Yahoo Finance 4 paint projects to brighten up your home this winter
With more time spent indoors, winter is the perfect time to tackle projects around the house. From renovations you can complete in one weekend to cleaning tips for every room, Canadian Tire and Yahoo are bringing you everything you need for the season.
Painting isn't just for spring!
The weather outside may be frightful, but you don’t have to sleep on home renovations just because outdoor ones are difficult right now. There are still dozens of fun paint projects to spruce up the inside of your home this winter.
Aside from revamping a room or covering up a wall's wear-and-tear, a simple coat of paint can transform stale rooms and hand-me-down furniture into something new and stylish and turn a bare wall into a child-friendly place of possibilities.
To freshen up your space this winter, check out these four easy paint projects you can do at home.
Paint a chalkboard wall
An easy paint project that doubles as a child-friendly creative space or in-kitchen menu board is the painted chalkboard wall trend. Exactly as it sounds, this family-friendly interior trend involves painting a wall or piece of furniture with chalkboard paint so that every family member can become a chalk artist.
The unique type of paint creates a hard, scratch-resistant surface that is both writeable and erasable. Great for walls, cabinet doors, and menu boards, Rust-Oleum's Chalkboard Paint offers an easy soap and water clean-up. The black chalk paint is also available in a clear version that can be painted onto an otherwise colourful or white space to make it a chalk-friendly accent area.
To prepare your wall for chalkboard paint, it's essential to sand the area beforehand as you want the smoothest surface possible before applying the coat of paint. To make life easier, look for a sander that can be attached to an extension pole for those high-up, hard-to-reach places. Mastercraft's Plastic Hand Sander is great for large, flat areas like an accent wall as it's designed to sand drywall.
You'll likely need at least two coats of paint to complete the project, so make sure you gauge the surface area to paint ratio before you begin. Remember to use painter's tape to protect windows, outlets and baseboards from leaking paint, and use a plastic drop sheet to protect your floors if you're painting a large enough area.
Lastly, remember that with this project, patience is a virtue. Allow the paint to dry for two to three days before attempting to create your own chalk-made masterpiece.
Upcycle old furniture
When it comes to old, hand-me-down furniture, a fresh coat of paint can have a truly transformative effect. Whether you're revamping an old wooden pallet into a loft-inspired headboard or upcycling a vintage chest of drawers into a colourful statement piece, it doesn't take much to breathe new life into an old piece of furniture.
No matter what Pinterest-inspired piece you're looking to recreate, there are a few materials you'll need as a baseline. For the majority of upscaling projects, you're going to want to start by sanding the piece of furniture to remove any scratches or light damage it may have. A simple sanding block will allow you to sand flat surfaces, edges, corners, and everything else the item may require.
After sanding, you can move on to the fun part. Before you start, make sure you have the right tools — smaller projects that require more accuracy or detail will usually require a paint brush, while a roller may be best suited for larger items.
When it comes to choosing your paint, you can’t go wrong with Premier’s Ready To Roll line. This innovative bagged paint comes in 14 pre-mixed colours — and it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions by over half compared to a regular paint container.
Depending on the furniture's complexity, a paint sprayer may prove a worthy investment over a traditional paintbrush.An excellent tool for fixer-uppers, the device can also be used to tackle home improvement projects such as fences, interior walls and garage doors, so it’s a great investment for year-round projects.
For those who fall more into the home-hobbyist category, a classic spray paint like these from Premier will give a rich, shiny finish to an accent piece.
Revamp trims and wainscotting
Revitalizing a room doesn’t need to mean a complete overhaul. Sometimes simple changes can make a space look fresh and new. One of our favourite ways to update a drab-feeling room is by painting trim or wainscotting, which is a sleek design that lends a little bit of flair to any room.
According to the bounty of how-to guides available online, the interior update requires little more than a few materials — and a steady hand.
The best part about this trend is it looks great with a bright accent colour or something more neutral, depending on what vibe you’re going for. For an ultra-personalized shade, the Swipe Colour Matchmaker can help you find the exact colour to fit your space.
Beyond the paint, you'll need a small roller and paint tray, like those found in the 14-piece Premier Ready To Roll Accessories Kit.
Give your indoor garden a makeover
While your green thumb settles in for a winter-long hibernation, now is the time to take advantage of your plant parent vacation and beautify your indoor plants.
For home gardeners who want to upgrade their collection of plain terracotta pots and disposable planters but don't want to splurge on a brand new set, a quick scan of the internet can provide you with endless inspiration for a D.I.Y. paint job.
For a quick, no-fuss project, transform your plain-Jane pots into an assortment of neon-painted planters for a cool backyard look. Alternatively, spraypaint your pots in contrasting black and white using Armor Coat's Enamel Spray Paint to give your garden a modern glow-up.
And for your tiniest projects, you can always count on a Polyfoam Paint Brush to create smaller, intricate designs. Use the paintbrush to paint polka dots, Aztec-inspired designs, and animal prints on your pots for eye-catching garden pieces.
