Painted Stripes

       Painted stripes using a flat and a satin finish create an elegant look for a dining room or a focal area. The satin sheen stripes capture the light and reflect a beautiful soft glow.  For those of us who have 8 ft. ceilings this is a great way to create an illusion of height to the room.

        Prep your area first, cover floors, remove pictures, move furniture, repair walls if necessary.
Apply two coats of flat latex paint in the color of your choice. Use a good quality paint.
   
       Once the paint is fully dried measure out the stripes, in this case they were 4 in. wide. I use a 4 ft. level to lightly pencil in lines for the tape. Tape off your lines on both sides of the each stripe. Every other stripe will be taped. Use a low tack tape so the paint does not get pulled off the wall when removing. Use a 1 1/2 in. wide tape.
   
      When the taping is completed apply a clear satin urethane to all the bare stripes using a brush to cut in top and bottom and then a small roller. The roller cover should be lint free and a 1/4 in. nap.  Apply a small even amount to the roller and gently roll on the wall, a second coat may be required. Remove excess urethane so it does not drip all over when rolling. Let this finish completely dry and then remove your tape being very careful not pull up your work.

      This is a great weekend project which may require two people with a supply of patience. Measuring and taping use up most of the time, the painting goes rather quick. Have fun!

Tips for Painting Cabinets

       Lets face it we all make a mistake at one time or another but it would be great if we caught them as we were doing it.
Here are a few examples of over-sites which could be avoided.

      In this photo too much paint was applied either by roller or brush. Applying to much pressure to the roller would also cause this. To correct this if its still wet is to blend in the paint with a brush or roller. If it dried then carefully sanding with 220 grit should work. 150 grit if you need to be more aggressive. In some cases the sanding may lift the area and spackle may be used to smooth out the damage.

     Again, too much paint on the brush. Catch this when wet and it should not be a problem. Use a drier brush and lift the excess out then blend.

    When painting wood apply the paint either by brush or roller in the direction of the wood grain.
Don't be tempted to cover the area in one coat.
On cabinets thin coats will produce a beautiful finish.

    These ropes will appear when the pressure on the roller is uneven. Roll over if wet and blend in. If dry, sand lightly and skim coat with spackle to cover.

Note: Latex paint does not sand well, so avoid these paint ropes. Oil base sands well but try to avoid the extra work.

Important: When sanding lead dust may enter the air which causes many health problems. Check first for lead before starting your project. Read all product labels.
If you would like to see more on painting kitchen cabinets visit my link -
http://arrayofcolorinc.blogspot.com/2013/02/paint-kitchen-cabinets_17.html

Paint Kitchen Cabinets

        Update your kitchen cabinets with some paint, patience and of coarse knowledge. Would you like to have these beautiful, dark, rich painted cabinets?

Well, you can! Follow the system I use and your on your way to having a professional look to your cabinets.

The photo to your left shows wood cabinets which where completely painted and new stainless door pulls were added. The color of the finish is almost black, like espresso. Here is a supply list of items which will be needed to complete your project. Clean rags - lint free, ammonia, plastic bucket, 1/4 in. nap mohair mini roller cover and roller, these rollers come in a package of two,

2 in. Chinex paint brush, 1 1/2in. Blue tape, vinyl spackle, small spackle blade, clean tarps to lay the doors on, 1 qt. of Benjamen Moore Advanced water borne alkyd paint, in the color of your choice, 1 qt. Stix water borne bonding primer tinted to the color of your choice or a med. to dark grey like the one shown below. A drill will be needed to remove all hardware. 220 and 400 grit sandpaper, vacuum and a dust mask.You may want to purchase de-glossing liquid ( instead of sanding ) ask your local paint supplier what product would be best for this situation.

Note: I used a SATIN finish for this project.

The first thing which happens to be very important is cleaning the cabinets thoroughly. A little water and ammonia and a clean rag will remove the dirt which has accumulated.

This step may have to be done several times. 

