I am moving into my new home and have had the entire house painted in my favourite colours, fall inspirations of greens/golds and a hint of teal. Yesterday I saw school supplies in the store and felt that familiar joy wash over me — fall is coming! I adore fall – the colours and smells and holidays all associated with fall are warm, lovely and inspirational. Orange, umber, black and green are all on my list of favourite colours. The scents associated with these colours are warm and spicy and invoke satisfying memories.
This is the perfect time to paint. I of course have all these wonderful colours in my home. My house is a veritable fall palette and I wouldn’t have it any other way. When I tell people I am mixing teal with red, orange and chartreuse they look at me with a strange mix of wonder and disgust.
Painting is a quick and satisfying project as you get to see major results in a very short time. Just be careful to take time for preparation. If you don’t know whether your walls are covered in latex or oil it is a good idea to use an all purpose primer. Wash your walls with TSP and lightly sand before priming, this will ensure maximum adhesion of the primer. It is worth the prep time to provide a clean, smooth surface for your paint.
Although I don’t love painting, I do enjoy the results. I have painted dozens of walls in many homes over the years and have had good and bad experiences. I have painted everything from smooth new drywall to paintable wallpaper to lathe and plaster and have various degrees of success. One thing I have learned is not to buy lower quality paint. Paint can range from $20 to over $80 per gallon and the temptation can be to go with the perceived bargain. Trust me, the cheaper paint is no bargain. You often end up putting on more coats than premium products because they lack sufficient pigment to cover existing paint – especially when using deeper colours. The paint does not ‘hide’ well either, hide is when you roll or brush a paint on the walls and you can see marks left by the brushes – premium quality paint will level out during drying whereas the cheaper alternative does not.
Scrub ability is another huge consideration, paint may go on the wall for pennies but will it be durable? Can you wash it after dirty hands run across it or after your dog decides to lick the wall? Does anyone else’s dog lick their walls or is it just mine? A paint made with quality pigments and finishes will stand up years longer than a bargain brand paint so if you are painting in a high traffic area consider using premium paint.
Embrace your love for fall and consider painting your home for a fall uplift, its not as far away as you may think. I am happy to report that this time I hired a professional painter, they used my favourite C2 paints and they were done in three days. I may never paint another wall again, it was so easy. Thanks TC Painting, you guys have made this remodel so enjoyable. I knew when I moved into a new home over a year ago it wouldn’t be long until I was buying a fixer upper.
Kim Lewis is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre. Contact her at 403-343-7711 ext 227 or email her at klewis@carpetcolourcentre.com.
