Furniture
Jan A. Cordes
I have a couple of pieces of old furniture (desk from when I was 5,
bookcase from a little older). They've both been painted multiple
times. Ideally, removing all the paint and refinishing them would
be what I would do. But, I'm not really in the mood to deal with
that at this point. So, I was thinking of just painting over them
one more time. They currently have the bottom layer of an antiquing
job I was going to do on them. I never finished it with the blue
paint. They've been banged up a bit since I did that paint job
umpteen years ago and they're not looking too spiffy.
So, I'm looking for something simple to do with them. Is there any
problem with just painting them with a coat of the same antique white
semi-gloss wall paint I used on the trim in my office? I was thinking
they'd look nice in here if they were that same nice white color.
Is there any reason not to use wall paint on furniture?
Jan
--
jan(at)panix.com http://www.couchtigers.com
...................................................................
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Lynn A.
> Is there any reason not to use wall paint on furniture?
Not that I can tell. Sara's got an old dresser that was her bio.
father's and we've painted it several times with the same paint that we
used on her walls.
Lynn
--
My mind wanders...but my body is too tired to follow.
Ann
"Jan A. Cordes" <j...@panix.com> wrote in message
news:9n170q$t59$1...@news.panix.com...
> I need a furniture painting expert.
Well, I'm no expert, but I did some serious furniture repair in a previous
life and have painted some of my own stuff.
> I have a couple of pieces of old furniture (desk from when I was 5,
> bookcase from a little older). They've both been painted multiple
> times. Ideally, removing all the paint and refinishing them would
> be what I would do.
Just so you know, there are wash off strippers that are relatively cheap and
VERY easy to use. You paint then on and hose them off.
But, I'm not really in the mood to deal with
> that at this point. So, I was thinking of just painting over them
> one more time.
That can be done too. After multiple layers, what's one more??
> So, I'm looking for something simple to do with them. Is there any
> problem with just painting them with a coat of the same antique white
> semi-gloss wall paint I used on the trim in my office? I was thinking
> they'd look nice in here if they were that same nice white color.
> Is there any reason not to use wall paint on furniture?
Well, if you were dealing with raw wood, I wouldn't. Most interior wall
paint is water (latex) based. Water can raise the grain of wood and prevent
a smooth finish unless you use a primer first. Since there's already a
bazillion layers of paint, go for it. What do you have to lose?
Ann
Jenn Bernat
> Is there any reason not to use wall paint on furniture?
Yes. Books stick to latex wall paint. It doesn't stop people painting
built-in bookcases to match the wall, but it is a pain. Maybe you could
use a gloss paint that matches the walls?
Jenn
--
Jenn Bernat
Jan A. Cordes
> Jenn
This is a semi-gloss paint that matches the trim (door frames, window
sill), not the walls.
My girlfriend is pushing me to be a bit more radical with it and to do
some type of sponge painting thing. I'm not sure I'm in the mood to do
anything too complicated.
Sarah
> Jenn Bernat <je...@zathras.net> wrote:
> > On 4 Sep 2001, Jan A. Cordes wrote:
>
> >> Is there any reason not to use wall paint on furniture?
>
> > Yes. Books stick to latex wall paint. It doesn't stop people painting
> > built-in bookcases to match the wall, but it is a pain. Maybe you could
> > use a gloss paint that matches the walls?
>
> > Jenn
>
> This is a semi-gloss paint that matches the trim (door frames, window
> sill), not the walls.
>
> My girlfriend is pushing me to be a bit more radical with it and to do
> some type of sponge painting thing. I'm not sure I'm in the mood to do
> anything too complicated.
Sponge painting is really, really easy. I don't think that there's
any way you could mess it up. I've never done furniture or a wall or
anything like that, but I've sponged lots of decorative things (boxes,
shelves you hang on the wall, etc.) and they've all turned out really
nice, if I do say so myself. I'd be happy to offer some sponging tips
and advice if you'd like!
Sarah
Geri
Sarah <sara...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:99125b25.0109...@posting.google.com...