Dry off cabinets and your ready for the next step.

The photo on your left shows the original wood cabinet door.

This is a washed oak look and is begging for a change.

Put on your dust mask.

Take the 220 sandpaper and sand all areas to be painted.

Sand in the direction of wood grain. They sell de-glossing

  liquid which will remove the original sheen and make 

for a better surface to paint, if the sanding is to difficult.

When sanding is completed wipe down all areas 

and vacuum any remaining particles. 

If your changing the door and draw pulls fill all

 holes with the vinyl spackle, let dry, sand smooth and wipe of any dust or vacuum.

 

 

Now your ready to apply the primer. Dip your brush into the primer ( mentioned above ) and paint into and along the stiles and rails of the back of the doors. Only a thin coat of primer is needed. Also we would like to keep any buildup of paint from getting in the corners, so pay attention to that.

 When applying either primer or paint your brush strokes must be in the direction of the grain.

The only time that the stroke will be against the grain is when your brushing along the top and bottom of the rails. As long as there is a thin amount of paint applied to these areas there should be no cause for alarm.

Next, take your mini roller and apply a small amount of primer to the roller, enough to coat the roller but not dripping off the roller. This roller when used correctly will give a sprayed look to the finish. It is best to start at this point applying the primer thinly. This technique will be used threw the entire paint application.

While rolling, have an even pressure and roll from the top to the bottom to achieve a smooth finish. These rollers can hold a lot of paint so be careful. Check often to see if there is any excess of primer on the sides which needs to be blended in.

At this point we are concentrating  on the backside of the doors. Let primer dry completely.

OK! your doors are completed on the backside and now the fronts are ready. Follow the same steps for the back.

While your waiting for the doors and draw faces to dry start priming the wall cabinets and the bases. Tape of any areas where you'll need to keep the paint off.

Use the 1 1/2 in. Blue tape. The wall cabinets and base cabinets will be cut in and rolled using the same rolling technique. The frames will also cut in and rolled as needed.

Now your ready to apply the top coat. Once again apply the paint with a Chinex brush and lightly paint the back of the doors as shown on the left. Apply a small even amount of paint along the sides of the stiles and rails. Then fill in that section with your mini roller going with the grain. Your roller should not be overloaded at any time.

 

  Keep your strokes even with slight pressure.

           Move with the grain. When the panel is completed move to the rails and stiles watching for any excess which flows over the sides.

Check for any dust which may of dried on the paint finish and sand off lightly with the 400 grit sandpaper. Wipe clean and apply another coat.

Two coats will be  necessary to cover.

      

TIP- Try not to cover the project with one coat.Thin coats will produce a beautiful finish.
Visit my link which will show more tips which will help with your project
http://arrayofcolorinc.blogspot.com/2013/02/tips-for-painting-cabinets.html

 Here is a photo of the bottom side which I had painted and the top of the door on the hinged side. Later when both sides are dry I will hang the doors back on the cabinets and then finish painting the sides.

Once all coats have dried your ready to put the hardware back on  and replace all the doors and draws.

Remember to read all product information on the label and be aware that sanding may emit lead dust in the air which is known to cause many health problems. Keep the work area ventilated properly. Keep safe. 

                                                          

Warm Faux Glaze Technique

      Here is a beautiful warm faux glaze technique where only a sea sponge was used. The sea sponge can be highly affective,  producing many designs and patterns which can be applied to the walls or many other surfaces.

     The walls had a very heavy orange peel texture which made the technique  more dramatic. There were three colors used to produce this look.

     The base coat was painted with an latex eggshell finish by
Benjamin Moore #193
The first glaze color # 105 eggshell finish
Second glaze color # 1035 eggshell finish
One quart of quality latex glaze

      Using  a practice board before you start is recommended.

     I purchased quarts of the paint which were used in the glaze. One gallon of paint for this project was more than enough for the wall.

    Prep your walls, tape off the moldings if needed and apply plastic or tarps to the area. Apply the base coat #193 latex eggshell finish to the walls.

