The Painting Post - The Semi-Sponsored (3MScothBlue!), Yup That's My Mom Edition

Painting should be a good time.  If you go in with a can-do attitude, a little know how and your pro painter mother, it can be.  

Here's a little info on the nursery space.

• Room is about 225sqft to paint including underside of bulkhead
• No need to change trim, the base is already a white I can work with
• There is a bulkhead around 2 sides but I'm working with it, and making it work.
• The curtains are changing.
• The carpet is staying, I'm hoping the new wall colour will have the pleasant effect I want
• Two big sliding closet mirror doors, for a condo, not bad

Though the colour temperature varies per picture, I think you get the idea.  This is builder beige at it's best.  It's chalky (but not in the good Farrow & Ball way), and rough to the touch, nearly impossible to clean.

I mentioned in the title, this post is semi-sponsored. I was contacted a little while back and asked about any upcoming projects.  Of course I mentioned my own project, and was sent a few roles of new ScotchBlue 3M painters tape.  I hate for this to sound like I'm sucking up, but it really is the best painter's tape I've ever used.  Sooooo cheesey to say, but it actually made my life easier. And really, isn't that the point of any product you buy.  Is it cheap? No. It's going to cost you more.  But I would ask you, how important is a straight line to you? How important to you is what you're putting the tape on top of?  Then for the extra $15 bucks you spend on the whole project, its $15 well spent.

Here it is, stuck all over the place.  I ended up making it work on trim, outlets and on the inside of the closet.  I didn't have time or space (or paint for that matter) to do the inside of the closet, so a couple of inches past the closet doors, I stuck it down in a nice straight line.  Here is the real test of tape, does the paint bleed under? When I was done painting, and it was time to pull the tape off, I was left with, a nice straight line.  As far as painters tape goes, that's really all you can ask for. 

Edging underway, Gray Owl (OC-52) beginning application.  I had no idea how much paint this room would take.  With a little over 220 sqft, one Gallon ought to do.  But, I underestimated the under layer.  That builders beige was porous and dry, and begging for moisture.   I just had enough paint at the end, and truly, it needed a second coat, so I went out.  

Here is where I made a mistake, and I'm still kicking myself for it. This picture is of a dry wall. I had a couple of Home Depot gift certificates still left over from the wedding.  I had the paint matched.  Terrible choice.  I don't expect this is the norm, but the can of paint was not mixed properly.  The sheen was off, and the colour was off. A little blotchy in spots and along the edges it was much darker. You can kind of see it here in this pic. So I went out, again.

This time I did it properly.  I went out to Benjamin Moore, and bought a gallon of Aura.  Better paint, smooth finish, easy to work with. This cost me way more than the gallon at Home Depot, but if I had just done this at the start, I would have saved.  Learned my lesson here.

  All painted now except for the the wallpaper wall, which is still not here.  I might be losing my temper a bit with that.

All finished. Love the colour!  Gray Owl, wow, this is such a pleasant colour.  Its warm, its soft, its neutral without being beige!  Great Gray! The wall colour brought out the gray in the carpet and hides the yellow that the old beige highlighted. And look at the white trim pop!  I am a happy designer today.

Walls painted, ready for the next steps:  Crib, Wallpaper, Sofa, acc's.  

All coming together and I couldn't be more excited about this space.  Its not often I get to work on this stuff for myself, and I've got to tell you, it's a lot of fun.

More to come!

Bill
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