> Sponge painting is really, really easy. I don't think that there's
> any way you could mess it up. I've never done furniture or a wall or
> anything like that, but I've sponged lots of decorative things (boxes,
> shelves you hang on the wall, etc.) and they've all turned out really
> nice, if I do say so myself. I'd be happy to offer some sponging tips
> and advice if you'd like!
I wish you'd given advice to the previous owner of my home!! We removed the
dining room wallpaper to find the single most hideous and poorly-executed
sponge painting job I have ever seen. It is horrible. The colors aren't the
problem; it's the technique -- it was *really* badly done. I only hope that
Nice Old Lady wallpapered over it soon after she painted it, 'cause the idea
that she lived with that for any length of time is painful.
Susan Behr MacDuffee
On 5 Sep 2001, Sarah wrote:
> Sponge painting is really, really easy. I don't think that there's
> any way you could mess it up. I've never done furniture or a wall or
> anything like that, but I've sponged lots of decorative things (boxes,
> shelves you hang on the wall, etc.) and they've all turned out really
> nice, if I do say so myself. I'd be happy to offer some sponging tips
> and advice if you'd like!
I haven't done any sponge painting, but I love the look. I went to a
class at Home Depot a few weeks ago and they taught all kinds of painting
techniques. I was debating whether to "rag on" paint in my living room.
I decided against it when the guy at HD suggested only doing a small room
this way. I think I will do my master bathroom this way. Ragging on is
similar to sponging but you use a rag to put the paint on instead of a
sponge. I would highly recommend a class at HD. They are free, fun and
informative.
--Susan
Geri
Jeanne Leidy <jle...@apk.net> wrote in message
news:9n5f0...@drn.newsguy.com...
> "Geri" said:
> >
> >I wish you'd given advice to the previous owner of my home!! We removed
the
> >dining room wallpaper to find the single most hideous and poorly-executed
> >sponge painting job I have ever seen. It is horrible. The colors aren't
the
> >problem; it's the technique -- it was *really* badly done. I only hope
that
> >Nice Old Lady wallpapered over it soon after she painted it, 'cause the
idea
> >that she lived with that for any length of time is painful.
>
>
> I'm seriously curious now. :-) Or did you paint over it already? I've lost
track
> of everybody's decorating projects.
LOL! No, I think we'll paint this weekend. We had a hard time coming to a
decision about a color for the room. I will go snap some digital photos and
stick 'em up somewhere. I think I promised Liz pictures of our new kitchen
somewhere back in June and never did that either <hangs head in shame>. So I
will do both.
A caveat, however: We have stuff splayed all over the house, as a result of
(a) moving everything out of the office to have carpet installed; and (b)
ripping down the DR wallpaper. So every photo will likely have tons of
detritus in it. I am not normally such a slob, but...
I'll letcha know where the photos end up...
Tracy
> I haven't done any sponge painting, but I love the look. I went to a
> class at Home Depot a few weeks ago and they taught all kinds of painting
> techniques. I was debating whether to "rag on" paint in my living room.
> I decided against it when the guy at HD suggested only doing a small room
> this way. I think I will do my master bathroom this way. Ragging on is
> similar to sponging but you use a rag to put the paint on instead of a
> sponge. I would highly recommend a class at HD. They are free, fun and
> informative.
We did "ragging on" in our LR. Alhtough only on one wall, and it is
just a half-wall really (it is the wall that our open staircase is on,
so it is half-wall and half-open). I never took a class, never read
about how to do it. Only saw them doing it on HGTV. It was simple
really. Get paint. Get rag. Oh and lay down drop-cloth. Dip rag in
paint. Dab on wall in various directions. Simple as 1, 2, 3. Looks
quite nice if I do say so myself.
Oh, and about using wall paint for shelving units....couldn't you
polyurethane a few coats over the paint to create more of a slick
surface...hence the books and other things you set on the shelf won't
stick.
