Metallic Blue accent wall

         Add a metallic accent wall to your room if your searching for a jaw dropping finish. A crosshatch technique was painted to capture the reflection of light. This finish has many personalities which changes throwout the day. Check out this link on the How to do this paint finish, http://arrayofcolorinc.blogspot.com/2013/05/metallic-painted-accent-wall.html

Painting a home yourself?

There are many articles on painting a home yourself vs hiring a contractor. There are many reasons why you should choose one or the other. The BIG question is, are you up for the task? Can you move the furniture, climb ladders for a good part of the day, and lift 5 gallon paint buckets from one area to another? If your answer is no, its time to shape up!

 If you're not in the best physical shape it will feel like the never ending job. Painting has been my life for the past 20 years. If I was not in good physical shape, this would be one tough occupation. To keep in shape I run at least 5 miles a week, walk on the treadmill, and every other day hit the weights. You don't have to be like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but you do need to "Pump yourself up".

I give credit to anyone who makes the attempt to improve their surroundings, but I see a lot of dreams fade due to the physical requirements of certain paint projects.Many people have an adrenalin rush while creating their vision for the interior or exterior of their home. Purchasing all the needed tools and supplies for the paint project can be very exciting. It looks easy, you have painted a little before and know some of the basics. After moving all the furniture, covering the floors and misc., removing the window treatments, taping the needed areas, and putting the ladders in place, your now ready! Or are you?

 So, take a good look at your project, ask yourself if this is something you can handle. If your answer is yes, go for it!  If not, hire a professional and go to the gym.

Chalkboard Paint

Today, chalkboard paint can be tinted in many colors. If you would like to move away from the traditional blackboard, you now can choose your favorite color and add it to your interior. There are so many ingenious ways to apply this in your home, it's amazing!

We decided to give this chalkboard a hand painted frame with faux wood carvings. This framed 3x5ft. chalkboard hangs in a reception area, guest will be asked to sign in or leave an inspirational note for all to see. The color used for this project is Benjamin Moore # 184 Ivory Lustre. Artist acrylic paint was used for the frame and a finish coat of satin urethane. Take a look at all the fantastic ways to apply chalkboards to your interior: http://www.houzz.com/chalkboard-paint

Reduce Drywall Dust

Here is a quick tip on reducing drywall dust from sanding compound. I have found this little trick can save a lot of time cleaning and reduce vacuuming. Take a 12 inch wide roll of paper and cut it 6 to 12 inches longer than the sanding area, fold in half and tape the top with blue tape under the sanding area. Tape the other end of paper and attach to wall to make a paper gutter. Press the tape down slightly on the outer edge of the paper closer to you, this will keep the dust from sliding off the tape onto the floor.

When your sanding the dust will fall in the paper and reduce your clean up time. When sanding is completed, carefully fold the paper over beginning at one end and continue folding over till you reach the other end, then discard according to your local laws.

Tips: wear a dust mask when sanding. If your home was built prior to 1978 sanding may release lead which is harmful to your health. Log into the following site for more information: http://www2.epa.gov/lead
Cover your surrounding area with plastic and drop cloths to keep the air borne particles off your floors and furnishings.

Combining faux techniques

By combining the right faux techniques beautiful effects can be achieved. Two faux techniques were used to accomplish this paint finish above. I chose color washing and a rag technique, I found that they work well together.
 Color wash using a sea sponge has a wider pattern and the rag technique has a more complex pattern. The color wash was applied with a deeper glaze, over a lighter base coat. Then apply a lighter glaze with a ragging technique. Leave areas of the base to show to make the finish more interesting, allowing the tones of color too come threw.
 Create your own faux finish by experimenting with the different faux tools and colors. Keep a log of all your colors and techniques used so they can be reproduced at a later time. Learn and understand the basics before attempting more complicated finishes. In time you may develop your own personal signature that will be admired by many.

Change room size with paint

Change room size with paint! Put that sledge hammer down and drop the crowbar. That's right, sometimes all you need is a brush, roller and the right paint color to give the illusion that the walls have moved. Simple adjustment can bring the greatest results. Here are a few paint tips to get you started.

