There neighbors started the project for me and did a river rock technique on the bottom and then they put the first coat of pink on the top above the chair rail, they want it to be stripes with flat and satin of the same color.. since they painted the base coat for me already, I was wondering how you do the measuring for the stripes?

Her husband said he got a 1×8 piece of wood that I could use as a guide, but its been so long since I have done stripes, I wondered what you thought about my taping and all do you use a pencil and make the lines first , then do the tape?

I want this to be perfect, just wondering your thoughts, if you get a chance can you email me back your suggestions??? thanks, Dena

Hi Dena

Isn’t this wonderful? I love this idea!!

Now… because you want the walls to just be shiny and flat stripes, this will be easier!

Several ways of “drawing” in the stripes are available:

• I use a watercolor pencil for all my drawing on walls. Because it is water soluble… it can be just washed off. That is,as long as something hasn’t been painted over it.
• Using a laser level can be extremely helpful in getting strait lines. Yes, you can get the lines to go up and down!!!
• Tape makes the job so much easier! It’s a pain to put up and take off, but the actual painting goes really fast.
• If you use tape, remember to be extra careful when removing the tape, as it can pull off “all” the paint with it and make a mess.

Instead of using a flat and shiny paint! Paint the entire wall in one finish and then do the stripes in a clear sealer with the other finish. This way you don’t have to worry about bleed under the tape… it wont show!

Hi Wendy,

Sounds like a fun project, and definitely do-able. Here are the steps you will need to follow:

1. Sand - Lightly sand the areas on the clock that you will be painting. Use a fine grit sanding sponge. This scuffs up the surface, so the paint has something to adhere to.

2. Tape - Tape off the areas that you do not want to get paint on, such as the clock face, glass, etc. Use a low-tack painter’s tape.

3. Prime - Prime the surface of the clock with a good primer / sealer. Be sure to look at the can to find out the proper dry time, usually it dries between 1 & 3 hours.

4. Base coat - Base coat your clock the red color that is showing through on your furniture. Two coats should be sufficient. I would use a small 6″ roller called a weiny roller. This will give the surface a nice smooth finish and the roller is small enough to get into the areas that are hard to reach. You can also use an artist’s brush to get in the tiny cracks and crevices, if there are any.

5. Wax - Grab a plain white unscented candle and rub the edges pf the clock with it, where you want the red to show through.

6. Top coat - Paint the clock black. It is your decision on what sheen you would like the paint to be - satin, semi-gloss, or high gloss. Be sure to use at least 2 coats and roll it on with the weiny roller. It is important to get this top coat as smooth as possible. If you use a brush, you will most likely see the brush stroke and we want to try and avoid that.

7. Rub - Once the top coat is dry, rub the edges with a fine steel wool or extra fine sanding pad. The black paint should come off pretty easily because of the wax underneath.

8. Seal - I would suggest sealing the clock with a water based varnish. You should wait about 3 - 4 days before doing this, so the paint has time to fully cure.

So, that’s it. Follow these simple steps and you should have a wonderful brand new clock. Don’t forget to take before and after pictures!
Hope all goes well, That Painter Lady, DAWN
photo credit: Svadilfari

Hello Carol,

If you are looking for an easy application, I am not sure if this would count as one. There is really no way to try this out on a sample board first, unless you purchase a few bricks and practice on them first. Follow the instructions below. Once you have your base color figured out, you can then dry brush your glaze colors onto the face of the bricks. If you like brown & blue, you will want to grab a couple different shades of each.

Here are the steps you will need to follow:

1. Pick Colors (in your case a few different shades of blues & browns) You will also need to pick a grout color and use that as your base.

2. Clean the brick thoroughly. Small amounts of soot are not a problem and can be sealed with a good primer. But if the fireplace is extra dirty with soot, then it will need to be cleaned with TSP. Washing the brick helps the primer to adhere better to the surface.

3. Prime - Use a good primer & sealer like Kilz, Bin, or Zinsser.

4. Base coat the surface with whatever color you want your grout to be. A satin or pearl finish would be your best choice.

5. Dry brush each brick a different color. Keep it random to give it a more natural feel. You can also layer the colors on top of one another. This will be the part where your creativity will come in! Play around with the colors. You can even use a sea sponge and dab the color on that way. Be sure to mix your colors with glaze to make the paint more movable. (2 parts paint to 2 parts glaze)

Good luck! That Painter Lady, DAWN

photo credit: 19melissa68

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 darder color? Also I found this wood grain brush at lowes 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

You definitely have to buy our video on how to achieve the Faux Woodgrain Finish! Click on this link: www.fauxfinishhowto.com/Faux_Wood_Graining It gives you step by step easy to understand instructions.

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, such as Kilz. Use a foam roller and work slowly to avoid air bubbles. Let this dry as directed on the product.

5. Sand once very lightly. Again, wipe down the surface to remove all pf the dust. You are now ready to base coat.

If you want to achieve a dark wood with a red undertones. I would start by basecoating 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. You can definitely try to use the Lowes wood grain brush. 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.

Good luck with your project! That Painter Lady, DAWN

photo credit: Ctd 2005

photo credit: tim eschaton

Hi Cheri, Mexican colors are so inspiring. What a great way to bring life to a room! A good idea, in your case, would be to print out a few pictures of mexican blankets and get your colors from there. I have been looking through my Benjamin Moore color charts and I have picked a few colors.

Yellow-Gold: American Cheese 2019-40 and Sunflower 2019-30

Blue: Electric Blue 2061-40 and Bermuda Blue 2061-30

Green: Prairie Green 2038-30 and Irish Clover 2038-20

Red: Rosy Apple 2006-30 and Sangria 2006-20

These are just a few suggestions. They are on the bright side. But you can also go a little more subtle if you like. You can grab a few color chips and make your choice from there, but at least you have a good starting point. You may be able to have these colors mixed in other brand paints besides Benjamin Moore. Check with your local paint store. Send pictures when you are finished painting!! That Painter Lady, DAWN