Tracy
Susan Behr MacDuffee
On 5 Sep 2001, Tracy wrote:
> We did "ragging on" in our LR. Alhtough only on one wall, and it is
> just a half-wall really (it is the wall that our open staircase is on,
> so it is half-wall and half-open). I never took a class, never read
> about how to do it. Only saw them doing it on HGTV. It was simple
> really. Get paint. Get rag. Oh and lay down drop-cloth. Dip rag in
> paint. Dab on wall in various directions. Simple as 1, 2, 3. Looks
> quite nice if I do say so myself.
I wouldn't call it simple if only for the fact that you have to return to
the paint tray so often to get more paint on the rag. I guess maybe simple
isn't the best word IMO, maybe time consuming. I had fun taking the class
at HD and the guy was really knowledgeable. When we got to practice what
we had learned at the end of the class I think my sample came out better
than the instructor's :-) Mine came out looking kind of like seude which
is what I was going for. I think I used a lot less paint than the
instructor did with his samples. My neighbor and I went to the class
together and we took home all of the samples that he did and wrote on the
back what techniques he used.
--Susan
Geri
> I wouldn't call it simple if only for the fact that you have to return to
> the paint tray so often to get more paint on the rag. I guess maybe simple
> isn't the best word IMO, maybe time consuming. I had fun taking the class
> at HD and the guy was really knowledgeable. When we got to practice what
> we had learned at the end of the class I think my sample came out better
> than the instructor's :-) Mine came out looking kind of like seude which
> is what I was going for. I think I used a lot less paint than the
> instructor did with his samples. My neighbor and I went to the class
> together and we took home all of the samples that he did and wrote on the
> back what techniques he used.
Okay Susan and Tracy and all you other painting experts --
I've been thinking about doing a ragged finish in the dining room, when we
finally get around to repainting it. We've pretty much settled on a color
for the walls; it's kind of a buttery yellow (it's Benjamin Moore's "Straw,"
for anyone who knows anything about paint.) I think it needs something done
to it to make it look warmer and richer; I fear it will be flat and boring
if left by itself. (Note -- I fear this of any color, not just this
particular color. So maybe that's my problem.)
But here's my dilemma -- what the heck color do I use for my ragging with
the buttery yellow? I want it to be *very* subtle; more like depth and
texture than an obvious contrast. All of the faux-finish examples that I've
seen look way too contrast-y for my taste.
Is there a magic formula for this -- like I go one shade darker on the paint
chip and use that? Or do I have to experiment and hope it works out?
Help...
Susan Behr MacDuffee
On Thu, 6 Sep 2001, Geri wrote:
> Okay Susan and Tracy and all you other painting experts --
Well, I am certainly no expert but I will relay what the HD guy told me
about it. He suggested that you use a similar color but at opposite ends
of the color spectrum. Does that make sense? We did the samples on white
poster boards and we used light green and blue paints. When I did the
green on the white it looked really good. He did the green and blue together
because someone asked him to and I thought it looked gross but one woman
in the class liked it. So maybe with your buttery yellow you could use a
darker yellow or gold? I would suggest you practice first on poster board
or wood. Since you don't want a high contrast maybe you could experiment
with the buttery yellow and a slightly darker shade and see if that works
out. Good luck and let us know what you decide. I love hearing about
everyones DIY projects.
--Susan
Geri
>
> On Thu, 6 Sep 2001, Geri wrote:
>
> > Okay Susan and Tracy and all you other painting experts --
>
> Well, I am certainly no expert but I will relay what the HD guy told me
> about it. He suggested that you use a similar color but at opposite ends
> of the color spectrum. Does that make sense? We did the samples on white
> poster boards and we used light green and blue paints. When I did the
> green on the white it looked really good. He did the green and blue
together
> because someone asked him to and I thought it looked gross but one woman
> in the class liked it. So maybe with your buttery yellow you could use a
> darker yellow or gold? I would suggest you practice first on poster board
> or wood. Since you don't want a high contrast maybe you could experiment
> with the buttery yellow and a slightly darker shade and see if that works
> out.
