January 2022
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31

Archives for January 2022

4 Tips for Painting Over Dark Walls

January 30, 2022 by Susan Solliday Leave a Comment

You’re living the dream. You’ve finally bought a house. Congrats!

As you walked through your soon-to-be new home, you told yourself, “It’s only paint.” And while it’s true it is only paint, and painted walls can always be repainted, painting over dark walls is a much different process than simply painting over light-colored walls. Reds, purples, browns, and dark grays are particularly tricky. Although, anything with darker pigment can pose a significant challenge if you’re not prepared.

Don’t worry, here are our best painting tips to help you conquer your dark wall challenges.

Tip #1: Primer Is Not Optional

It can be easy to scoff at basic prep work when you’re “just painting.” But as with any project in your home, the end result is going to be directly related to how well you do the prep work. Just like laying new tile or installing a new bathroom sink, the amount of preparation time you put into repainting dark walls will show. The right prep also will make the job so much easier; certainly something to look forward to.

When painting over dark walls, primer is not optional. Even if you choose a paint that claims to have a primer built-in (it doesn’t, it’s just a thicker paint), you will still need a high-quality primer. This is not the time to skimp on a cheap product. Choose a primer that’s designed specifically to block pigment bleeding. The greater the color differential between the paint being covered and the new paint the more your primer will have to hide. Plan for at least two coats of primer on very dark walls.

Tip #2: Choose Colors in the Same Family

Do you somewhat like the color your is painted, but maybe it’s just a shade or two too dark? That’s a much easier problem to solve than going from, say, midnight black to snowfall white. Taming the shade is a much easier proposition, since you’re staying in the same color family, and any small amount of pigment bleed may easily go unnoticed. However, you’ll still need to stay close to the same shade, or else you’ll need to go back to Tip 1 and prime like your life depends on it. You should still prime before you paint no matter what you do, but you may not need industrial-strength primer to switch from deep burgundy to a middling plum, for example.

Tip #3: Paint More Than You Think You Should

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make when applying new wall paint, besides skipping the primer, is stopping before they’re done. With some colors, it can be a little tricky to tell if you’ve actually finished the job, but if you see any thin areas at all, you should really apply another coat. Chances are good that you don’t just have one thin spot.

Two coats are often plenty of paint for a regular job, but if needed apply a third. No one will judge if you even have to go back later and add another coat of paint after you’ve lived with it a while and noticed some inconsistency. It’s easy to underpaint a wall, especially if you’re trying to get a job done over a weekend.

Best for last! My personal favorite tip.

Tip #4: Leave the Painting to a Pro

If you’re not sure you’re up to painting over your dark walls, want to make sure the job is done right, or just don’t want to paint at all, call in a pro. Interior Designers and professional Painters can help you choose colors that will look great in your home, as well as apply a finish you’ll love for years to come.

Images: Photo by Theme Photos on Unsplash

A-door-able Updates!

January 27, 2022 by Susan Solliday Leave a Comment

Doors have been on my mind of late. As a Realtor and Interior Designer I see a lot of doors as I visit homes throughout Arizona. It goes without saying that a door is an important part of your home. For the practical reasons of providing security or helping to control the temperature. But doors also play a big part in the overall look of your home.

Your front door is one of the first things people notice when coming to your home, and the state that your door is in can have a noticeable impact on the impression people have of your house and property.

Ask yourself, what sort of a message is your front door sending?

Didn’t like your response? Don’t worry, there are a few different types of updates you can give to your door depending on what you want and your budget. Here are a few things to think about while trying to decide if you’re ready to update your door or not.

Does Your Door Need an Update?

The first thing you should think about is whether your door actually needs updating. While you are at it, think about the other doors in your home also. While the front door is the one that gets the most attention, your interior doors and back doors could use some love now and then. If they’re damaged or otherwise out of style then you might consider making some changes there also.

