Decorative Painting Walls

Suggestions For Painting and Decorating a New

Office Space

By Mark M Allen

Did you know that renovating an office space is one aspect of establishing a new business or moving out to a new commercial space? Yes it is, because not all companies can risk or can afford to get a fully furnished office space. With all the things and equipment you bring, it is necessary that you arrange them in the right manner to boost productivity among your workers and to avoid clutter that may lead to accidents and injuries in the work place.

In a new office space, you normally feel confused as to what you should do, where to place things, how to make it look presentable, what color to paint the walls and what decorations to place. These things are some of the factors that you need to note when transferring, moving out or opening a new business enterprise. Lots of things will be on your mind and these make it more difficult for you to decide. Remember that you are not alone because there are many business owners who are in the same scenario like you do. This is a very difficult task to accomplish because you have to consider several things to make it presentable, nice and healthy not only for you workers but also for your customers. Decorating or refurbishing your office do not need to be expensive and extravagant by hiring professional interior designer and buying expensive decorative items because even you can do it right with the help of your employees, your creativity and your skills.

If you find your workplace dull and uninspiring, it is time that you do some refurbishment, makeover and redecoration. It does not mean that you need to perform a complete makeover on your business office, but you merely enhance it by adding color, incorporating decorative items and rearranging things.

Tips to consider when decorating your new office space:

 

• Paint -- If you have walls, what shade of paint would you choose? Did you know that color plays a dramatic impact on your feelings? The best office wall colors are light tones of yellowish, neutral hues such as taupe, or perhaps light shades of great colors for example green or perhaps blue. Warm colors provide you with energy; fairly neutral colors keep you in a state of balance; and cool colors help relax a person. Sometimes, painting your own walls might be all the business office decoration you need to help improve the style and add sense of your space.

• Wall Decorations - You can add pictures, paintings or the like on your bare and empty walls. If wall art is the interesting as office adornment, choose a painting, poster or image which appeals to you; a thing that will put a smile in your face.

• Lighting - If you find you have enough accessories and color in your business office, but you noticed that something is apparently missing, then probably you need to incorporate enough lighting to your workplace. If you do not have a window in your workplace, make sure you plenty of overhead lights. It is also best if you obtain a workplace or floor lamp with a flexible neck so that you can not only shift the light to be able to where you require it most, but additionally so you can use different varieties light bulbs which emulates the light given by the sun.

• Ornaments -- Finally, additional office adornments you can consider are plants, area floor covering, furniture and so on. Just remember, when decorating your working environment, you need to ensure you do not clutter your area to avoid accidents and injuries.

 

With the tips and suggestions mentioned above, you can decorate your new office effectively.

Mark M Allen is a business writer who provides information on rent office Philadelphia and Phila virtual officeamong others.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_M_Allen

Decorative Painting Designs

Internal Painting And Decorating Tips: Obtaining A Smooth Finish

By Bryon Penird

The primary motivation as to why people paint their interior walls is always to brighten up the look of the room. A fresh paint job can provide new life to a dull room. To generate a smooth finish you have to first take the time to prepare the walls. People like to cut some corners to avoid wasting time and money, but doing this can make your projects look bad.

Follow these steps for a smooth application:

The very first step is to make use of a paint scraper to get rid of all the old chipped paint. Scrape as much of the old paint off as you possibly can. Sand the chipped areas with a bit of sandpaper wrapped around a sanding block. Aim to smooth the sides as much as possible in order not to be noticeable under the new paint.

Wipe down the parts to be painted. Wash walls and woodwork to remove dust and grease from the surfaces. Grease will keep the paint from adhering to the surface properly and dirt or dust will attach itself onto your freshly painted wall. Wash with a weak soap and water solution and allow the area to dry before prepping.

Tape off the areas you do not want painted like baseboards and mouldings. Cover lighting fixtures and wall sockets, and put plastic sheets over furnishings to guard from drips. You will probably also choose to put plastic or an old sheet down on the carpet in to the area that you are painting. Paint rollers will sometimes slip and hit where you do not want them to.