The photo above shows a large room with ceilings 12 to 13 feet high, to make the area cozier a warm color was applied to make the ceiling appear closer, the walls which were painted in a lighter warm tone appear to have shorten up the walls, also giving the perception they have moved forward.

If your looking to lift your ceiling, using a light color will give the feeling of height. If your feeling a little cramped in your room, try painting a light color on your walls. Light colors will make a small area seem larger. Cooler colors will also create the feeling of space.

The key thing to remember is darker colors will advance and lighter will retract. Walls will seem like they have moved by adding this method. Learn more about these color affects at http://activerain.com/blogsview/502785/a-lesson-in-color-receding-and-moving-towards-colors

Faux Techniques

This faux painted wall was created from two faux techniques, when combined they form a soft smokey, wispy affect. The faux technique gives an illusion of the mirrors floating on the steam from the shower. The base coat was painted with Benjamin Moore # 1068 eggshell finish. The glaze BM 1070 was color washed with a sea sponge, then an off white glaze using BM 1068 and white was applied over the surface to achieve more depth and soft highlights using a rag technique. Choose three colors in the same family that are a few shades apart, this will produce the depth. This technique can also be used for creating a faux marble finish, add the veining, gloss protective coat and you'll fool everyone.

Metallic painted accent wall

The inspiration to add this metallic painted accent wall came from the small blue grey pillow and bluish color on the bed cover pattern. Originally the walls were a coral color but it was time for a change. The metallic paint, Benjamin Moore # PT-300 Pearlescent tint was applied over Benjamin Moore # HC-148 flat latex using a three inch brush and short random strokes. If you haven't used metallic paint before, it is very transparent and works great if it is applied over a similar tone. Another tip to make this user friendly is to apply it with a sea sponge, crosshatch brush strokes or rag technique. If you decide to roll the metallic paint, roll in short random directions. Using various faux techniques will create an interesting and beautiful pattern filled with texture that plays with the light.

Check out, sponge painting with metallic paint http://arrayofcolorinc.blogspot.com/2013/03/sponging-with-metalic-paint.html

Gel Stained Door

 Here are a few tips on applying a Red Mahogany gel stain on a fiberglass door. I found, applying a tinted primer to the surface prior to staining got the best results.

The tinted primer is used as an undertone color to enhance the stain. Coral undertones can be used and red depending on how rich of a red mahogany stain you would like to achieve.

bare fiberglass door

  The door was cleaned with mild soap and water and fully dried, it was left on its hinges during the entire process. You could lay the door over saw horses if you like. Frog tape and blue tape were used around the windows and the walls, hardware was removed and the surface of the door and side light was lightly sanded with 220 grit. The door was wiped down with a lint free damp cloth.

 I applied a coat of Zinsser 123 water base primer which was tinted to Benjamin Moores # 1209. The primer color will be a little lighter than the actual color. A sample was made before applying it to the door.
The primer was applied with a 2 1/2 in brush going in the direction of the grain. This is very important step to remember and used threw out the entire process. The primer was left to dry fully.

primed fiberglass door

 Old Masters gel stain, red mahogany was applied with a 1 inch artist brush to the moldings around the windows and outer door frame. There is no embossed wood grain so you need to faux grain these areas. Gel stain goes a long way so you don't need a lot on your brush. I started at the bottom and worked my way up and into the previous area, spreading the stain evenly. Have a Cotton cloth near by to wipe excess stain off of your brush. As your applying the stain drag your brush down to produce wood grain. The gel stain will set up pretty fast so you need to work quickly. If you don't like how things are developing take a cloth with mineral spirits and remove the stain.

Once the moldings are completed you can finish off the areas around the side light. Work on one area at a time. Now the rails will be stained, top and bottom of the door. Work with a wider brush, a 2 1/2 in. Chinex is great for this. Add gel stain to your brush carefully and apply to the top rail section, from one end to the other. Wipe off any excess that goes onto the stiles (sides) of the door.
Remove the amount of stain you need to achieve the results your looking for. Wipe off excess stain on your rag and continue to the bottom rail. Repeat the process.