That's what I was thinking. We bought tester quarts of the "straw" color and
the next darkest color on the chip, "York Harbor Yellow," which is an icky
1970s gold color (but it looked great on the chip...sigh...). So I have some
of that to play with. I also mixed the two colors half and half at one point
to see if I liked the resulting color. It was okay...but maybe that would
work for the ragging. I'll try that...
Good luck and let us know what you decide. I love hearing about
> everyones DIY projects.
I'll letcha know how it turns out. Right now I'm thinking we'll just use the
base color and finish that up and see how it looks. It might be fine and not
need an additional finish <fingers crossed>
Susan Behr MacDuffee
On Thu, 6 Sep 2001, Geri wrote:
> That's what I was thinking. We bought tester quarts of the "straw" color and
> the next darkest color on the chip, "York Harbor Yellow," which is an icky
> 1970s gold color (but it looked great on the chip...sigh...). So I have some
> of that to play with. I also mixed the two colors half and half at one point
> to see if I liked the resulting color. It was okay...but maybe that would
> work for the ragging. I'll try that...
Even though the gold is an icky 70s color, do you think it would look good
as the contrast color with the straw? I am seeing this in my mind and it
seems like it would look good.
Anyway, sounds like you have it pretty well figured out. I know you are
in NYC, so you probably don't have a HD nearby but I am sure that any
paint store can give you more advice about the techniques.
--Susan (greatly anticipating pictures that you will post when the work is
done :-) )
san...@socrates.berkeley.edu
In article <IYKl7.12291$kR5.2...@typhoon.nyc.rr.com>,
Geri <ger...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>Susan Behr MacDuffee <sb...@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu> wrote in message
>news:Pine.SOL.4.31.01090...@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu...
>
>> than the instructor's :-) Mine came out looking kind of like seude which
>> is what I was going for. I think I used a lot less paint than the
>> instructor did with his samples. My neighbor and I went to the class
>> together and we took home all of the samples that he did and wrote on the
>> back what techniques he used.
Me too! :^) I took a pre-painted poster board along, bought some
quarts of paint that I thought might be what I wanted, and then
shamelessly used HD's rags, brushes, etc. I used sponges, rags,
crumpled paper/plastic bags, and a tool I really loved, called a
Woolie.
>Okay Susan and Tracy and all you other painting experts --
>
>I've been thinking about doing a ragged finish in the dining room, when we
>finally get around to repainting it. We've pretty much settled on a color
>for the walls; it's kind of a buttery yellow (it's Benjamin Moore's "Straw,"
>for anyone who knows anything about paint.) I think it needs something done
>to it to make it look warmer and richer; I fear it will be flat and boring
>if left by itself. (Note -- I fear this of any color, not just this
>particular color. So maybe that's my problem.)
Color can be a little scary, especially when you've been raised in
homes with white walls and beige carpeting. Somehow it seems like
colored walls violate the laws of nature. :^)
I'll post a separate summary under a weekend thread, but we spent
this past weekend painting almost the entire interior of our house.
Three bedrooms, a long hallway, a big DR, and a very long LR. Two
coats on everything, including the ceilings.
My recommendation -- don't rag. It ends up with hard or
smeared edges, which look messy, IMO. If you're looking for a
"tuscan plaster" look, or a suede finish, I *highly* recommend
getting a Woolie. I got mine at HD, for $12. It's a wool pad,
similar in texture to a car wash mitt, attached to a rectangular
paddle.
We used BM paint, and I looked at Straw, since I wanted a "Tuscan gold"
look for the master bedroom. I ended up going with a palette of
three colors -- let me dig throught the paint chips in my purse...
OK, we used:
BM # 2153-60 (Rich cream) as the lightest color.
BM # 2153-50 (Desert tan) as the medium tone
BM # 2153-40 (Cork) as the dark tone.
As you can tell, they're all on the same chip. So I'd look at
two colors on the same chip as Straw, and have those three as your
color palette.
On my color chip, they look brown toned -- IRL, they're cream,
yellowed buff, and a deeper butterscotch gold.
With the woolie, the technique is very simple. Get a 3" paintbrush.
