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Let There Be Light

Since I’ve been in this shop (almost 6 years) I’ve had four (4) 48” T12 florescent light fixtures (with bulbs) sitting in my attic. These were the lights in my old shop and we took them with us when we moved.

The lights from my old shop.

Because the fixtures plug in with a three (3) prong outlet, all that would be needed to do to connect them in the current shop would be to replace the ceramic bulb fixture with an outlet and hang the lights. Even though I assumed this process would take about an hour and a half I’ve put it off for the last 5+ years.

Why? I don’t know.

Last Saturday I finally got to work and installed the lights. It ended taking all day, three (3) trips to Home Depot, the purchase of 4 new lights and 8 new bulbs.

Now thats a well lit shop.

Once it was all over I had a well-lit shop. I ended up with five (5) 48” T12 fixtures (4 new and 1 old). According to my cocktail napkin math, my old lights totaled 7,200 lumens. The new lights are 25,000 lumens. Even if that math is wrong, it’s now damn bright.

Even though it took a full day and multiple trips to the store, this proved to be an easy and huge upgrade to the shop. I should have done it long ago.

By the way, the 48” T12 (or T8) shop fixtures are cheap. Why not brighten up your shop too?

Its even bright from outside.

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Let There Be Light

Dont Be A TV Diva When You Paint Walls

Fresh paint turns buyers on.

Painting a room is one of the easiest, cheapest ways to get a home ready for selling.

As a professional painter, homeowner and landlady, I’ve painted literally hundreds of rooms.

That’s why it irks me to see people on TV, whether they are hosts of their own design show, DIY remodelers on a reality series, or models in painting commercials, paint the wrong way.

If you follow their lead, if you paint the way TV teaches you, you’re wasting time and money and getting sloppy results.

Here are my seven favorite tips for getting the best painting results with the least effort.

1. Prep is Everything

No one on TV mentions preparing a wall for paint. Even if the room has been painted recently and looks smooth, sanding all the walls with a pole sander knocks down any dust and lumps. Sanding gets the surface ready to accept new paint. Patch and sand and then spot prime as needed.

If you made lots of repairs or are changing color, a primer is a good intermediate step. Talk to the experts at your paint store about covering the old color with the new one you are buying. Careful prep is what makes the difference between a pro job and an amateurish attempt.

2. Get a Handle on It

Once in a while, a television camera catches a glimpse of a professional painter working in the background. Chances are the pro is doing it right. He’ll be using an extension handle on the roller frame. Meanwhile, the shows host starts rolling paint in the middle of a wall, holding the stubby roller handle. Oh, my aching wrist!

Please don’t roll paint onto a wall holding just the paint roller handle. Give your wrist, arm, back, and shoulder a break, and use your whole body to support the work of rolling. Face the wall, stand with feet apart, one foot slightly in front of the other and keep your back straight when rolling.

Even a broom handle screws into a paint roller handle. If youre painting a room so small theres no room for a simple extension stick, it’s okay to hold the roller. Otherwise, stick with a stick.

Once you use a handle, a screen and a 5-gallon
bucket, youll never go back to dinky trays.

3. Keep a Clean Can

I frequently see blogging tutorials and television remodelers dipping a brush into a gallon paint can. Do not paint out of the original paint can.

Work out of a clean, empty 1-gallon can or work bucket. That way, when you’re done painting, you can return the unused paint portion and youll have a clean can with a clean lip and a clean label to store the leftover paint in, clearly indicating the brand, color, finish, and any other specs that will come in handy when it’s touch-up time.

4. The Truth About Tape

I laugh when I see televised rooms trimmed with blue tape all around all the windows and doors. This is usually an unnecessary step. Wake up, people. The 3-M company loves bloggers to endorse these products! Youre wasting your time and money.

Spend your money instead on good quality paint and you won’t be dripping and splattering. Baseboards might be the exception if your paint is likely to drip on them.

A good angled 2-inch paintbrush and a steady hand is faster. Practice painting a straight line in an inconspicuous area. Use long strokes and keep your arm partially extended instead of putting your face up close and dab-dab-dabbing. Cut in the room first, and then roll walls. Make sure you cut in wide enough, especially around the top of the wall, where it meets the ceiling. Get a good 4- or 5-inch band of paint up there, so your roller doesn’t get paint on the ceiling.

5. Way to Roll

Instead of pouring your paint into one of those silly flat trays, pour it into a 5-gallon bucket with a painting grid in it. This is the professional method that saves bending over. And theres less chance of kicking over your paint.

Load your roller generously and remove excess using the grid. Start by rolling the wall in a "W" or "M" motion, then use long, up and down strokes. Do not lift the roller from the wall. Start your first stroke with an upward motion, because if you roll down on the first stroke, the paint can puddle under the roller and run down the wall.

If your roller drips or smears instead of rolling across the surface, you’ve put too much paint on it. If it leaves skips or you have to press to get the paint to apply evenly, you’ve put on too little.

My favorite gloves are breathable, but
palm-protected, like these nitrile-coated ones.

6. Dress for Success

TV stars paint in high heels and cute dresses. You, on the other hand, need to dress right for the work.

