Crackle medium is a fun way to age your furniture, cabinets, a frame, even a painting!  It’s really easy to use…unless it isn’t.    A newsletter subscriber wrote in recently and was having some problems.  Here’s what he said:

Could you please advise how long you need to leave the crackle glaze on before painting on the top coat? Mine isn’t crackling right. I’m using latex paint – is that right?
Thank You

Hmmmm…now I’ve crackled a LOT of stuff and never had a problem -  BUT I have friends that have.  Of course when I do my crackle painting I’m not looking for perfection.  So if it “messes up” that just adds to my “look”. 

I have also known some people that have gotten “bad” crackle medium.  That’s no fun at all!!  The last time I bought crackle medium it was just for a small project so I got it at a craft store.  For those bigger projects (your bathroom cupboards?) you might want to get it in a LARGE container rather than those little bottles.

As for using latex…yeah… shouldn’t have any problem if you are using latex paint and follow the directions on the crackle medium you are using.   Generally speaking you want it to dry 30 to 60 minutes.  You may need a bit more drying time depending on the weather.

When the Crackle Medium is dry there should be an overall sheen to the surface. If any areas appear dull, apply another coat of Crackle Medium.  Now you apply the top coat.  This is the coat that will be actually crackling – revealing the “under coat”.

You need to load your brush – not OVER loaded but don’t wipe it all off either.  Load it generously and work in small areas.  The big thing is don’t over paint.  Too much paint or going over and over it will make you cracks disappear. Simply brush on a nice even coat and move on to the next area.  Then…let it dry 24 hours.

After crackling I sometimes will apply a stain to age what I’m working on.  Unless I’m painting in colors.  Like a red undercoat with a black overcoat. 

Hope this helps!

This happens a lot.  You buy a home that someone else has personalized to suit their taste.  Problem is…it isn’t your taste.  So what do you do?  Paint it of course!

Yes, you paint it.  Paint can change anything to be more “user friendly”.    That’s why we LOVE it so much!!  You can even paint Formica!  Check it out.  Here’s a letter from a newsletter subscriber:

Hi, I would love to get the look of dark wood on my Formica cabinets that have been painted white by the owners before me. We don’t have the money to buy new cabinets, and I have seen on TV that it can be done, and looks great. However, I am not sure where to start. Do I have to paint the white cabinets a darker color? Also I found this wood grain brush at Lowe’s for 6 bucks should I buy it. How many colors do I need to buy for the look of a dark wood, with maybe a red undertone. That would look nice. My husband is going to do granite tile on the counter and backsplash. But these white color has got to go! Please help! ~Christina

Man…don’t you KNOW just how she feels?  And wanting to make a change but needing to be budget conscious.  Who isn’t budget conscious these days?  Right?  So here’s what we wrote back:

Christina, you definitely should buy Debra’s video on how to achieve the Faux Woodgrain Finish!  She shows you how in very simple -beginner level – steps.  Here…click on this link: Beginner Guides to Faux Wood Painting. You can read the information there and make the decision on whether or not this is the path you want to take.  There’s a short video there at that site and if you decide to buy the DVD or download you’ll see that it truly gives you step-by-step easy to understand instructions.

What we all know is that the key to any great finish is in the prep work.  So here are a few suggestions on how to prep your Formica cabinets to be painted:

1.  Clean the cabinets thoroughly, using an ammonia-based cleaner. Rinse well and let the cabinets dry.

2.  Lightly sand the surface of the cabinets. This removes any embedded grease and prepares the surface to be primed. Wipe down surface completely to remove all dust.

3.  Tape off everything you don’t want to paint.

4.  Apply a good primer/sealer.  We like Kilz but feel free to use what you know and like.  Use a foam roller and work slowly to avoid air bubbles. Let this dry as directed on the product.

5.  Sand the dry primed surface one time – very lightly.  Again, wipe down the surface to remove all of the dust.

You’re now ready to base coat!