Fill in any holes or cracks with putty and smooth out. Also fill in any holes left from where you scraped the old paint. If there is the least amount of an impression in the wall it will show through the paint as a very uneven spot so be sure you fill it as well. When you've filled in all the areas, smooth the puttied areas using a damp sponge and let it dry. When dry, sand the area with the sanding block to smooth out any rough edges left.

Choose a top quality brand name of paint. You don't have to pay a fortune on a gallon of paint, but you should buy a high quality product. Call around to some general contractors close to you and ask them what brand of paint they suggest. Once you've gotten a name you can call or visit some diy stores to try out and compare prices. This really is an important step because say you decided to pick a less expensive brand of paint it may well not cover as the area as well. Using a primer is an option, but it is not vital. The best brand of paint should cover in one coat. Sometimes you might will want a second coat to provide a more polished look.

A final tip: After your new paint has dried, check if there are any bubbled or uneven spots. In the event you see bubbles, lightly scrape the top, fill and retouch. You can purchase a small pot of the same colour paint for touch ups. If you aren't really a diy type, or you don't have the time for such a job you can hire a professional to do the job for you.

Interior painting is difficult work and by doing it yourself you may or may not pull off the results that you've been expecting. If you are planning to paint the exterior of your home then check out painter london first. There is certainly a lot of arranging to do, so you actually have to plan it carefully, otherwise you will finish up wasting the paint you have bought.

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Paint Ideas

Painting and Decorating - DIY or Local

Tradesman?

By Charlotte Savollis

The main reason people embark upon redecoration of their homes or workplace is to freshen up how their space looks, whether for enhanced enjoyment of the rooms they inhabit or for purposes of selling a property.

Painting and decorating covers a multitude of different possibilities and can provide any look you could want. With the proliferation of large DIY stores most of the trade supplies are available to the enthusiastic home owner as well as a multitude of innovative treatments, finishes and fittings, plus the tools to carry out the jobs.

If you decide to carry out the work yourself there is a great deal of satisfaction to be gained, and often (but not always) large monetary savings. The extra cost is of course in your time, but if this makes the project a source of enjoyment and satisfaction or makes it affordable, then of course it can be worth it.

Do beware though that not all jobs are suited to the amateur DIY enthusiast and those requiring technical knowledge or a specific skill are usually left to the professional, as very often a better job results at a lower cost.

Many jobs, although made easier by more manageable products for the DIY market, can still take many times longer doing it yourself and rarely result in as good a finish. There is also the prolonged mess and upheaval involved in completing the task over an extended period of time.

For a long-lasting and smooth looking result the key factor is preparation. This can take many times longer than the actual finishing, but is essential to doing the job right.

If you look hard and honestly at the total picture, in many cases a lot of people will conclude that getting in a professional is the best answer. Any professional painter and decorator will have a number of methods and processes that he will use to ensure a solid foundation to the actual finish that is eventually applied.

When selecting a painter it is a good idea to go by recommendation either personal or from one of the web sites that vet such trades and publish their recommendations.

These days the job of the professional painter and decorator is a far more responsible one. With greater levels of regulation and consumer expectation, the tradesman has to be far more thorough and take more responsibility for the overall standards of the work he carries out, and the impact upon the building he is working in. He must for instance ensure that no damage can be cause to existing décor elsewhere, and that he is fully insured for any mishaps that might occur.

Charlotte Savollis has spent many years improving homes using both DIY methods and extensively employing trades people. She has subsequently built a web site to recommend local trades and business's. For more information regarding painters in Bournemouth or other local areas visit the In Bournemouth Local Area web site.

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Painters And Decorators In Rowville

ABN 15 117 117 727

Mobile 0421 679 866

rowendl@optusnet.com.au

Painting and Decorating Services +

For the Southern and Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne

Free Quotes

Competitive and Affordable Prices

As you may well recognize, finding the right contractor for any project can be a tedious and frustrating period.

The scopes of works provided by Rowendl Pty Ltd are numerous, with any project being able to be completed in a timely and efficient manner.

