painted bottles against a dark backdrop. The glass bottles look so regal!

Paint is a universal solution and likely a form of therapy for many.

At my house, the paint was a game changer for the 12 + glass pumpkins stored in a closet 10.5 months out of every year.

I was this ———- close to donating my assortment of small and large size glass pumpkins.

I bought them when a national candle chain went out of business years ago.

Every year, I hauled out the glass pumpkins, but the glass was hard to showcase? It’s just so clear. Does that make sense?

It might explain why the candle store went out of business.

They even have a place for a votive candle in the back.

Because I had over a dozen glass pumpkins I was willing to sacrifice one for the purpose of the brush vs. spray paint application.

I preferred the ease of spray paint. But, the paintbrush strokes accented the grooves on the pumpkins.

Just make sure you either prime the glass or use a primer + paint.

The painted glass makes for unlimited colors. options and techniques.

With the white paint, the pumpkins popped against my Hale Navy dining room wall.

Stay tuned for the latest living room hutch. That hutch has had its share of makeovers this year.

I live vicariously thru my hutch.

Now is the time to run thru your house and pull out the glass jars you saved for some future project and have a little fun with paint.

I would love to see an assortment of painted, upcycled glass jars. How cool would that look against a dark background?

What do you think?

Revere Pewter Paint in Family Room

August 22, 2018

Do you know that feeling when you see a photo of yourself and your like, “That is not what I look like?” Well, that’s the same reaction I had when I uploaded house photos. “My family room doesn’t look like that? Oh yes, it does, Laura. Oh, yes it does. And, I remembered the power of paint.

Revere Pewter Paint

I spent months on this page to narrow down my decision on the paint color for our home’s interior.

I love the Revere Pewter paint on the family room walls, but these photos show a little more blah than boom. And, it wasn’t until I took those photos that I realized I have some family room goals this fall. I was on the right track when I added these pillows.

The basket with the pillows is one of my favorite things in the room. I love the contrast between the wicker and the blue & white pillows. See that tennis ball in the background? I have a photo collage of random tennis balls.

When you are a tennis family you find tennis balls just about everywhere. Last spring I painted the nook above the fireplace Hale Navy and loved the contrast against the Revere Pewter paint on the walls.

The Revere Pewter paint is carried throughout most of the house. Our home is an open main level so you can catch glimpse of the Revere Pewter on most walls.

Here is a glimpse of our new windows from earlier this summer. The new windows transformed the room. We replaced all the windows with clear glass (no grids).

And, then I captured this blank wall and I was like, “Oh, that’s rough Laura.” Now what?

Our dream, okay my dream, is to knock down that wall and add a dual-sided fireplace (the living room is on the opposite side). But until then I need something on those walls.

And, look I spy another tennis ball (and a wandering power cord).

How to Stain Small Objects

Vinyl Windows Prep

Revere Pewter Paint

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