Take a look at the physical condition of your doors. Is there any visible damage, weathering, or warping? Do the doors stick or scrape when opening or closing, even after tightening hinge screws or making other adjustments? Think about how they look and how well they match the surrounding walls or other fixtures like shutters. Do their colors and styles cause them to blend in, stand out, or contrast? Is that a good thing? What about features such as windows or other design work in the doors? Do they match what you envision for your home? You want to consider both the look and the functionality of your doors when trying to decide whether to update or if it’s time to replace them.

Door Upgrade Options

Now that you’ve spent some time considering either your front door or other doors in your house and maybe found them in need of change, it’s time to think about what that change looks like. Is it something subtle, or more significant?

Regardless of how you’d like to change the look and feel of your home, there are likely some door updates and upgrades that can help you achieve it.

One of the most basic updates you can make to your door is to change its color with a fresh coat of paint. This can be especially useful if you just want your door to stand out more and appear more welcoming. If you want a larger color impact, paint the door as well as paint or replace your window shutters to match or contrast. Windows or other door inlays can be installed into some doors, though it’s more likely that you’ll buy a new door to accomplish this major change in look. There are a few other reasons to buy a new door as well, especially if you’re looking at damage or warping. There are both wood and metal doors available, so be sure to shop around to find the perfect doors for your home.

Getting the Door of Your Dreams

Whether you want a new paint job, a brand-new door, or large-scale updates to your doors and other features of your home, unless you have a clear vision, find a pro to help you.

Tips for Flexible Spaces for Kids

January 4, 2022 by Susan Solliday Leave a Comment

Whether you’re looking to design a bedroom, a nursery, or a playroom, creating a unique space for your children is usually a bigger job than you expect. This is especially true if you want to come up with something that will stand the test of time. Kids flex and their rooms should too. If they don’t, then sooner or later that “perfect” room you designed for your little will be outdated and possibly even unwanted. Please, I am sure there is something you would much rather do than completely redesign your kids’ rooms every few years!

Of course there is.

By taking the way that children’s needs change over time into account in the beginning, you can come up with more flexible designs that are easier to adapt to even as your child’s interests shift. There will still be periodic changes that have to be made, of course, but this will keep you from having to start from the ground up each time. Here are a few things to keep in mind to help you create some of these more flexible spaces for your kids.

Start Simple

When coming up with the initial design for your child’s bedroom or playroom, it’s a good idea to take something of a minimalist approach to your design. Try to figure out what the absolute essentials are, then see if there is an age-agnostic way to approach them. Add color to the room, but skew a bit more toward light or neutral shades instead of going with brighter more extreme colors that your child may grow to dislike.

Invest in a few key furniture items that can be repurposed over time instead of buying specialty pieces that will only be used for a short while. Use colored rugs and other removable accents instead of going for changing the carpeting. Your goal is to create a simple space that has a lot of potential so that as your child’s interests change, you’ll have a base to move back toward and adapt the room from.

Customize the Little Things

Once you have a base design for the little’s room, it’s time to start customizing it to make it appear much more in line with their interests. This is where you can get creative and really try to match the room to your child’s personality. Lamps, framed art, decorative items, and more can go a long way toward customizing the space while still being relatively easy to remove and replace if your child loses interest over time.

This is also a good time to consider painting furniture items such as desks and dressers. While this may not always be an option, most of the time it’s not that big of a deal to add a coat of paint to simple furniture items to help them better match the look of a room. By painting these accent pieces to match the overall layout of the room, you can make a notable change to the space that can be redone or updated in the future as needed.

Designing with Kids

As your children grow, be sure to get their input periodically so that you can make additional changes that actually align with their interests. This doesn’t mean that you have to rush out and buy everything that your child wants, of course; use these periodic chats to gauge how happy they are with their room, what sort of changes they might be interested in, and if there are any pieces of furniture or decorations that they seem to be outgrowing. The nature of their room is going to change over time, so make sure that they are a part of the conversation on how it needs to change.

Like what you see?

January