Pencil out approximately 4'x4' squares on the wall (you have to work in
sections so the paint doesn't dry too much to blend). I
ended up bisecting our walls from top to bottom (50" ~= 4'), and
then marked off 4' sections for the first few squares, so I could
judge well. I'd start at the ceiling line, since it's hard to blend
the edging after-the-fact (as we discovered to our chagrin).
MASK THE CEILING AND BASEBOARDS.
Anyway, open the paint. Dip your brush in one can, and GENEROUSLY
APPLY several glops of paint within the 4' section. Using the SAME
brush, dip into the next tone, and repeat. Repeat with third tone,
so that you have splotches of all three colors in the square, with
enough paint in them that they're starting to run. (Of course,
if you want to use buckets so as not to contaminate the paint,
that's do-able. I didn't care. :^) )
Using the brush, stipple the colors on the wall so that they remain
in place, but so that the excess (drippy) paint is distributed (you
don't want to *blend* them across or up/down into one another, because
you do want color variation at different points on the wall).
While paint is still wet, use the Woolie to "smush" the paint onto
the wall, twisting your wrist slightly to blend the colors. (I
alternated between "twist and shout", tapping the woolie flatly on the
existing paint, or "galloping" it along the wall to stipple slightly).
Stand back and look at the blend. I found very quickly that I liked
more of the darkest tone on the wall, for a richer, suede/plaster
appearance. So I started putting more "dark glops" on than light
or medium.
The Woolie does get saturated with paint, at which point you'll
find yourself disappointed all of a sudden with the blend -- everything
will look like one tone. At that point, go wash that one, set it to dry,
and start in with your spare. :^)
It's really very easy, and goes very fast. My mom and I were able
to do the 11x14' bedroom in 3 hours. And DH (even though he
said the Brm was my territory!) came in to supervise, and found
he liked it quite a lot.
>But here's my dilemma -- what the heck color do I use for my ragging with
>the buttery yellow? I want it to be *very* subtle; more like depth and
>texture than an obvious contrast. All of the faux-finish examples that I've
>seen look way too contrast-y for my taste.
Agreed. That's why I recommend letting B. Moore doing the tonal
selection, and look at the colors on the Straw chip...
>Is there a magic formula for this -- like I go one shade darker on the paint
>chip and use that? Or do I have to experiment and hope it works out?
I did a fair number of "paint boards" for our other rooms, since they
were going to be just one color. Strangely enough, I figured with
three colors to use in the bedroom, I could get the tone and depth I
wanted without a lot of angst. While the colors are definitely less
"desert brown" than I'd planned on, they look very warm, rich and deep.
I'm quite pleased at the subtlety.
My choice was to spend $100 on sample quarts for the other rooms, and
I'm very glad I did. If we'd gone any darker or more vivid in the
other 2 bedrooms (dark forest green and brick, respectively) our
guests would have nightmares. :^)
Sandi
Tracy
> I wouldn't call it simple if only for the fact that you have to return to
> the paint tray so often to get more paint on the rag. \
Oh yeah. Good point. *That* was a pain. Maybe it didn't affect me
as much since I only did a half a wall.
Tracy
Susan Behr MacDuffee
On 6 Sep 2001, Tracy wrote:
> Oh yeah. Good point. *That* was a pain. Maybe it didn't affect me
> as much since I only did a half a wall.
I think that is key. That is why the guy at HD told us not to attempt a
large room. We ended up doing the living room with Behr textured
paint--it's sand texture and it looks really good, although it was pretty
expensive (IMO). I am thinking of doing a bathroom with the ragging on
technique. Since we are talking about paint, I will ask you all a
question. Does anyone think that painting a white bathroom ceiling to look
like sky w/clouds a good idea? The thing is the walls are now white and I
wanted a change. The tub, toilet and sink are a pale yellow which I like
and thought about doing the walls yellow but thought that would be too
much yellow. So I guess my question is two-fold. One, about the cloud
ceiling, and what color would you all suggest for the walls? And
really if I do the ceiling like clouds should the walls stay white?
