I have a new best friend, and it is a can of paint. 

You’re surprised ?

My friends, I’m here to tell you about a can of semi-gloss that sets my heart awhirl.  It’s made by Pratt & Lambert and it’s called ‘Opulence Pearl’ (also available in silver and gold).  It can be tinted or used just as it is.  Valspar has a comparable product available at Lowes.  This version from Pratt & Lambert is a semi-translucent paint that gives just that subtle pearlescent finish that I adore.  Like a moth to a flame, any accessory that shines with a mother of pearly finish and I go gaga.   (Hence, the recent vintage case purchase.)

“Hello, my name is Kate and I’m addicted to shimmer finishes.”

I wanted to try it out on a few pieces before using it in a larger project.  Take a peek at these $5 dollar Goodwill finds transformed with two coats of white paint, and two coats of Opulence Pearl. 

Lamp, Before and After

Looky loo at this new pearly shine.  So puuuuurty.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve never had a problem with brown.  I love brown, especially chocolate brown.  I think it looks amazing when paired with crisp white or warm cream and a really hot color.  But I was totally over brown in my home office.  Everything in there was brown, the walls, the furniture, the curtains.  Blah blah blah brown. 

The home office is the first door just off the entry way, and was always closed whenever visitors came over.  Quite frankly it was more of a storage space and less of an office for many years.  The first thing I ever did when I heard the doorbell was close the office door.  

When I spied some bookcases on clearance for $20 dollars each at a local outlet that was closing its doors, something clicked in my brain.  “I spy with my little eye a home office remodel.” 

It took me five months to finally get around to completing the entire space since I’ve been busy with other things (ahem, life) but it got a complete overhaul from floor to ceiling and now I can say it is finally finished.   

Here the After:

Here’s the Before – these are the ‘uncluttered’ pics:

Here’s the story. 

Read the rest of this entry »

I heart strippers. 

No not those kind.  I knew your mind would go there. 

No, I like the kind of strippers that take layers of paint off an old piece of furniture.

Last week, I was working on a dresser and nightstand combo for my brother’s bachelor pad.  I found this set at the local thrift for $25 dollars for the pair.  They’re solid wood !  However, the chipped pistachio green paint job was not the shade we were going for. 

So with the help of a chemical stripper, I took them from this:

To this:

I picked these pieces because of their modern streamlined design and the pewter hardware.  Also because they were inexpensive and the perfect size for his small bedroom space.  He rents in San Francisco where large bedrooms are very rare.  I thought it a good idea to strip the paint off of the pieces to get right to the wood so we could start over with primer and paint.  A chemical stripper was the fastest answer. 

Read the rest of this entry »

Over the course of our remodel, we hired a dear friend Mike to handle some of the larger painting projects.  Mike is a professional painter with 20 years experience, and a wealth of information when it comes to choosing paint products.  Mike has taught me a lot about painting, and is always available when I have questions about what products I should use.

So when I picked up a buffet and hutch back in August at the local St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, I knew I wanted to give it a fresh coat of white paint.  Most of the time, when I’m brushing or rolling paint on walls or furniture, I choose latex for its quick drying time and easy cleanup.  For this hutch, I wanted a paint job that was extremely durable with a very hard shell glossy finish.  Oil based primer and paint was the answer.

Here’s the Before and After:

When choosing primer, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of available products out there.  I’ve used most of them, oil and water based, and in both spray and brush application.

Choosing the right primer really depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.

Read the rest of this entry »