Now your ready for the sides (stiles ) start on the left bottom and work your way up blending the stain into the previous area. Keep several inch away from the end of the stiles so the stain does not build up. I work on a 6 to 12 inch section at a time, wiping my brush and moving in the direction of the grain, paying attention to the amount of stain that I want to remain on the surface. When the left stile is completed its time to move to the right. You will be very happy that the door hardware was removed at this point.

Finally the sides of the door will be stained and the inside of the door frame using the same technique. The stain will need to dry thoroughly, which could take a couple of days. Check an inconspicuous area with a little mineral spirits on a rag, if it comes off its not ready for the spar varnish.

Once dry, apply good quality exterior spar varnish ( oil base ) satin finish with a clean Chinex brush. Two coats will be needed, let the first coat fully dry. Drying time will vary depending on the weather. The varnish is applied in the direction of the grain. It's a good idea to move in the same sequence as the staining process.

When the varnish is dry use a razor knife to score along the edge of the tape, this will help in removing the tape from pulling up your hard work. Put back the door lock and hardware and your all set.

Note: Put the rags used with mineral spirits or stain in a metal bucket of water when finished, remove according to local disposal laws.
This door was stained on the exterior side and painted on the interior side. Follow the same process if staining both sides.
Make a sample board of the entire stain process so you can see how things work and what needs to be done to achieve the right results.

Painted faux bricks

 Hand painted faux bricks bring the beauty of old world charm right into your room in any color, shape or size. There are so many areas in your home where bricks can be used to warm up your decor, the fireplace, kitchen, back splash, den, family room and so on.









 Hand painting the faux bricks gives you endless color options and styles. The photo above shows the bricks are exposed from the sheet rock, which has been a popular design treatment in resturants and homes. If you choose an entire wall can be painted, be creative!

How to do this project, check out this link http://arrayofcolorinc.blogspot.com/2013/03/faux-painted-bricks.html

Emerald Green Glaze

Try this ragging technique using an emerald green glaze if your looking for a soft sophisticated finish with a lot of depth. Did you know that emerald green was named 2013 color of the year by Pantone. Add this award winning color to your walls. This faux finish is great if your walls have imperfection, it will help disguise them. The paint finish is achieved by using a positive and negative ragging technique on an eggshell sheen base coat.

The positive application of a glaze is achieved by applying glaze directly to a surface using a sponge, rag, brush or other tool. Each item used to apply glaze makes its own mark.

A negative application is removing glaze from a surface. In this case we used a damp cotton rag to move the glaze on the wall from one area to another. This technique is called "walking the glaze" as the rag is being moved around it is lifting off glaze leaving a negative mark and then reapplying the glaze in another area.

The glaze is first applied by a brush onto the wall leaving a small amount which will be manipulated with a damp rag. The rag will be placed in your hand by dropping the cloth into your palm producing a pattern in the cloth. This pattern will produce the marks which will be left on the wall.

The cotton rag must be turned in many different directions to create a random pattern.Working the glaze in small sections at a time resembling puzzle pieces will produce a smooth flow threw out the area. Blend each section into the previous area.

Work the glaze into the corners by rapping the rag around your pointer finger and walking the glaze towards the edges. This works well by keeping the glaze from being over applied into the corners.

Note: I recommend a practice board before tackling your walls so you can work out any issues which may arise. Use a glaze mixture of 1 part paint to 3 parts glaze.
When your cotton rag is saturated with glaze rinse lightly in water and ring out till damp.
Wear rubber cloves

Ideas for Accent Walls

Here are some ideas for painting accent walls that may inspire you to move forward and create a fascinating area in your home. Ideally an accent wall is used to bring interest towards an area, to enhance objects, furniture and artwork. Just adding a single color to an area will change the dynamics of the space.
The photos below are just the beginning of what you can achieve with paint. There are endless painting techniques which will make your accent wall unique and stand out in a cookie cutter world.

 Solid brick red adds to conversation and appetite, you'll see this color in restaurants,dining rooms and kitchens. If you ask me, red looks great in many areas.
                             