Typical works that can be carried out include:
Interior and exterior painting and decorating both Commercial and Domestic.

Door and window repairs, tiling. cleaning etc. etc.
Garden and Lawn maintenance, landscaping, cleaning (ie pressure washing concrete areas) paving, concreting, fence maintenance and construction rubbish removal, guttering and letterboxes etc.

No Job is  too small for our services.

Rowendl Pty Ltd is a fully registered and insured company with an insurance coverage of $10,000,000 public liability. This coverage is especially important when any contractor is called to your premises, when any injuries to contractors, passersby and residents resulting from a project could result in the owner of the property being liable.

Our service to you

If you lack of skill, desire or simply don't have the time to paint your home, but you want the best result for your investment, Rowendl Pty Ltd painting and decorating service is tailored to your needs.

Whether it is your entire home or just one room, we offer our services that give pride and satisfaction with great results.

As choosing your new paint colour is often difficult, we are pleased to give you advice. It is often easier to choose a colour if you can see a larger sample on the surface to be painted.

Therefore we are happy to supply and apply sample colours.

Decorative Paints

Decorative Acrylic Painting Tips for Beginners

By Chris Robertson

Acrylic painting offers many benefits such as quick drying time and the fact that it's allergen- and odor-free. Acrylic paint is versatile and gives a lasting finish. If you're just learning the art of decorative acrylic painting, use the tips below for a great start.

Acrylic Painting Supplies

You should have a variety of brush sizes so you can be flexible in your painting. Also, a palette or tray for painting will be useful. Other supplies include a palette knife, fan brushes, and toothbrushes. Be sure to include plenty of practice materials and papers for sketching.

Drying Time

Acrylics dry very fast, usually within only minutes, so it's wise to keep the paint in the tube and only use a little at a time. If you prefer to use a palette, there are now palettes that will stay wet during use so your paint won't dry out. Or, you can use a regular palette and keep it wet by spraying it with a small amount of water occasionally. This keeps your acrylic paint in a ready-to-use form.

Blending Acrylic Colors

With fast-drying acrylics, blending colors can be a trying task in itself. You can blend colors several ways. Colors can be mixed and stored in tubes or containers and then blended using a web palette. Also, you can use very small dots of different shades and overlap the colors to blend them. You can also layer shades instead of trying to blend them while wet.

Beware of Cheap Acrylic Paints

Avoid buying cheap acrylic paints unless you're using them for practice only. These will often fade after exposure to the sunlight for a period of time, especially particular light shades such as pink and violet. Invest in artist-grade acrylics for lasting beauty in your art works.

Use Sketches as a Starting Point

It's wise to use pre-drawn sketches as the starting point of your acrylic drawings. Trace or copy the sketch onto canvas or board. Then, use a thin layer of acrylic paint to prime the sketch. Be sure your sketch-work can still be seen through the thin layer. You can also prime the canvas or board first with white color and then copy your sketch onto the primed surface.

Masking Fluid for Layering

Watercolor masking fluid works well for layering colors or saving areas of your painting to paint later. The masking fluid can be applied to keep an area of the painting clear. You must remove the masking fluid only after it has completely dried. It can be removed by rolling it with clean fingers. Also, be sure to use a brush specifically for masking fluid. Don't use your regular painting brushes.

Learn from the Pros

Study after a few acrylic painting pros to get pointers and learn new techniques. Artists such as Donna Dewberry (One Stroke technique) and Priscilla Hauser (First Lady of Decorative Painting) offer many great tips. You can learn creative techniques such as Trompe L'oeil or create beautiful wall murals and other great works.

Acrylic painting can be both fun and rewarding. Use your imagination along with these tips to create decorative acrylic works of art that you and your friends can enjoy for years to come!

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketingcompanies on the web. Learn more about Decorative Acrylic Painting Tips or Majon's Arts directory.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson

Interior Decorating Paint Ideas

Using Decorative Paint For Living Rooms

By Bill Brennan

You may have tried everything you can think of in order to make changes in your home. Sometimes changing a color on the wall can make a big difference. If you don't want to leave the rooms in the last century it is time for a change. Sometimes making the simple changes can increase the feel of the room. Guests will love the room and wonder what you have changed. Paint can be the best way to make an affordable change.

