6 Room Painting Tips that will Save you Time and Money!



You probably wouldn’t expect it considering I have a wallpaper and wall mural business but I actually also love a freshly painted room. So, I thought I would share my favorite Painting tips that may help you in your next room makeover. 


1. My first tip is immediately change your lightbulbs to a Natural Light Light Bulb.  You will notice these bulbs have a gray tone. Gray is the most neutral color and the best to see the true shade of color that you are looking at. Most graphic artists and printing shops have a color booth with gray walls to see that colors are printing properly. If your light is too yellow or pink, it will change how you see the color. Pretty inexpensive precaution (rather than re-painting when you have the wrong color).





2. Cut those paint chips and separate them. Sometimes it’s really confusing to see which shade you like when they are all lumped together. If you cut and separate them, you are seeing them independently and picking your favorites is MUCH easier! …and please make sure you pick good paint. Almost all the pros use Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore paints. 





 3. Get samples of your Top 3 Colors whenever possible. Buying a small jar of your top 2 colors and painting wide strips of the color, living with it, and THEN making that decision will save you time, stress and money. Nothing is worse that re-painting a room because you realize you can’t live with the color…and believe me, I have done this MANY, MANY times (just ask my poor husband). 



4. TAPE! Unless you are an expert, tape the room along all edges. I know this is a pain (and it has always been my job in this family) but it must be done. It will save you from freaking out when you accidentally paint the ceiling or window casing and it just won’t come off. 



5. Make sure to remove all the switch covers. You really do not want to accidentally paint over those. Especially is you have upgraded to the really cute and expensive ones. 



6. Now, this one is a little odd but I have found it to be a life saver. Blow dry the edges of your paint tape. Usually, edging is the last thing you do. And by that time you are a little anxious and maybe you remove the tape before it is perfectly dry. You will notice a choppy line that is anything but chic. Spending a little time drying the edges by the paint tape with a hair dryer will give you those clean lines you are looking for. 


Congratulations! You should have a perfectly painted room in your favorite color!


Now, maybe you want to add some drama and add a wall mural to one wall? 





Come visit us at www.customizedwalls.com to pick out your favorite one! 





Being More Eco-Friendly and Saving Money in Meantime!

I have 3 little ones at home and almost every month has big expenses with seasonal clothing, back to school supplies, birthdays, holidays, etc. so I am always looking to economize….that, and I do have some serious hippy chick views about ecology and the environment. 


I am not above spending and buying something of quality that can greatly enrich my space or style but for sure try to practice as much reduce, reuse, recycle philosophies as I can…


One of the things I do in my spare time (what little I have) is to find some serious furniture and design pieces and give them a new life. I just LOVE yard sales, thrift shops, and craigslist finds! I also think some of the pieces are more unique than what you can get now and have history…plus you totally bond as you re-paint and design the new pieces…


In that trend, here are some furniture makeovers I have found (online- not mine) that I think would look amazing in any house!








So, grab a paint brush and get out there! Happy Thrifting!!!



Cleanliness is next to Godliness…

I know most of my blog is about home design but I just had to share this awesome cleaning tip. 


I have a vintage gas stove/ oven. It works (most of the time) perfectly and looks super cool. It came with the house and we soon realized that the gas heater on the side was worth it’s weight in gold. I live in NH and sometimes we get so much snow it takes down power lines. Our super cool stove in addition to turning out my culinary masterpieces can heat the whole bottom floor in the event our power goes out. Pretty snazzy, huh? 


It looks kinda like this:



So, ya it looks great BUT is a Pain in the booty to clean. The white enamel gets grease caked on faster than you can say “Shake and Bake”. I can not tell you the amount of cleaners (as many as 60!) I have tried to clean this monster and though I could get it clean, it just would never get some of the black, hardened bits no matter how much I scrubbed or soaked it. Talk about FRUSTRATING!!!


Recently, I was reading a tip that said I could throw the grills and any detachable parts in a bag with ammonia for the night and I wouldn’t have to scrub, it would just come totally clean. This seemed like a total fairytale but I gave it a try….


And, low and behold! It WORKED!!! Every baked on, caked on black bit just came off with a rinse and sponge. It now is gleaming like BRAND NEW!


So, now I am on a Bag o’ Ammonia kick! I have cleaning the gas grill outside, microwave plate, shower heads, and pretty much anything laying around that has a built-up hard stains.


So, give it a try on your grills. It works! 


www.customizedwalls.com


Installation Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEaN6Hio_Yk