Keep an outfit just for painting. I recommend pants with pockets so you can wear all your helpful tools. Consider buying a pair of painters overalls if you do much painting. Keeping tools on your person saves steps and saves time. It’s frustrating to have to stop and hunt for a damp rag or your square of sandpaper. Keep a rag and an old brush for dusting in your back pocket, a 5-in-1 tool in another pocket, and sandpaper in another pocket.

Wear closed-toe, comfortable shoes that will protect your feet and keep them happy all day. Your old sneakers might be a good choice. You’re bound to get some paint on your shoes. You want reliable support and safety, so going barefoot is not an option.

Wear cotton, latex, neoprene, or nutrile gloves that will keep paint off your hands and save cleanup time.

Pole sanding. A dust mask like
this will protect you
from dust, but not from
paint solvent vapors.

7. Dropcloths Matter

Don’t use plastic dropcloths. I know it’s fashionable for DIYers to recycle shower curtains or unroll yards of plastic sheeting, but almost anything is better than plastic for a dropcloth. Why? Because paint doesnt dry quickly on plastic, and you can easily track it around. Instead, use a purchased canvas dropcloth. It doesn’t have to be large. A 4- x 15-foot "hall runner" dropcloth is versatile, economical, washable, and will last for years.

Saving money? Then old rugs or carpet scraps, cardboard, or bed sheets (two or three layers thick) will usually provide all the protection you need. While painting, pay attention to what you are doing, and check your soles before stepping off the drop cloth onto carpeting or flooring.

But wait. There’s More.

Now that I have sounded off on one of my pet peeves – common painting mistakes – I hope I’ve enlightened you about the best way to add new paint to your walls. You are welcome!

If choosing a paint color is difficult for you, I have written posts about paint colors and how to choose them.

Please download my eBook, DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Fast and for Top Dollar, so I can give you more advice on staging your own home for sale.

Top Photo: Apartment Therapy

Dont Be A TV Diva When You Paint Walls

Why Cyan Could Be Your Go To Color For Staging

A bath staging assortment with a cyan motif.
If you think people on a home tour will pilfer
small items, youre right. I "secured" these
color coordinated toiletries with a transparent wrap.

Confused about what colors are best for staging your home? Lets get some basics down.

The best home staging color schemes are built around three colors.

The first color is a neutral background one, something that anyone could love.

The second one is an accessory color that closely coordinates with the first. Its either in the same color family, or the same tonality.

The third is an accent color that doesnt have too much drama of its own. Its usually a more intense color, but not too distracting.

Ideally, these same three colors will echo through your home if it is on the market. This kind of planning makes your home look more contemporary, organized, turn-key, and -- most important -- spacious.

Cyan works in any of these roles.

What is Cyan?

Cyan is a new word to me. If it’s new to you, let me introduce you. Cyan is the color built from equal amounts of blue and green.

If you thought that color was aqua, or teal, or turquoise, or aquamarine, or even electric blue, you’re right. But technically, cyan is the word that printers and graphic artists use for the blue/green pigment.

In home decor, and particularly home staging, cyan is an out-and-out winner. Especially the paler versions. Because dreamy, soothing, yet lively, cyan is one of those people-pleasing tones that you can count on to offend no one.

While pinks can be girly, and reds be too bold, and browns too iffy, the color cyan has a personality, like yellows, that generally makes people feel good.

One reason is that it’s clean. So, cyan is a perfect color for baths or kitchens.

Cyan looks contemporary because it hasn’t come into and gone out of the trend cycle.

Cyan in clear shades reflects light, and light reflection makes spaces look larger.

Let Me Show You The Ways

Here are some examples of the magic that cyan can add to your home.

You can stage any tablescape, countertop or bookshelf around a monochromatic color
scheme for a harmonious look. Cyan ties these element on this shelf together.

An otherwise standard living room, sparsely furnished, looks striking because of the interesting
choice of paint color. For staging, this is as dark a wall paint as you want. Photo: David Knox

The dishware and glassware in the cabinets are cyan, and even though the wall-hung dishes
are classic blue and white, it all works together. Do you agree? Photo: BHG.

Cyan tile is always popular, in both baths and kitchens. Cyan combines well with
many colors, including warm yellows, cool blues, and all greys. Photo: BHG

How Will You Use Cyan?

Think about adding cyan to your color palette. It could be your soothing neutral wall color. It could be your complimentary secondary neutral color for your upholstery, bedding, window treatments, or painted furniture. It could be your friendly accent color for books, lamps, art, pillows, or other props.

I hope these examples will lead you on a search of your home to discover what you may already own that is the color of cyan.

If you decide to paint, you might like Sherwin Williamss Jetstream, or Gliddens Skywatch. Both Krylon and Rust-Oleum.offer spray paints in this family as well.

You can get more advice on choosing colors for home staging, plus help with other decisions youll be making while you stage your own home. You can download my eBook now for just $4.99, and have this help at your fingertips. Home staging s easy when you know the tricks and techniques I teach you.

Why Cyan Could Be Your Go To Color For Staging