Looking for that ANCW again :-)
--Susan
HollyLewis
>finally get around to repainting it. We've pretty much settled on a color
>for the walls; it's kind of a buttery yellow (it's Benjamin Moore's "Straw,"
>for anyone who knows anything about paint.) I think it needs something done
>to it to make it look warmer and richer; I fear it will be flat and boring
>if left by itself. (Note -- I fear this of any color, not just this
>particular color. So maybe that's my problem.)
>
>But here's my dilemma -- what the heck color do I use for my ragging with
>the buttery yellow? I want it to be *very* subtle; more like depth and
>texture than an obvious contrast. All of the faux-finish examples that I've
>seen look way too contrast-y for my taste.
>
>Is there a magic formula for this -- like I go one shade darker on the paint
>chip and use that? Or do I have to experiment and hope it works out?
>
>Help...
Technique: Ragging will tend to result in pretty obvious contrast. You
probably want to do stippling, sponging or dry rolling instead, and do it
evenly and fairly thickly. Consider a subtractive technique. (It uses a lot
more paint and can get pretty messy but you can do very subtle things.
Basically, you paint your darker color on the wall with a roller and brush.
Then you brush your lighter color on thickly, following the brush immediately
with a sponge, rag, soft brush or dry roller which you use to *remove* some of
the paint you've just brushed on.)
Colors: Yes, use two or three colors from the same paint chip for a
non-contrasty look.
And now for something completely different: Have you considered using just the
one color you like but in a glossier or sandier texture? Consider using
"eggshell" or "satin" finish paint rather than flat, and you'll get a more
reflective surface that doesn't look dull; or use a sand additive for a suedey
look.
Other variation: Rather than using two shades of regular paint, you can use a
glaze for your spnging/ragging/whatever. These are semitransparent and so they
tend to be more subtle when used in combination with a similar color paint.
Check a paint store for chips showing the glazes used with various techniques.
You can even just apply the glaze sparingly over the paint, without bothering
with any special technique, and because it's somewhat transparent you get an
effect that isn't possible with just a second coat of paint.
Good luck!
Holly
Geri
HollyLewis <holly...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010906161151...@mb-fi.aol.com...
> Technique: Ragging will tend to result in pretty obvious contrast. You
> probably want to do stippling, sponging or dry rolling instead, and do it
> evenly and fairly thickly. Consider a subtractive technique. (It uses a
lot
> more paint and can get pretty messy but you can do very subtle things.
> Basically, you paint your darker color on the wall with a roller and
brush.
> Then you brush your lighter color on thickly, following the brush
immediately
> with a sponge, rag, soft brush or dry roller which you use to *remove*
some of
> the paint you've just brushed on.)
Okay, this is what I had in mind all along. I have no desire to try to put
paint *on* a wall in a creative way. But taking it off is another matter :-)
> Colors: Yes, use two or three colors from the same paint chip for a
> non-contrasty look.
>
> And now for something completely different: Have you considered using
just the
> one color you like but in a glossier or sandier texture? Consider using
> "eggshell" or "satin" finish paint rather than flat, and you'll get a more
> reflective surface that doesn't look dull; or use a sand additive for a
suedey
> look.
Yes. Actually I loathe and abhor flat paint and never use it anywhere. So
eggshell or satin is a given already (I think my tester quarts are
eggshell.) It still might be too dull and flat though...maybe the sand
additive will do the trick. That's an idea...
> Other variation: Rather than using two shades of regular paint, you can
use a
> glaze for your spnging/ragging/whatever. These are semitransparent and so
they
> tend to be more subtle when used in combination with a similar color
paint.
> Check a paint store for chips showing the glazes used with various
techniques.
> You can even just apply the glaze sparingly over the paint, without
bothering
> with any special technique, and because it's somewhat transparent you get
an
> effect that isn't possible with just a second coat of paint.
This is what I had in mind; I expect that I'll end up using a glaze (if the
sand doesn't win out). But I was just browsing finishes at the local (very
good) paint store and frankly, the glazes are still giving too obvious a
contrast for my liking.
Sigh...I am *so* picky...
