Transformation

Yesterday the painters finished the transformation of our home.  It took 5 men 14 days to prep and paint the entire exterior, from top to bottom.  I'm a big fan of "before and afters" so here you go...

Before...

After...

We're really happy with the result!

The home was 'pretty' before, with its benign color scheme, but I love how the new color scheme highlights all the trim and textured siding, and how it now 'feels' more like a Victorian farmhouse.

Notice how little white there is now.  This is by design.  We used to have to powerwash the house at least once a year to remove the dirt and mildew from all the white trim and scalloped siding.

And while it sounds like a small thing, I'm really glad that when talking about my home I no longer have to describe it as a "beigey/sand color".  Now I will say its "green and purple"!

House painting

Last Mon the crew began prepping the exterior of our house to be painted.  We have HardiPlank siding on much of the house so that didn't need much prep, but we also have a lot of wood trim.  Some of the wood trim was peeling and flaking, and there are a few spots where the siding was damaged due to a roof drainage problem that's since been corrected.  So they started scraping, priming and caulking.

We initially got quotes for repainting just the areas that needed it, but both painters said that since our home is 11 years old we would need the rest of it painted within a few years, and doing some now and some later would cost more than doing it all now.  This made a lot of sense, especially considering the height of the home (3 stories) and the time spent setting up ladders, tarps, etc.  

So, since the entire exterior is getting painted, we decided to change the color scheme completely.  This is what our house looked like before they started:

The siding is a sand color, the doors are burgundy, the shudders are dark green, and there's a lot of white trim.  This color scheme was the builder's choice; we bought it after the home was completed.  As a reproduction Victorian farmhouse I'd always thought the color scheme was very 'safe' and didn't reflect the way most Victorians are painted with multiple, stronger colors.

So, this is our new color scheme:

The siding will be sage green, the scallop siding in the gables will be Autumn Orchid, the trim will be Mardi Gras purple, and the doors and shutters will be Cameroon green.  What do you think of my pallet?

We actually selected the painter and the colors back in March, but it was still too cool to begin the work.  It has to be at least 50 degrees, so we waited for warmer weather.

And then it began raining.  We had at least 1 day of rain every week for 8 consecutive weeks, and many of those weeks had more than 1 day of rain.  This, of course, caused the painter to get backed up, which is why they finally got to our house in the heat of July.

So they spent 4 days prepping and then on Fri the 1st color went on:  Mardi Gras purple on the trim.  I loved it immediately.

I'll post more photos when the house is completed, in another week or so.  I'm really excited to see it all come together!!

Hollywood Regency

Last week I gave you this sneak peak into the design scheme for the guest bedroom I was redesigning:

We used the lightest shade (on the far right) called Pink Whisper.  The fabric you see in the photo above is the comforter and shames; black and white on the front and hot pink on the reverse.  My design inspiration was "Hollywood Regency".  

Here's the completed room:

This view shows the mirrored console we bought as an online close-out for $99, the 2 Ty Wilson framed prints I found at a thrift store, and the wall decor (over the bed) I got on clearance for $15.  You can only see a corner of the 5x7 black and white geometric rug I got on Amazon for $57. with free shipping.

This view (slightly shifted to the right) shows the bedding ensemble we found on an online clearance for $47.99.  That's right; the comforter, bed skirt, 2 shams, and 3 reversible decorator pillows for under $50.  Also shown are the curtain panels I found in a local store for $9.97 each.  These were NOT part of the bedding ensemble but matched perfectly.

This shot shows the reinvented night stands.  I bought these 2 matching side tables years ago at a thrift store for $20/pair.  They were brown wood but pretty scuffed and beat up, so I painted them glossy white and had mirrors cut to fit at Lowes for about $25.  Total cost for 2 reinvented night stands:  $45.

Spouse & I are super happy with the way this room turned out!  We spent less than $500 for all of bedding, curtains, rug, paint, art, and furniture (excluding the bed).  We love it!

Painting

I'm on vacation this week, although we aren't going anywhere.  I took the week off to do a lot of painting, and a few other home projects.

I started Mon morning with 1 of our guest bedrooms.  After several interruptions I finished it yesterday, and today I started the living room and foyer/entryway.  I'll post photos later when everything's done and put back together.

I actually enjoy painting.  I painted my condo from top to bottom during the time I lived in it, and Spouse & I painted it again after the tenant moved out and before we sold it.  We painted our 1st house from top to bottom as well as our 2nd house, although we did this over the course of a couple years.  With all this painting, I've learned a few tips I'm happy to share with you:

• Pick the right paint.  Don't be afraid to ask the person who works in the paint department.  Tell them about the room you're painting and ask for their advice.  Paint quality and prices can range quite a bit.  High traffic areas should be painted with high grade, washable paint.  Bedrooms and rooms that don't get as much traffic may not need the same quality paint.
• Use the right tools.  Rollers come in different naps for different surface types so pick the right one for your surface.  I recommend you get 2 brushes; 1 for areas too small to roll and a smaller one for 'cutting in' along ceilings and trim moldings.
• Remove what you don't want painted.  Remove as much if not all the furniture and move the rest to the center of the room.  Take off light switch and electrical socket plates.  Cover the switches and sockets with painters tape in case you go a little crazy while rolling.
• Don't rush.  Put on music, relax, and take your time.  If you rush you're more likely to make mistakes.
  
• Stretch your tape.  I always use blue painters tape on my baseboards to protect them from inevitable roller splatter.  To make the tape go on straight and not bubble up, stretch the tape a little as you lay it down and then press it down firmly to prevent leakage underneath it.
• Roll first, then cut in.  Rolling covers quicker than brushing and leaves a nice smooth surface so roll as much as your can.  Cut in the rest with a brush.
• Blend rolled and brushed surfaces together.  After rolling and cutting in, use a brush with little to no paint on it and 'feather' or blend the area where the rolling and brushing meet.  This eliminates visible lines between the rolled and brushed textures.
• Keep a damp paper towel handy.  In case you accidentally drip a little paint or accidentally bump your roller or brush against an undesired surface, the damp paper towel handy will allow you to quickly clean up the mistake without having to go to the kitchen and get a paper towel, dampen it, and come back to the room in which you're working to clean up.
• Remove your tape correctly.  When removing your painters tape, pull the tape at a 45 degree angle from the surface.  This will help the tape pull away cleanly and prevent splitting.

Follow these tips and you might enjoy painting as much as I do!