Cabinets Re-Finishing | Easy Update

There are easy ways that you can cut corners when you are remodeling your home. One of the best ways is to salvage you old cabinets and give them a new updated look, with half the cost.

Here's the cabinets before they were painted. Still in good condition, solid wood, but the style of the counter top and fixtures really dated this bathroom.

My client loves hand painted furniture so I took clues from what she had around her home already, as inspiration for the bathroom vanity.

After a few coats of paint, some decorative painting, these once dated cabinets got a much needed update with a price tag that can't compete with re-finishing a vanity.

Stay tuned to more posts/tutorials on the very popular idea of using the cabinets that you already have.

Wallpaper vs. Painted Surfaces

It's a hot topic right now in the design world. Why would you use a decorative painter, when I can use wallpaper? The answer is really simple... you can't achieve the layers, effects, colors and custom design with wallpaper like you can't with paint.

Right now the trend with wallpaper is bringing back the mixed patterns and colors of the 70s. This trend has made the decorative painters shift their portfolio to add unique textures and patterns that can't be found with wallpapers.

Sophisticated Wall: Greet your guests with Style

What does your wall say to your guests when they walk into your home? This home greets their guests with a splash of energy and sophistication. The min guests walk into the house, they know there welcomed.

One may ask what faux finish product was used for this wall. The answer is simple. Pure paint, and good old simple products that you can't find on the shelf of sophisticated faux finishers. I'm an artist, who pushes products to get results that aren't right out of the can... and that's the way I like it...

Greet your guests with style. Red textured wall with gold highlights

Greet your guests with style. Red textured wall with gold highlights

5 Affordable Updates using Decorative Painting

1. Do the base coat: To keep costs down, ask around to your family and friends, I'm sure you'll be able to find someone who is willing to help you base coat. Then the artistic work can be done.


2. If the wall paint is less than 1.5 years old: We can work with the existing wall base color, to do a color change, and you can instantly have a different room! (Photo Below: Room started off as the 'builder' white, and 3 layers were added to create faux)


3. Have a 'decorative boarder' added around a room: This works great in any room. Most clients have done this in hallways, kitchens and bathrooms. When you add a vine, or flowers to any wall color, you instantly get a different feel, and colors you never knew will start to shine through the room.


4. Paint the ceiling: That's right, look up in your home. These often neglected spots in the home are a sure way to give any space a 'wow' factor with out re-doing the whole room, with minimal costs compared to a whole-room re-paint.


5. Add a Decorative Accent wall: This allows you to have a whole new room, with only changing one thing, for a dramatic change.

Textured Sample Boards:Pink/Rose

Magnolia Sample Board

Orchid Potting Room

Tuscany Kitchen: Olive Grove

Before:
After:



Look hand painted light switch covers!

Purple Sunroom

Before:After:

Orchids

Sea Side Bathroom: Cape Cod Inspired

Formal Bathroom

This is what we started out with. I had a dusty rose straight painting on the top, but having such an ornate bottom half in the formal bathroom, we knew something had to be done. This is the top 1/2 that I came up with. I fauxed the top with the same colors that were in the bottom, then added some texture, in the form of ferns and gold leafed them.


The ceiling...

A view walking into the bathroom.

GrapeVine Wonder

Lake Front Stairway