HollyLewis
Books and other objects *will* stick to it. In order to avoid this, you have
to let the paint cure for a looooong time before you put anything on it (I'm
talking at *least* a month). Even then you may have problems if you put
something down and then don't move it for a long time.
You can also put waxed paper between the painted surface and whatever's on it
to help prevent sticking in the meantime. But that's a stopgap which doesn't
always work perfectly. :-)
Holly
Gretchen Shah
"Geri" <ger...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:JTQl7.12332$kR5.2...@typhoon.nyc.rr.com...
> use a
> > glaze for your spnging/ragging/whatever. These are semitransparent and
so
> they
> > tend to be more subtle when used in combination with a similar color
> paint.
> > Check a paint store for chips showing the glazes used with various
> techniques.
> > You can even just apply the glaze sparingly over the paint, without
> bothering
> > with any special technique, and because it's somewhat transparent you
get
> an
> > effect that isn't possible with just a second coat of paint.
>
> This is what I had in mind; I expect that I'll end up using a glaze (if
the
> sand doesn't win out). But I was just browsing finishes at the local (very
> good) paint store and frankly, the glazes are still giving too obvious a
> contrast for my liking.
>
> Sigh...I am *so* picky...
I did something in out living room/foyer/staircase that was easy and quite
subtle. It's called colorwashing. Basically, you put a bit of paint on a
rag and scrub wall with it. IMO, it works best to use a darker wash color
over a lighter base, but it can be done with the reverse. I started out
with paleish yellow walls that just didn't end up how I'd wanted. DH made
me live with them for a year before I could change it because it took so
long to paint the first time. (The first yellow was too bright so we toned
it down and it took several tries to get it right. At least we thought it
was right.) I had been aiming for pale gold more than yellow, so I thought
a faux technique might work. I ended up with the colorwashing because it
was easy and I feared I wouldn't be sufficiently random with the sponging to
make it look right. I chose the colors mostly through trial and error. I
already had the pale yellow base and I think it took three test quarts to
find the right gold. Since the base color had been custom mixed by us, I
couldn't use a paint chip, but I think that's probably a good idea. Keep in
mind, that the paint you use for the top coat will look nothing like what it
does in the can. I would have *hated* the color I used if I had been
painting it on like normal. I also experimented a bit with watering the
paint down (this is what my original instructions said) and mixing in
glazing liquid. In the end, I just use the paint straight from the can, but
those techniques may work if your color is just not quite right.
I've read that yellow is one of the hardest colors to get right. Don't be
afraid to go through as many quarts as you need to be sure you really like
it. It's no fun to paint the whole room and realize you don't like it.
Good luck,
Gretchen
Tracy
> On 6 Sep 2001, Tracy wrote:
>
> > Oh yeah. Good point. *That* was a pain. Maybe it didn't affect me
> > as much since I only did a half a wall.
>
> I think that is key. That is why the guy at HD told us not to attempt a
> large room. We ended up doing the living room with Behr textured
> paint--it's sand texture and it looks really good, although it was pretty
> expensive (IMO).
That textured paint sounds cool! I've never used it. We did the
regular texture stuff and *then* painted. What a PITA! And, of
course, it is cool that you used Behr paints!
I am thinking of doing a bathroom with the ragging on
> technique. Since we are talking about paint, I will ask you all a
> question. Does anyone think that painting a white bathroom ceiling to look
> like sky w/clouds a good idea? The thing is the walls are now white and I
> wanted a change. The tub, toilet and sink are a pale yellow which I like
> and thought about doing the walls yellow but thought that would be too
> much yellow. So I guess my question is two-fold. One, about the cloud
> ceiling, and what color would you all suggest for the walls? And
> really if I do the ceiling like clouds should the walls stay white?
I like the sky with clouds idea, but it has to be sort of subtle IMO.
Sort of the thing you wouldn't notice as soon as you step into the
room. Hmmm, with pale yellow tub/toilet/sink, using the pale yellow
on the walls may be overkill. It may not though. Depends on set-up
and size. What about a really really really pale blue? A blue that
looks almost white until you see something white next to it. Then,
you could also use this pale pale blue on the ceiling and add the
white clouds on it?