                                         Dare to be different! Add a distressed wall
                  

                                 Ragging technique, lighter glaze over a darker base
 

                                      Distressed stripes add a whimsical feel   

                                              Tone on tone smooshing technique    
           

                                   Accent color taken from fabric, smooshing technique    

                                        Add painted moldings to enhance an area
                         

                                              Sponging technique using glaze

                                                        Faux inside a frame

                                                    Sponging over a light base

                                                          

                                              Multi  framed in areas faux painted                 

                                                            Distressed strie

                                                    Create a distressed faux brick wall     

                                     

                                               Metallic Blue painted wall, crosshatch technique

Crosshatch Faux Technique

A crosshatch faux technique was used to create this subtle aged look. This technique can be used on the interior and exterior. To accomplish this look, paint is applied wet on wet. I applied a deep warm green and a mid warm green on a lighter cooler green base. The base and top coats were a eggshell finish . No glaze was added to the paint. A 4in. roller was used to distribute the darker green first, then a 3 in. brush was used to apply  the mid tone green using the crosshatch technique. I applied the the mid tone green in a random pattern with the same brush. The cross hatch was softened and the edges of the faux were kept in a irregular pattern. The end result will have a soft mottled appearance.

Note - With the Crosshatch technique you are basically painting X's on the wall and blending the two colors together.
 I moved right along, cutting in top and bottom,
rolling in the opened areas. Try not to let the outer edges of the paint dry. Work a couple of feet at a time and dont add too much paint into your corner. This would create a pie crust look. To avoid this, I make a point of adding paint or glaze several inches from any corner and slowly bringing the paint or glaze to the corner.

 

 The greatest thing about this technique is, it is easily repaired. Go back into the area and follow the above, blend in the area and your finished. If this is your first attempt, choose colors which are various tones of the same color. This will keep you from adding other colors which may make an  unwanted color. For the more experienced colorist, use your imagination.  Enjoy!

Repair Painted Dresser

 This beautiful piece of furniture was going to be thrown out, until the owner contacted me to see if I could repair the painted dresser. This piece of furniture has been in her family about 50 years, there are several pieces that were split up between family members and the thought of loosing it was heart breaking. This hand painted, faux painted Bombay style dresser was originally made by the White Fine Furniture Co., purchased in New York City. There is a beautiful oriental scene on the entire front of the dresser and it flows onto the sides. What I loved about this nine draw piece was its size was unobtrusive, the color and the art work was not overwhelming.

So, what happened? Incense oil spilled out and over the top of the faux finish, melting away layers of paint, right down to the wood. The spill measured around two and a half feet,  several areas had quarter size holes in the finish. As you can see, it was pretty bad.

 The first thing I needed to do is to clean off any residue from the dresser top, sand the entire top with 180 grit and then apply a patching compound to level out the damaged areas.

The compound was sanded smooth with 180 grit and leveled off, dust was vacuumed and wiped with a damp cotton cloth. I primed the entire dresser top and when dried, sanded lightly with 220 grit. I then applied two coats of the base paint, which was a latex eggshell finish. After the first coat of paint was dry I went over the the top with 220 grit to knock of any dust particals. To apply the primer and finish coats I used a mohair mini roller with a 3/8 in. nap. This roller nap is fantastic for a quality finish.

         Finally, the top was faux painted to match using a dry brush application to create a subtle wood grain. Then a light splattering was added. The protective finish coats of urethane was applied using the mohair mini roller with a 3/8 in nap. Each coat of urethane was lightly sanded with 220 grit, wiped clean before appling  the last coat of satin finish.

 I was happy that I could save this furniture from being thrown out, but then you know that old saying, one person's trash is another's treasure.

Easy Painted Stripes

Here is an easy way to paint stripes, eight inch stripes with alternating colors and slightly distressed. No tape will be used to paint the stripes. This project could be used for an accent wall or the entire room.

 First prep your area and apply blue tape to the base boards or as needed. Measure the wall where the stripes will be painted, divide the width of the stripes you would like to have into the total length of the wall. Example: 192 inches ( 16 ft ) divided by 8 inches = 24 stripes. If you end up with a odd number divide that number into your total stripes. So in this case your stripes could be 8 1/8 inches each.

Next, make a small mark to the top and bottom of the wall where each stripe will be, move from one
end of the wall to the other end. Mark every other stripe which will be the different color, I use a small piece of blue tape.


