HOW TO (RE) PAINT A CAMPAIGN DESK

A few weeks ago, I showed you how I messed up the desk that is going into the 'Big Boy' room.

This is what it looked like

The paint peeled

It did not look good...

You do remember why, right? Because I used this

DO NOT USE THE SAME ROLLER ON FURNITURE THAT YOU USE ON YOUR WALLS!

Okay, now that I have that squared away, let's get to correcting the problem

Step 1: Sand the desk (I'm saying desk, but it goes for whatever you're working on)

Step 2: use a tack cloth to remove the dust
(I forgot to take a picture when I used the tack cloth the first time)



Step 3: Roll on your primer

I used the same primer from the first time

Step 4: Admire your work

Step 5: Get back to work by smoothing out any 'rough' spots

(use your tack cloth again after this step too)

Step 6: Apply your paint (USING A FOAM ROLLER THIS TIME!)

Step 7: After your paint has dried, apply some type of protective coat/finish

And there you have it! I have fixed all of the problems with the desk by changing only one thing: I used a sponge roller!
I need to paint the hardware too. I will show you the reveal next week (maybe Monday!)

Have a great weekend Everyone!

HOW NOT TO PAINT A CAMPAIGN DESK

Hi guys! Open House with the boys went very well yesterday! I think I may have a slight problem with Nick only because he tends to stay off to himself when he does not know you. But we’ll see. I have until Monday to get him excited about school!

Today I’m going to show how not to paint furniture. Why, you ask? Because I completely messed up this desk for my sons room a few weeks back and that’s why it didn’t make into the room!

I started with this desk found on Craigslist for $20

Before I start, I must say that this piece is laminate (meaning that its not wood) and therefore it needed a special kind of primer. With that in mind, I decided to use Glidden “GRIPPER” primer that is recommended for this type of furniture.

It’s basically for anything that will make regular paint hard to stick to plus its grey which is good for using under dark paint colors.

Everything went well with the application of the primer. I forgot to mention that it also fills in any “hair line cracks in the wood”. This piece did have three going up the side and the primer sealed them. I didn’t think to take a picture, but I’ll try to show you on my next post on “HOW TO PAINT A CAMPAIGN DESK”!

Okay so it’s primed! Looking good right? Here comes the horror. The application of the navy blue paint (I chose navy before I found the orange)

This is a really nice blue! And it’s gloss so its gonna shine. Here is where I screwed up

Do you see how the paint looks on the top of the desk? I couldn’t get a good shot of it, but it’s caked on. Why, you ask? Because I used a regular paint roller that you would use on your walls

That paint caked on the desk like icing on a cake. And I’m not talking about fondant! Oh it was a mess. The more I rolled the messier things got

And then the worst possible thing happened…..The paint started peeling….

I was so frustrated that I wanted to take a hammer and beat the desk to pieces and toss it out! Don’t believe me? Ask Dayka! See, I know better. I was trying to take the cheap way out and use what I had on hand. In some cases that work, but when you’re painting a piece of furniture and you want it to look nice DO NOT SKIMP ON THE RIGHT TOOLS. So now I have to start over on a desk that is in worse shape than it was when I brought it home. But no worries. At least I know how to fix this problem. In my next post on this desk, I will give you a step by step break down on how to update furniture with paint and get great results. Well, I’ll show you how I fixed my mess;-)

Have you ever ruined a simple DIY project? Did you go back and correct it? Or do you not know how to correct it? If you have pictures I’d love to feature them or give you advice that you may need! Email me at lakeitha_duncan(at)yahoo(dot)com

Have a great weekend!

GUEST BLOGGER: ISABELLA & MAX ROOMS

Hi Guys!
I'm away for the week, but don't worry, I have a great line up of ladies to hold you over until I return! First up is Janell. It's no secret that she is one of my blog buddies and I'm so excited to have her share some tips on choosing the right paint color for your home! Take it away Janell!

Thanks Lakeitha for inviting me to be a guest blogger, while you enjoy a little down time with your family!


When Lakeitha suggested selecting paint colors as a possible post topic, I felt the same way I feel when a client asks for advice on paint colors! Anxious!! I really believe selecting the right paint color is one of the hardest aspects of creating a great room. The endless choices can create confusion. On top of this issue, colors rarely look the same on paint chips as they do on your own walls.

What I've learned, since starting my design business Isabella & Max, is that selecting paint colors often involves quite a bit of trail and error: select the colors, test the colors, tweak your choices, test again and hopefully find a winner!

So while I wish I had a magic formula for picking the perfect color each and every time, I don't. But here are some tips I've learned over the years, which will hopefully help make the process less frustrating and intimidating.

Tip #1

Before heading out to the paint store, first look around your home.

What colors are you drawn to? Are there colors already present in your home that you are loving, in a fabric, an accessory, a piece of furniture or artwork?


Also, look in your closet. Do you see that there are colors you are repeatedly drawn to?

Tip #2

Visit your favorite paint store and invest in a fan deck.


Having a fan deck will allow you to see the whole range of color options in your home. (Or simply clear out the paint chip display, to potential disgruntled looks sent your way by a salesperson.) How a color looks on a paint chip in the store will have nearly nothing to do with how the color will look in your home. The lighting is not the same, and the specific colors and finishes in your home will be reflected on the color, making it appear unique in your space.