Painting your living room with more artistic ways can change the look and feel of your home completely. Newer techniques can make your rooms more stylish and modern with the correct use of colors. The best way of giving your rooms a dramatic effect is by using decorative paint styles. Decorative painting can simply refer to creating a wallpaper look by painting designs through a stencil. Stenciling the wall with your chosen designs can give the impression of a fake wallpaper effect. Wall stencils can also be used to design other rooms such as creating cartoons for your kids' bedrooms. Other effects can also be produced on the walls by simply using a sponge instead of a normal painting brush. A sponge or even a rag can be used to dab the paint to give it a more different and textured look.

Another kind of effect which is very popular with interior decoration ideas, especially for the living room is the 'light' effect. Playing with the colors so that it gives the wall the impression of a shadow, or a shimmery effect can be done at ease by using two different shades for the coats. For a shadowy look, start painting one side of the wall with a dark shade then continue painting the rest of the wall with a shade lighter and so on. The shimmery effect can be achieved by painting the wall with a dark or bright color of your choice, preferably 3-4 coats and then giving a last coat with a golden shimmer or bronze shimmer paint. This lends luster to the wall.

The latest popular trend in decorative painting for the living rooms is creating a fake effect of popularly known as faux effect. You can achieve a brick like appearance to your walls or even a marble look. More creatively, the paint can be used to produce an artificial, yet real looking leathery or suede textures that give a very sophisticated look to living rooms. Now-a-days there are kinds of paints that do not require any extra effort, but produce the effects of the textured look. These paints, although cost a bit on the higher side than the normal paints, create the basic texture look on which you can create more elaborate effects.

The only thing that one must keep in mind before going for decorative paints is the color scheme. Only painting the rooms cannot produce the desired effect, proper co-ordination and accessorizing, the right furniture, lampshades and other such things are necessary.

For more home decorating tips look at Home Decorating Styles and Budget Home Decorating.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Brennan

Cost Of Painting And Decorating

Painting and Decorating Work

By Pippa Young

Many people's homes are very special and important to them. They have probably saved for a long time for their home and want to make it as warm and homely as possible. Some people choose to decorate their homes themselves as they want to say to people they've done all the work themselves and can feel happy knowing they've achieved something. Others like to do the work themselves so they can save money as times may be hard. However for some people who aren't naturally handy with tools and a paintbrush they may choose to hire somebody who knows what they are doing. This is where painters and decorators come into it.

Obviously for people who hire a professional to complete the job for them, they will still want to have a say in how everything is done and they still will care what is done and how it will look in the end. A painter and decorator will talk with you about what you want and how you want it doing. They will take all of your design ideas and create a masterpiece for you. It will definitely be more expensive to hire a professional for the job however they will maybe do the job a bit more professionally and to a higher standard. They will also undoubtedly save time and be much more efficient when it comes to wastage and usage of materials.

Painters and Decorators can perform a variety of tasks. The work they do is much more involving than it used to be. Nowadays a painter and decorator will most likely be expected to buy the paint and estimate the amounts to be spent. Painters and decorators will also be expected to prepare surfaces and working areas. This will include preparation of walls and filling in cracks or smoothing out rough areas. Taping up of areas that are not to be painted is also normally done, laying down sheets and covering up items vulnerable to splashes is also carried out.

For more information please visit Painters and Decorators Surrey

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Painting Kitchen Cabinets

Get Great Results Painting Kitchen Cabinets

By Kenneth S Wood

Kitchen cabinets are subject to more wear than most woodwork in the home. The assault of messy fingers and hands, the constant opening and closing of the doors and drawers, and the exposure to the cooking residue in the air will take a toll over time. The result is significant wear and a worn look that can take away from the overall appearance of the kitchen. A good paint job can bring new life to your kitchen's atmosphere and save you a ton of money versus the cost of cabinet replacement. The savings can be significant if you are willing to tackle this project yourself. Great results will be achieved by following the fundamentals for successful paint application.