If you want to achieve a dark wood with a red undertones. I would start by base-coating the cabinets a brick red color.  You can then faux finish over that with a dark brown mixed with glaze.  Try it out on a sample board first.  So much easier to test things out on a foam core board first to see what you like and don’t like and get your technique down. 

Also, you can definitely try to use the wood grain brush from Lowe’s. You may also want to try a few other wood grain tools to see what works best and achieves the look you are going for.  Debra prefers a regular paint (artist) brush. 

Good luck with your project and keep us posted on your progress.   Take pictures as you go along and SHARE!

photo credit: Ctd 2005

Faux Wood Painting On Formica

Peeling Wallpaper from TJONES Typepad

Don’t you LOVE stripping wallpaper?  No?  Not a surprise. I don’t know anyone that actually LIKES this task.  It’s why I choose faux finishes over wallpaper every time.

Everyone knows that stripping wallpaper can cause damage… boy, do I know.  Those little gouges can show up like the huge caverns when it comes time to paint.  I have this very problem in my spare bedroom right now.  /  Dogs like to put their paws in the window sill to look out and it’s scraped off the wallpaper & the gouged the drywall underneath.  It isn’t pretty.

So… how do you cover damage from stripping wallpaper?

Got an email from a newsletter subscriber related to this problem and figured it was a good one to share.  Check it out:

I am brand new to this but decided to remove wallpaper from my powder room.

The guy at Lowe’s told me what I need to do a finish called Venetian plaster.  I am priming the wall, lightly sanding some places where it was really rough and caused feathering in the drywall, then
putting on 3 coats of Valspar Venetian plaster with a $10 tool that is similar to a putty knife.

Is Venetian plaster a faux finish?  Does the procedure I was given sound right to you?

Thanks so much.
Love your website and newsletters.
Karen

Wow.  I’m wondering why the Lowe’s guy said Venetian Plaster.. ?  I’m sure that the guy was trying to be helpful… but that’s a large project for some one that is new to all this.  And unless he wants to come over when she does the project to lend a hand…he wasn’t helping!

We asked Karen if she told the man that she wanted a Venetian Plaster finish because we can’t figure out why he’d tell her that if she told him she was removing the wallpaper, had some damage to repair and wanted to paint the walls.

Venetian Plaster is considered a type of faux finish in some worlds… it’s really plaster made with marble dust and the reason it takes three layers is because of the awesome polished finish you end up with.

"Faux Fun" Venetian Plaster How to Vide

It has “special tools” you use to put the plaster on and to create that final “polished” sheen.  “Faux Fun” has a video about it for people to learn how to do this.

But doing a Venetian Plaster finish is a lot… I mean A LOT…of work and in a powder room trying to get the finish just right around a toilet and sink – (unless you pull them out first – ugh) – would just be a nightmare I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

Truth be told…if I wanted Venetian Plaster in a powder room I’d HIRE it done to avoid having to do it myself…it’s that much of a pain in that particular space.

And – Venetian Plaster is expensive….

Anyway..I digress.  We’re guessing that Karen wanted to give the walls a smooth finish because their was some damage when she stripped the wallpaper.

So rant over.  We shot an email back to Karen to ask her about the “damage” to the walls and “finish” she was trying to accomplish.  Did she really want to tackle a Venetian Plaster or just want to smooth out the “oops” in the walls.

We asked her exactly how much damage was done to the walls and explained that if she just wanted to smooth out the “oops” spots then she probably only needed a skim coat of regular old joint compound.  This is the easy way to fix damage to the walls after scraping off wallpaper.  Also reminded her that she’d need to sand and seal the joint compound before she started painting.  Here’s what she wrote back:

Thanks so much for the reply. The damage is that I dug in with the scraper instead of spraying more wallpaper remover on. The damage is probably 5% of the wall surface, maybe less.

I took some of the sheet rock paper off and a couple of places I dug into the sheet rock, not deep but enough to make a little stick up (1/16 of an inch?).

It makes sense that joint compound would cover it. I’ll try that. THANKS!

I changed my mind about Venetian Plaster because in the samples, I found it was smooth & shiny, supposedly like marble and what I really want is what Valspar calls Tuscan accents.