Tracy
Tracy
> Yes. Actually I loathe and abhor flat paint and never use it anywhere. So
> eggshell or satin is a given already (I think my tester quarts are
> eggshell.) It still might be too dull and flat though...maybe the sand
> additive will do the trick. That's an idea...
>
What is eggshell finish? I'm thinking eggshell is a color. I've
heard of satin, semi-gloss, flat (or matte), but not eggshell. Maybe
it is similar to semi-gloss?
Anyway, I really like flat paint. Looks old-wordly to me. A shiny
patina is sometimes just too much IMO.
Tracy
Tracy
> Yes. Actually I loathe and abhor flat paint and never use it anywhere. So
> eggshell or satin is a given already (I think my tester quarts are
> eggshell.) It still might be too dull and flat though...maybe the sand
> additive will do the trick. That's an idea...
>
Geri
Tracy <tzf_t...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b7d52c97.01090...@posting.google.com...
> What is eggshell finish? I'm thinking eggshell is a color. I've
> heard of satin, semi-gloss, flat (or matte), but not eggshell. Maybe
> it is similar to semi-gloss?
Eggshell is between flat and satin. Not as satiny as satin and not as flat
as flat. It looks more or less flat but is washable, which IMHO is it's huge
advantage. Everything wipes right off of it. Our whole house (except the
bathrooms and kitchen) is painted with eggshell and everyone thinks it's
flat. The kitchen is satin, for extra washability/durability. The bathrooms
are semi-gloss for the same reason.
KellieGaines
sound gorgeous and you definitely put a ton of work into getting it
right!
I'm not afraid of color on the walls but my method tends to be "think
about it for a really long time, then decide that it has to be done
today, don't tape anything because it would take too much time, and
then end up happy with the color but not overly thrilled with the
clean-up". =) Of course, in the new house, Mark has declared himself
the master of tape and clean-up if I will pick the color and paint it
- boy, am I happy that at least one of us is patient and clear-headed
in this regard.
I have sponge-painted our current master bedroom, as well as Jenna's
bathroom. I thought it turned out "OK", while everyone else thought
it was really good. The people who bought our house even added to the
purchase agreement that I do another wall in the master bedroom before
closing, so it must not look too bad.
My SIL did the ragging technique in her living room, which turned out
great. I can't think of the name brand paint that she used but it's
the huge paint effects display that they have at Home Depot. She used
a darker grey-ish green color as the base, and a light buttery-grey
yellow as the top coat. Neither one of us thought it was going to
work until it started to dry, and boy, it really looks great. I
wouldn't have used that combination in a million years but the effect
is exactly what she wanted and it looks totally professional. The key
was to have lots of dry rags ready, so that one gets saturated, you
just get another one.
kellie (really looking forward to having newly painted walls in the
new house)
san...@socrates.Berkeley.EDU () wrote in message news:<9n8bju$orn$1...@agate.berkeley.edu>...
Susan Behr MacDuffee
On 7 Sep 2001, Tracy wrote:
> That textured paint sounds cool! I've never used it. We did the
> regular texture stuff and *then* painted. What a PITA! And, of
> course, it is cool that you used Behr paints!
It is cool and it looks great, but I found out later we could have used
playground sand in a can of regular paint and that probably would have
been cheaper. I always think it's neat when I see my name on the cans of
paint and stuff too :-)
> I like the sky with clouds idea, but it has to be sort of subtle IMO.
> Sort of the thing you wouldn't notice as soon as you step into the
> room. Hmmm, with pale yellow tub/toilet/sink, using the pale yellow
> on the walls may be overkill. It may not though. Depends on set-up
> and size. What about a really really really pale blue? A blue that
> looks almost white until you see something white next to it. Then,
> you could also use this pale pale blue on the ceiling and add the
> white clouds on it?
I like the pale blue idea with the pale blue ceiling and clouds. Thanks
for your suggestions.
--Susan