Time for a Change. Pt. 3

Now that you've successfully confused all family members (human, feline and canine alike) with your tenacious rearranging, take a look around. Are you thrilled? If so, congratulations on your new room! Sit back and enjoy! But....  If your abode is still missing a certain panache, move swiftly along to step 3.


Step 3: Paint!

You could paint your whole house or just your fingernails, how every much or little you choose is entirely up to you. I say start somewhere in between.

Paint is an amazing and inexpensive way to change the look and feel of just about anything. I have to thank my mom for this little tip, as she is the queen bee of paint makeovers! I am currently in full-blown painting mode. I think everything in my home will have been touched by a brush (or a can of spray paint) when I'm done!

Take a look at some amazing transformations all done via the magic of paint....

AFTER!!!!

Courtesy of The Handmade Home. Click to see more images from this amazing re-do!

Or how about this incredible switch up brought to you by The Lettered Cottage.

If you're feeling a little color-shy, start small. A picture frame is a great place to embrace your inner artiste. As a matter of fact, I recently decided that I hated two picture frames.

Then I thought of spray painting them, I immediately decided that I loved them. Easy as that.

MDF Striped Picture Frame

There's a great tutorial on how to create this lovely little number here! This frame was made from scratch using MDF, but you can certainly buy a cheap frame and apply the treatment to that.

I'll be adding my own creations over the next few weeks. But in the meantime, here are some tips for painting....

Walls

1. Prep really well. Clean the walls before you paint, repair walls if necessary and apply primer.
2. Spent the money on better quality rollers and brushes. There is nothing more annoying than pulling fibers off your freshly painted walls.
3. Always paint ceilings first, then trim and walls.
4. Use a w-shaped motion when rolling to avoid lines.
5. Don't be lazy. Do two coats.

Furniture

* I often find it easier to use spray paint for a lot of furniture and small projects, but some projects call for the standard paint and brush method.

1. Lightly sand your item to remove loose finishes and give the paint something to adhere to.
2. Clean the item to be painted really well.
3. If using spray paint, apply paint in short feathery strokes to avoid drips.
4. If using standard paint, try using both a small roller and a brush to see which finish is better suited to your project. 
5. Experiment with various techniques to get a variety of looks like stripes, whitewashed and antiquing.

Need some motivation??

I'm dying to see the changes you've made in your own home! Submit before and after photos of any renovation big or small for a chance to win a $50 Lowes gift card! 

Here's how it works:

1. Sign up to follow The Artful Wife - either by signing in or by entering your email address on the top right hand side of the homepage.
2. Post your before and after pictures on The Artful Wife Facebook page.
3. Wrangle your friends and get them to vote on your photos, via comments.
4. On August 26th, the post with the most votes win. (Your friends can vote every day, but only one vote per person, per day will be counted).

Now get creating!