Photo: Apartment Therapy
The first time I heard about someone painting a wood floor I was skeptical. Would it last? Could you scrub it? And why would you do it to begin with?
Some years later, my wife and I moved into a house with stairs with wooden treads that were worn, stained, gouged and splintered. With not much to lose, we decided to try painting them. To our pleasant surprise, the finish has held up through six years of daily use. The paint also hardened the wood surface, preventing further abrasion.
Painting wood stairs and floors requires the same preparation as for any interior paint job. If the surface has been finished previously, such as with stain and polyurethane (or old paint), lightly sand the entire area with 100-grit abrasive paper.
Read the rest of this entry »
- Painting >
- 10 Creative Uses for Chalkboard Paint
10 Creative Uses for Chalkboard Paint
To the surprise of no one, chalkboard paint is exactly as it sounds: when you use it to paint a wall, that wall becomes a chalkboard. Got it? Got it.
Except chalkboard paint can be used on virtually any surface, not just on walls. Here are ten clever, creative uses that can transform all sorts of items in your home.
Photo: Scott Hawkins for HomeLife.com
An old dresser becomes a well-organized sideboard with clearly labeled closed storage for the dining room and kitchen. This trick would work equally well in a kid’s room as a way of teaching young ones how to put away laundry.
Read the rest of this entry »
Pantone, the global authority on color for the design industries, has announced the Color of the Year for 2013: Emerald Green. (Or more specifically, PANTONE 17-5641.) Leatrice Eiseman, executive director for the Pantone Color Institute, reflects on the choice: “Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal, and rejuvenation,” she says, “which is so important in today’s complex world.”
Slideshow: Trending Now: Emerald Green
How will the choice of Emerald affect your decorating decisions in the year ahead? Perhaps quite a bit—or perhaps not at all—depending on how much you like the hue and to what degree you enjoy bold colors in your home.
Read the rest of this entry »
- Other Rooms >
- Sweet Dreams: A New Line of No-VOC Paints for Nurseries
Sweet Dreams: A New Line of No-VOC Paints for Nurseries
Lullaby Paints' Golden Slumber Nursery
The health benefits of low-VOC paints for people with chemical sensitivities and respiratory conditions are well documented. Earlier this year, those benefits inspired one company to launch a line of non-toxic paints targeted towards the most susceptible among us: infants.
Lullaby Paints—intended specifically for nurseries and playrooms—are free of benzene, formaldehyde, and a host of other compounds often found in traditional household paints.
Read the rest of this entry »
Bob Vila Radio: Finishing Fiberglass Doors
Fiberglass doors have been popular for years now as a durable, energy-efficient alternative to wood doors that can be painted or stained.
Photo: midwestmanufacturing.com
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Listen to BOB VILA ON FINISHING FIBERGLASS DOORS or read the text below:
Read the rest of this entry »
Bob Vila Radio: Paint Primer
If you’re taking on any last-minute holiday painting projects, here’s a primer on… primer.
Photo: davispaintcompany.com
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Listen to BOB VILA ON PAINT PRIMER, or read the text below:
Read the rest of this entry »
Bob Vila Radio: Faux Wood Graining
Here’s a thrifty way to dress up your home for holiday entertaining that’s been around for hundreds of years. Since the Renaissance, artists have used faux wood graining techniques to give simple furniture, doors, and trim the look of much finer woods like tiger maple, burled walnut, and flame mahogany.
Photo: inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Listen to BOB VILA ON CHOOSING TILE, or read the text below:
Read the rest of this entry »
Bob Vila Radio: Painting Masonry
If your to-do list includes painting brick or concrete, keep in mind that masonry requires some special treatment.
Photo: hallcopainting.com
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Listen to BOB VILA ON PAINTING MASONRY, or read the text below:
Read the rest of this entry »