Take a 4 ft. level and place it on the mark of your stripe. Use a 2 1/2 in. paint brush with the first paint color ( no glaze ) and brush up against the level running vertical on the wall. Continue down the wall with the level ensuring it is plum.

Your creating a guide line for your stripe, keep from overloading paint on your brush.

Wipe the excess paint from the level and move to the other side of the stripe. This process will continue for every other stripe till you get to end of the wall.
Fill in each stripe with your first color ( light beige ), the stripes shown were painted over a golden tan base, let some of the base show threw.

 Now apply the second color ( yellow ) to the next group of stripes using a dry brush working with vertical strokes. The wall should look like its almost completed. These stripes can be cut in, the level does not have to be used.




Once all the yellow stripes have been painted  add yellow brush marks to the lighter stripes.



Add the lighter color to the yellow stripes. Finally, add an off white with a brush to each
stripe randomly to produce high lights.

Note: There are four colors used to produce this technique. Choose a light, med and darker color. Flat paint was used for this project.

Base: Benjamin Moore # HC-9
Light stripes - BM # 226
Yellow Stripes- BM # 270
Highlight - mix 1 part HC- 9 with 3 parts white
The fourth color is used to high light. The base coat the darker color, the light stripe a beige tone and the other stripe a yellow.

Painting Accent Walls

Painting accents walls does not have to be so complicated, once your focal area wall has been chosen add a splash of color and your on your way to liven up a room.
Choose a color from fabric in the room or use your favorite color and add it to your accent wall. Just by introducing a new color to the area produces a whole new feeling.
The photo to the left shows an accent wall where the color was taken from the bed cover. To bring it up a notch a faux finish was added to give more interest.

The photo on the right shows an accent wall useing the same base color as the surrounding walls, a faux finish was used to accentuate this wall.

Both photos show accent walls which were faux painted using a smooshing paint technique.

The smooshing technique is done by applying a satin finish to the wall, dried fully and then apply a glaze over the satin finish. A large plastic sheet is applied over the glazed area, move your hands over the plastic and then remove the plastic from the wall. By removing the plastic sheet you will
notice many different lines in the glaze producing an instant design pattern to a once solid color wall.

Having another person to help with this project will make things go a lot smoother. Have enough plastic to cover the whole wall. You will need to work fast when applying the glaze. The color glaze should be a few shades darker than the base color. The glaze mixture should be 1 part paint to 3 parts glaze. Use a brush and roller to apply the glaze. Cut in and roll the wall from one end to the other before the glaze sets up. If its a large area the wall can be broken up in sections but leave a wet edge untouched for the following section.

Note: This project could get messy so tape off your base boards and any other moldings, have drop cloths in your work area. When rolling the glaze onto the wall use a 1/2 in nap and keep from overloading the roller.

Faux Painted Metal Garage Door

A faux painted metal garage door is a great way to achieve the look of beautiful stained wood. There are so many colors to choose from and many combinations of design. Most metal doors have a grain pattern embossed into the metal which runs horizontally across each panel. By having the grain running in one direction makes the job a lot easier, there is no taping off each piece of wood going in opposite directions for this project shown above.

The metal garage door was previously painted so I pressure washed it prior to painting.  I applied   the base coat, Benjamin Moore # 1110 exterior latex paint in satin finish with a brush and roller.
When the base coat has fully dried apply the glaze mixture of 1 part  BM - Charleston Brown exterior latex satin finish with 3 parts of glaze.  A 3 inch brush was used in the direction of the grain.

Start at the top most panel and work from one side to the other. This glaze application gives the door the different variations of undertones in wood. Let the base show threw in some areas and apply the glaze heavier in others. Once the first top panel is completed move onto the next panel and continue.
As your glazing the door glance at the other panels so you don't repeat the same variations.

The final glaze which is a darker brown is applied starting again at the top and working from one side to the other. This application will add deeper wood grain. Again, let each section have its own personality to add interest to the door. The darker glaze will also be applied lighter in areas and darker in others.

Take a look at a piece of real wood and try to duplicate the grain pattern.