Tip #3

Select your top color choices and test them...before you begin buying gallons of paint!


Once home hold the paint chips up against the walls, as well as the furniture, carpet, trim work and other items to remain in the space. Select two or three favorite colors. Next test these colors on the wall. Fortunately, many paint companies now sell pouches or test size samples of their paints.

I would highly recommend not jumping directly into your painting project prior to testing the colors. I've made this mistake before when painting a kitchen, as I'll share below.

Tip #4

Prime first.


First prime an area with white primer, in the room you want to select a paint color for, and then test the color here. Why do this? How the tested paint colors look will be significantly effected by the wall color that you are testing over. If your walls are white, you are ahead of the game!

In my kitchen painting fiasco, I originally wanted to paint the room Devine Color's Devine Blade, a fresh beautiful green. However, the color looked horrible when I tested it on top of the muted tan color the kitchen was currently painted. It caused the green to take on a neon appearance.

So instead I decided to paint the kitchen yellow. Random, I know. In the course of a week I painted the kitchen, each and every inch of the walls, three times, each attempt selecting what I hoped would be the right shade of yellow. I got so frustrated that finally I decided to start over from scratch, and primed an area to test other colors. And what color did I test? My favorite Devine Blade. And guess what, on the neutral primed wall this color suddenly looked fabulous! A couple hundred dollars in wasted paint later I was really kicking myself, as I once again drove off to the store to purchased more paint. This time the right color, Devine Blade!




Tip #5

Observe how the paint colors look during the day and at night.


Make sure to look at how the paint looks in different light, the color will change with the changing light! If you are loving one of the colors, proceed with confidence. But if the colors are not exactly what you were hoping for, try to determine what it is about the color you don't like and select additional choices to test.

I recently helped a client select a green paint color for her kitchen. We thought the right shade had been selected on our first attempt. But after the color was tested it appeared very minty on her walls. Knowing this characteristic was what we wanted to avoid, we again looked through fan deck and picked a similar color, but this time a green with a more earthy undertone. The second time was a charm!

Tip #6

Trial and Error.

So, selecting just the right paint colors can be a process of Trail and Error. The key is to be ready for this, understanding it will probably require a bit of time to find the right color. But hopefully, with a bit of patience, you'll find the perfect colors for your home and will find yourself painting happily ever after.


Enjoy your week!! Janell


Great tips Janell! I'll make sure I keep them in mind when I paint TJ's room;-) So, what do you think? Are you ready to go and tackle some painting?! Have you ever purchased a gallon of paint after seeing the chip in the store and you just knew it was the perfect shade only to be disappointed seeing it in your home? Let me hear about it!

MASTER BEDROOM CHAIR REFINISHING

I must admit, refinishing and reupholstering this chair really has me on edge...


But, you guys said that I can do it so I guess I'll give it a shot! I started by removing the fabric and the old foam


Which left me with this



I usually use my electric sander, but since this was a small job, I used my sanding pads/blocks


***SIDE NOTE***
When you are sanding a piece, first figure out what you're sanding it for. There are different grit sand papers that you use for different purposes.

In this case, I used medium grit to "rough up" the surface of the chair prior to priming it. After the primer dried, I went back and used a fine grit sand paper to smooth out the finish of the primer. This helps you achieve a smooth even finish.

After I finished sanding the chair, I wiped it down with a some what damp cloth to remove all of the dust before I applied my spray paint


Then I painted the frame using Rustoleums 'Heirloom White' spray paint

After this step, you may want to check out you paint job to make sure that you don't have any 'runs' or drips of paint. If so, sand again (lightly) with your medium grit sand paper followed by your fine grit sand paper and paint again.

After the paint dried, I used a spray on clear top coat that you can find in the spray paint section at your home improvement store.

Now that I've finished the frame, I'm going to try and figure out the reupholstering part. But, first I need to find the fabric!

Need to slip cover a chair? Check out Janell's blog and watch as she make slip covers for a pair of really nice vintage chairs for her son's 'Big Boy Room'!

I'm linking this post to DIY day at A Soft Place to Land!

MY RAST HACK

Hi guys! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I was able to get a few things accomplished including hacking my IKEA Rast chests that will be used as my nightstands in my Master Bedroom.

I decided not to stain my chests because of this

This

and this

I don't know about you, but that was too many reminders that they are from IKEA!
I used Kilz oil based spray primer (which is now my new BFF), Rustoleum heirloom white spray paint (that I got for 20 cents!) and a clear gloss top coat

Since my husband assembled them (knobs and all), turned the knobs inside out so I would be able to open the drawers after I finished painting them


After my first coat of oil-based primer (did I mention it only takes an hour for this stuff to dry?), I sanded it a little with some 220 grit sand paper and applied a second coat primer


The reason why I sand between coats is because of this

Can you see how the paint runs a little? well we don't want that!!!

So after my second coat of primer dries, it's time for paint (the steps are the same as priming) After the paint dried, I added some knobs that I found on clearance at IKEA ($2.49 for two) and here is a glimpse of the finished "RAST HACK"

See how nice and "almost white" it look in this photo? Well, it's not like that really. It's more like this

After all that work, I may have to paint them again....

Stay tuned for the window panels I chose for the room and my $1.99 rods from William and Sonoma Home!


I'm linking this post up to Met Mondays over at Between Naps on the Porch