   Once the wall is completely dry it is time to apply the first glaze #105. I used a tbl. spoon of color to 4 ounces of latex glaze. Glaze can go a long way especially with this technique.

   Apply the the glaze to a small area with a brush using a small amount of product. Take the dampened sea sponge and put onto the paint on the wall, move the glaze around on the wall spreading it out from the original area.  This thin glaze when dry will become darker. Each application of glaze should be applied to the next bare area blending into the previous.

   When applying the glaze think of a puzzle and how all the pieces are different, move the glaze around to form various shapes and sizes. This will keep the fuax looking random.

   Keep your sponge damp. Poncing your sponge on the surface will remove glaze and re-apply in others. Control the glaze by adding more or less. Note: going over dried glaze will produce a darker effect.

   Remember not to apply glaze into the corners with your brush, this will become very heavy looking when it dries and will look like pie crust. Apply the glaze lightly several inches away and work into the corners with your sponge. Rinse out your sponge when its over loaded with glaze.

  The second glaze #1035 will be mixed the same as the first but applied much less. Randomly apply the glaze lightly and spread out. This glaze will change the color of the first and make it deeper in tone. Have fun painting!





    

Paint Your Chandelier

 


   Here are a couple of tips to give your chandelier new life.
Painting your chandelier will give it new character, that's right! Both of these fixtures had a old bronze finish that seen better days and it was time for a change.

   We left the fixture hanging for this painting process due to its size. I would recommend before working on or taking the fixture down  always shut the electric breaker off before starting. Cleaning the dust and grime off is very important. I used a dust brush. Remove all the light bulbs and crystals. Most of the fixture was sprayed with a Black Satin finish from Rustoleum to get into the tough to reach areas.  We finished up the painting with Black Satin Alkyd paint using a 1in. brush, this was mainly used to touch up. Let the paint dry, replace the crystals and lights and that's it!

For a contemporary look the light shades were not used and the light bulbs were switch to florescent.

Faux Glaze Technigue

       Here is an easy faux glaze technique which has a lot of character and sophistication. In the photos shown the colors used gave this interior a soft distressed look with
out overwhelming the area.
     
       The pattern was achieved with a roller 1/2 in. nap shed resistant. The glaze mixture was very thin.

    Base Color used - Ben Moore # OC-59 Flat, 1 qt.
    Paint for glaze - Ben Moore # 1035 flat, 1 qt.
    Glaze - 1qt. good quality 

        After applying the base coats as needed let dry. At this point start to mix your glaze. I mixed three ounces of paint with six ounces of glaze and then added twelve ounces of water.

      Cutting in is done by taking a twelve inch compound blade and placing it into the corners, then run a mini roller up and into the blade. This-technique could be very messy so to insure a neater application do not over load your rollers.  

      Start your cutting in at the top and then use your larger roller vertically from left to right.
Do not add too much pressure to the roller which may release a lot of glaze. Your passes with the roller should be random and at times running diagonal.

     There is no need for a paint brush to cut in close to the corners, it will look more distressed
using a roller. Leave some of the base color to show threw.

     I recommend practicing the technigue first on a board and not your walls. Once comfortable with the technique your ready, enjoy!

Original Painting

     Here is an original painting I recently finished on 24 in. x 36 in. canvas. Acrylic paint was used and the inspiration came from this magnificent White Fir I photographed in Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe.

    We all have an idea of what a tree looks like but this tree had so much character.  I decided to zoom in to capture the twisted limbs and the nubby, flaky bark.

    The sunlight plays on the branches which were shaped from the ice and snow during the many winters.

    The grayish bark against the blue sky just jumps right out at you. Short yellow green pine needles hang in a pattern only mother nature could design.

     It all seems chaotic but there's a great deal of grace and
beauty in it's composition.

    You could spent a lot of time admiring all the beautiful landscape that Emerald Bay has to offer.

    I look forward to the next trip!