Painted Bath Room Cabinets

Painted bath room cabinets can give a whole new life to dated cabinets and save money too.. These cabinets were once bare and the original finish was badly worn, adding new stainless door and draw pulls gives that finishing touch. The espresso satin paint finish complements the contemporary design.
Two matching mirrors take the place of a wall to wall mirror which overwhelmed the area.

If you would like to paint your cabinets please visit the following link... http://arrayofcolorinc.blogspot.com/2013/02/paint-kitchen-cabinets_17.html

 This project will take a few days but can be very rewarding. Remember to take your time with each segment from cleaning to the finish coat.

To make your darker painted cabinets pop add a lighter color to the surrounding walls which in this case was a peachy beige. 

We spend a good part our lives in the bath room so why not make it a special place.

Faux Painted Bricks

Faux painted bricks adds a touch of old world charm and livens up any decor.
Adding the faux exposed bricks makes your area even more interesting. This technique can be used on accent walls, decorating a wine cellar, Tuscany style kitchens, fireplace surround or wall, and so much more. There are countless color combinations for bricks, this is just one of them.

I think you will enjoy doing this project, I know I did. Use your imagination!

I cut a stencil of the bricks and applied a base coat of a light tan. When the base dried I stenciled in the bricks using a med golden tan and a deep Terra Cotta color. Create a variation of color with the bricks, each one should have there own personality. I added speckles of a deep brown on each brick with a sea sponge to add texture. The exposed area was drawn in with a brush using the surrounding wall color. The shadows and high lights were applied with a artist bush.

In this picture the light was coming down from the top left, add high lights to the top of the bricks and add shadows to the bottom of the bricks. The same goes for the exposed area around the bricks.

To make the shadows use a dark brown glaze watered down and apply with an artist brush.
High lites were done with white paint.

The surrounding wall was a faux sponge finish. Light tan base with # 1035 glaze.
Take a look at more faux bricks http://arrayofcolorinc.blogspot.com/2013/04/painted-faux-bricks.html

 

Warm Faux Glaze Over Textured Wall

One way to really enhance a textured wall is to faux glaze over the texture. I used multiple glazes to create this warm, earthy look. The base coat was a light golden tan, eggshell finish.
Glaze #1 -  Benjamin Moore # 1035 ( 1 part paint to 3 parts glaze )
Glaze #2 - BM # 105   ( 1 part paint to 3 parts glaze )
Highlighting - BM - Navaho White

Both glazes above were applied by brush together, sometimes overlapping each other. Use a damp cotton rag to work the glazes into the texture. Add more of each glaze as needed. The glaze should fall into the cracks and along the raised areas to get the full affect.

For the highlighted areas I used Navaho White ( no glaze ) on the edge of the brush. The brush needs to be loaded with very little paint. Move the dry brush over the texture at an angle to grab at the sides of the texture. The dry brush technique with a lighter color makes the texture jump out.
The deeper glazes fall back and enhances the islands of texture.
This faux finish can be used in many areas of your home, use your imagination.

Check out my link on how to apply this texture http://arrayofcolorinc.blogspot.com/2013/03/add-texture-to-your-walls.html

Texture your walls

Looking for adding more dimension to your walls?

Knockdown texture unpainted 

Add texture to your walls and transform them with these tips. This is a larger knock down pattern which can be applied to the walls or ceilings.
If your thinking of adding texture to a previously painted area, prime first and when fully dry apply the texture.
Photo below shows various sizes of wall compound, they were applied with the side of a 6 inch compound blade.

The compound has very little height around 3/8 of an inch, the pattern separation is about an inch. The actual size of the dollops are 1/2 in. to 2 inches.

If needed apply small areas of compound to keep the spacing some what continuous. The trick to a great finish is to keep the pattern consistent.

Texture application

 Next step, hold your 6 inch blade at an 15 to 20 degree angle at the top and glide the blade down the wall pressing the compound down.
Wipe your blade off before each pass.
Continue to the next area and repeat the same movement with the blade until all raised compound has been flattened.
Let the compound dry, take the blade and knock off any points that may be left.
Prime the wall and when dry, its time for panting.

Note: I recommend practicing this technique on a board before applying it to your walls.
Check out my link on faux glazing over texture  -http://arrayofcolorinc.blogspot.com/2013/03/warm-faux-glaze-over-textured-wall.html