Preparation

The most important step in all projects is preparation. This is especially true in painting projects. The desired result cannot be achieved if the preparation isn't done correctly. Painting will not "fix" broken, sagging and dented objects. So it is important to prepare and if need be, repair the surfaces to be painted.

The first step is to remove all hard ware including hooks, knobs, hinges and anything that is not going to be painted from the cabinet boxes, doors and drawers. You should clean them well using an all purpose cleaner/degreaser with a rag and let them dry thoroughly. If there are any loose parts in the surfaces to be painted they will have to re-set, for example if a drawer front is loose, a simple tightening of a couple of screws may be all it takes to secure the front to the box. Or perhaps you have a sagging shelve because of a loose support or not enough support, this will have to be taken care of before you paint and reassemble. I won't go into much detail about cabinet repair in this article. (If there is extensive repair needed you might be advised to replace the cabinets.)

For dents and deeper scratches, you should apply some wood putty with a putty knife to the damaged area and smooth it down to a sandable height, being careful to not scrape in down too much. (If it is too flat or flush, it may leave an indention after drying.) After the putty has dried, sand it down with fine grit sandpaper.

Sanding

When the doors and drawers have been removed, and the hardware removed from them, it's best to place them on a flat surface such as a table, work bench, or I find it works well to place a long board, such as a 2x12, between 2 sawbucks and line the doors or drawers down the board. This next part is a little labor intensive, or tedious, but very important to ensure a good result. Use a fine grit sandpaper and rough up all the surfaces to be painted. That goes for the cabinet box faces, sides, and inside edges of the faces.(That is the smaller visible edge just inside the face going toward the inside of the cabinet) This sanding step will allow the primer or the paint to adhere much better and reduce chipping, flaking and peeling in the future. You don't have to sand really hard, just rough it up a bit, covering the entire surface thoroughly.

Applying the Primer

If the cabinets were painted before and you're just repainting you can skip this step. Applying primer is a must because it will cause the paint to adhere better to the surface making the paint less susceptible to chips and peeling. If you're painting over stained wood, or sealed wood (such as polyurethane) the color is likely to "bleed" through, and the paint tends to not stick to these types of surfaces.

If you are going to use a latex based paint, then a shellac base primer should be used. If you will be using an oil-based paint, the best primer will be an oil-based interior type. When applying primer it is best to do so when the work area can be properly ventilated. An open door or large window with a strong fan pulling the vapors out would be best.

Now It's Time to Paint

At this point, after the repairs, sanding and priming the doors, drawer faces and cabinets might not be very pretty, but rest assured that you have made a good foundation for your paint that will bring satisfaction with the final result.

The key to applying the paint is to apply 2 or more thin coats. This will result in a smoother and more durable finish. It's tempting to go with one thick coat at this time because of the urge to hurry and finish after all the work you've put in so far, but you will be more pleased with the outcome if you'll be a little more patient here at the end.

A smoother, more glossy coat will be achieved with a pneumatic spray gun, but not-to-worry if you don't have access to one because great results can still be achieved with a good quality 2 ½ " to 3" brush. Again, the secret is to apply more than 1 thin coat. After the 1st coat has dried, use some 400 grits sanding paper to smooth out any blemishes or rough spots. You are not trying to remove paint, but just insuring the smoothest surface possible for the next coat. In applying the coats, naturally you want to avoid runs or drops in the finish, but if you accidentally have any, you can let the paint dry thoroughly and lightly smooth it out with the 400 grit paper. Usually 2 coats will do unless you have a coarse grained wood to cover.

Inspect to make sure all edges are covered and smooth. Don't forget those inside edges of the cabinet face. This will give your paint job a much more pleasing and professionally finished look. Install the hardware, drawers and doors, and enjoy your bright, revitalized kitchen. You will feel satisfaction and pride in the new look and new feel of the kitchen, not to mention the fact that you've saved thousands of dollars in replacement cost.

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