Is there an easier way to do this?

P.S. I wish you lived in Houston so I could get your paid services to help me. I really want to learn to do this because I have been in this house 15 years and I am sick of the wallpaper!

I have seen the Tuscan accents in a house and I really like it.  But if it’s tough for a beginner, I might need to scale back to something easier at this time.

P.P.S. My husband doesn’t really think I can do this. He’s always done the painting and that sort of task and I never have. Soooooooooo I have a lot to gain by proving that I can. He’s not mean, just skeptical.

Alrighty then.    So we did a little digging and wrote back to Karen.  Here’s the gist of the second response:

We checked out the Valspar site and the directions they give to do the Tuscan Accents finish, and it seems like it’s actually very simple.  Should be perfect for a newbie! 

MinWax Blending Brush

Really don’t think that there would be anything easier than applying the glaze with a large brush in a criss cross / crosshatch motion and then blending with either their tool (called a Tuscan Smoother) or any soft blending brush – like a watercolor mop brush or a small soft blending brush like this one from MinWax.

What we would suggest (always) is using a good quality glaze, as it will make a big difference in the finish.   Zinsser makes a good one, but we’re pretty fond of Behr products (not a Lowe’s product but a Home Depot product).  They seem to get high ratings in Consumer Reports more often than others.

AND, make sure you tape off the room first.  If you are unsure of your skill, do a couple samples on foam core board (it’s thick poster board) first using the paint /colors you’ll be using on the wall.  It’s a great way to practice first and see if the colors are what you really want. 

Keep in mind that corners can be difficult, so it’s a good idea to have a smaller brush (artist style) to get into those areas.

Again, we reminded Karen that after she applies the joint compound – to fix the gouges – she’ll need to sand and then SEAL IT.  If she doesn’t seal it then it’ll act like a coat of chalk and just soak up the paint in a very uneven manner.

Hope this is helpful!!!

Ready for a change in your kitchen? I’m thinking about it.  But…really it’s the cabinets, countertops and layout I’d want to change…more than my current paint job.  Lol!   But maybe you’re ready to change the paint, too.  How about a Tuscan kitchen?

When you consider Tuscan painting for kitchens, a whole new world of creativity awaits.  For those who have decided to bring the charm of the old world into their kitchen, this is an exciting journey!

An easy way to incorporate Tuscan painting for kitchens into your home is to consider attractive faux finishes. Numerous techniques in this design approach can have your kitchen looking very Tuscan in no time.

For starters, one of the most important things to consider for Tuscan painting for kitchens is choosing a theme that embraces this design style. Color is quite influential when it comes to the theme of Tuscan painting for kitchens. Usually, those who like this kind of painting also favor warm, earthy tones.  Through faux finishes… a natural surrounding is achieved and homeowners can get the look of an old-world kitchen with tons of character.

When choosing a Tuscan style painting, you could recreate the scenes of a Tuscan landscape.  In Tuscany they actually do have them on the walls of some of the homes…but they’re generally “faded” from age.  To get that look you paint the mural more as a color wash or water color look and then “haze it” with some thinned down glaze that is the same color as your walls.  So it looks old and worn.

To accomplish the look of old Italy, you’ll want to choose paints that reflect dominant Tuscan colors. Deep gold or wheat, earth tones (browns, rusts, greens), as well as colors of the sea are perfectly acceptable.  Faux Tuscan painting for kitchens can also bring the appearance of antique plaster to your cooking arena.   Maybe create some faux plaster breaks.  Maybe some cracks.    The choices don’t stop there, either.

Selecting a crackling technique will give your kitchen the sort of character that comes with age and the look of peeling paint is sometimes desired.  I wouldn’t crackle the whole wall but random parts/pieces/spots.   And by “peeling paint” I mean some clever “trompe l’oeil” not actual peeling paint!    Gads!  That doesn’t sound healthy at all for the kitchen!  Lol!

The painting techniques you can learn are enhanced through the color and appearance of numerous Tuscan faux finish options. While some homeowners enjoy a glazed display of color, others will prefer a simple color wash.

