THAT PainterLady.com

This reader has problems with her Faux Glazing Kitchen Cabinets.

 We painted my dark cabinets white then put a dark, almost black glaze
 on them… all done with oil base.

I think the glaze needs to be toned down more.

While I like the distressed look, it almost looks a little overdone. Is there anyway to tone some of the black down? Thanks!

Hi… If you send pictures that's always helpful.

Since the cabinets are white… wipe them again with a thinned out white. This will haze over the dark glaze and blend in with the white… still leaving a distressed wiped on effect… but toning down the contrast.

Or…

Wipe over the entire cabinet with an antiquing glaze… which would be a med. warm brown. This would give the entire effect an aged look and blend the colors.

Hope this is helpful!

Debra 

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Hi Debra,

I recently had a baby girl, Addison Grace.

Usually when I begin to redo a room I have a vision of what I want the room to look like, and then run with it. For some reason I am having a block with Addison's room.

I have had the walls painted for months, three are lilac with a focal wall of apple green.

The theme I chose for her room is "Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice…" which I hand painted at the top of the green wall.

I don't know where I want to go from here. I was thinking of painting some vines around the room with rosebuds trailing off. I was also thinking of painting a mural. I'm undecided. Do you have any suggestions for a little girl's room to go with my theme?

Thank you,
Laura

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Hi Laura,

Congratulations on the new addition to your family. 

Funny how sometimes we get a road block in our creative brains when it comes to decorating a baby room. It's seems so personal and yet we don't know this little persons personality yet. It's easy for an outsider to give you all kinds of ideas and advice and maybe one of those ideas will appeal…

I am going to give you an idea… which may or may not appeal to you… but here it goes anyway.

The room that these pictures show isn't a baby room. It is actually an office for a day care. But… the gal who runs this daycare wanted something that would blend in with her Shabby Chic decorating scheme. It's perfect for a sweet baby girls room as well.

As you can see the flowers are very quick and easy to paint. They are not very realistic looking, nor are they challenging to paint. The vines serve to give movement and a light… fantasy atmosphere.

The colors are soft and girly… but not sickly sweet. Something that you can live with for several years.  

Painting Cabbage Roses and rose buds is easy when you paint them in this casual… painterly style.

The leaves are actually done with those foam stamps. The ones that come on a sheet and are made of black foam. I see them still for sale at Michaels every once in a while. The butterfly and hummingbird are also "starts" from stamps.

Stamps give a great outline for painting easy whimsical elements on baby room walls. 

You know girls can develop into girly girls… or major tomboys. You'll know soon enough… but until then, we can dream that all baby girls will stay girly.