Also along with the type of paint you select, you may consider adding a metallic finish to your kitchen faux finish painting.  It could add just that “ZOW” you want!

For an advanced Tuscan look, you might want to choose a project that adds an embossed faux finish to your kitchen walls.  Or maybe some venetian plaster, with some embossed faux AND color wash.    What?  Too much?    You’re only limited by your imagination. 

Image by Wallula Junction via Flickr

Color… it’s like magic.  Just add paint to the walls in your favorite new color and “voila”!  You’ve changed the mood of your entire room.   It’s MAGIC.   But with so many color choices…how do you even BEGIN pick??

• What colors make a room look bigger?
• Dining Room color help…what looks good with furniture or food?
• How to separate or blend rooms with color?
• What house colors give good curb appeal?
• What colors are considered neutral?

Where could you find good color advice without having to hire a professional interior designer or color coordinator?  There’s all sorts of options.

• Bookstores are filled with great advice. So many books about just “Color” are available it’s really hard to choose.
• Some online forums have topics devoted to just color – such as HGTV forums.
• You could ask your best friend what she thinks of your color choices…but just because she likes it (or doesn’t like it) doesn’t mean it would be right for you.  So that one can be risky! 

Be careful what you ask… when you ask a friend.

I asked a friend what colors she would choose for my walls.  And….I used them…Yuck!  I hated every single one.  It took several years but I’ve finally painted over all of them.  And I hate painting 18 ‘ tall walls so those were the last to get repainted. I could have just faux finish those walls, but the base color which was a taupe… looked lavender in my room.  See…she likes “cool” colors and picked a cool taupe.  I prefer “warm” colors so the cool shades didn’t do anything for me.  Blech.

I have a Tuscan or Spanish Hacienda style theme in my house and the entire home is antiques, rough pine furniture and red saultillo floors. The lavender cast of the taupe didn’t work at all.

Now…you know that I have learned a few tricks about paint color choices over my 18+ years of painting in client homes and businesses.   But… as you probably know, choosing colors for your OWN space gets downright ridiculous.

Oh…and don’t even think of asking the spouse.   Debra has a hubby who loves color and helping with the decorating and she’ll be the first to say that when it comes to choosing colors … it usually ends up in a clash and of course if she’s the one painting the walls – Well, SHE WINS! Lol!

And fortunately (as it so happens) he usually loves all her color choices…AFTER they’re on the walls.  I wonder if that could have something to do with the fact that he doesn’t have to participate in the labor part most of the time. 

Help For Choosing Paint Colors

I found several books that are awesome on this subject and I thought I’d share a couple of them with you.  So…here we go:

Understanding Color:  An Introduction for Designers

By Linda Holtzchue

Need more information about color wheels?  How about how we see color or values?  Well this book will help you with ALL of that.  It’s easy to read and thorough in it’s explanations of the different color wheels, saturation, harmony, and so much more.  As a former art teacher I know several colleagues that would use this book in their color theory sections.  One word of caution though, the author defines “tertiary” and “intermediate” differently than some others do.  Regardless of that the book has great examples that any painter or designer can use.

Choosing Color

By Kevin McCloud

If you haven’t heard of Kevin McCloud you need to get to the bookstore and check out ALL of his books.  He is an internationally renowned interior designer and in THIS book he has put together over 1,000 color chips and they’re arranged in over 80 palettes. Each one – each palette (includes anywhere from 6 to 16 color swatches) forms a wonderfully FABULOUS blueprint for any decorative scheme.   And there’s pictures!  AND…he gives you advice and tips for using the colors to transform a room!!  He has palettes based on old Chinese silk, and then he reinterprets it in a contemporary New York apartment!  Any scheme you want…you can probably find in here.  Something that enhances your theme or something new you’ve always wanted to do.  Kevin’s book will help you get there.

There are a bunch of other books on this subject that you could look at, too.  It’s just finding the right book FOR  YOU! 

Oh…and last…Debra has yet ANOTHER website to help you to choose just the right colors…

Check out Paint Color Ideas and see what she’s got going on over there!