House Painting Ideas

Interior Decorating: Understanding Paint Finishes

By Shelly Galvin

Once you've selected your colors for your room makeover you think you're past the decision portion of your interior decorating project, right? Wrong. There are a number of paint finishes you can choose from and each serves a different purpose.

So put the paint brush down and let's brush up on the most common interior paint finishes:

Flat Finish. Flat (or matte) finishes reflect the least amount of light and are a good choice for walls with imperfections - such as cracks, rough patches and dings - that need to be hidden. While some flat finishes claim to be washable, they will not hold up to hard or regular scrubbings.

Flat Enamel. Just as they sound, flat enamels have a hard, matte finish, which makes them an excellent candidate for areas that will require some regular cleaning, including guest bathrooms. It can withstand better cleaning than flat finishes, but still won't hold up as well as an eggshell or satin finish.

Eggshell Finish. By far the most popular choice for interior walls, eggshell finishes have a slight sheen and are more durable than flat or flat enamel finishes. This is an excellent option if your walls are in good condition.

Satin Finish. This finish can be used for a number of purposes - for door, wall and window trim as well as for children's rooms, bathrooms and kitchen walls. Satin finishes have a smooth finish that is specially-designed to withstand regular washing.

Semi-gloss Finish. A popular pick when paint trim around walls, doors and windows, semi-gloss finishes can also be used on kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Just be sure that your surface is properly prepared before painting since the finish's low sheen reflects light that draws attention to irregularities in the underlying surface. Semi-gloss' are very durable and clean up nicely.

Glossy Finish. Known for its highly-reflective qualities, gloss finishes are not a typical choice for interiors. They are more frequently used to paint furniture and cabinets. However, if you want to create a very dramatic modern or formal affect, this may be the choice for you.

Shelly Galvin, owner of Color by Shelly, offers residential color consultation services for homeowners who feel the services of an interior designer are too much, but can't quite do it themselves.

Shelly also stages homes for sale on the real estate market in the New York metro area and in Florida.

Before starting Color by Shelly, she was a professional copywriter for nearly 20 years. By authoring a series of decorating self-help articles, Shelly is able to enjoy her two passions in life: color and words.

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

Home Decorating Ideas Painting

Decorative Painting Techniques

By Christopher Holt

Creative Painting Specialist Techniques

Making a elegant area might be as easy as attempting a decorating painting method. Based on the actual technique, the final results may end up being casual, trendy, or even sophisticated. Fake surface finishes will hide a wide range of sins, such as irregular as well as damaged drywall. Geometric styles may help to make a space appear smaller or perhaps bigger than it actually is. Washes bring incredible level of colour to get a spectacular outcome.

Simply because paint can be so affordable, you are able to go crazy using various designs as well as finishes. Out of the ordinary styles are usually a great means to express your own individual style and also help make your house really feel like home.

A few decorative painting methods will certainly need specific faux painting equipment and/or paint glaze, however you may be astonished at exactly what you can carry out with general household products.

Fake Surface finishes

Faux coatings usually are created in order to imitate some other surfaces. Marble, granite as well as some other natural stone effects, natural leather, parchment, and also timber grain surface finishes tend to be all preferred selections.

Using a bit of creativity, you can easily produce surface finishes which appear just like old metal- tarnished bronze, pewter or even gold, rusted tin or perhaps metal, and also fake verdigris can be achievable. Do not forget about the option of fake brick or even ceramic tile finishes- each work nicely within the kitchen area.

To get the most authentic result, retain a small sample or 2 or maybe a picture of the actual material you are attempting to create. Relate to this frequently when you blend and apply your colours.

Do not attempt perfection; a few unevenness and also variance in colour as well as texture usually are desirable. These small defects produce a more genuine finish, they will furthermore cover up much less than smooth surfaces.

Additional Popular Ornamental Surface Finishes.

A number of really common techniques call for making use of several paint colours as well as unusual items in order to produce unique textures. With regard to a subdued finish, select very similar colours and also sheens; far more spectacular outcomes may be attained through choosing different tones as well as layering shiny paints over smooth or even eggshell surface finishes.

Colour washing entails putting on a small wash of colour on top of an already present paint job. This method is reasonably easy and also produces deep, unconventional colours.

Ragging and also rag-rolling may be carried out using a range of products; cotton or even denim cloths, plastic-type bags, as well as saran wrap along with aluminium foil all produce fascinating and exceptional results.

Spattering can be a lot of fun technique regarding children's areas. Merely flick colour upon the walls utilizing some type of brush.By using thin paint plus rigid bristles generate small specks of colour; thicker paint along with soft bristles produce bigger blobs.

Sponging is actually a really organic-looking surface finish which may cover up imperfect drywall. Irregularly formed sea sponges usually deliver a much better outcome compared to regular kitchen sponges. This may become sometimes an additive or even a subtractive method, based upon the preferred outcome.

Stippling, or perhaps pouncing, entails dabbing colour on using a brush. The firmness, size of your brush, as well as the method it is held define the actual ultimate effect; this may end up being random or even really regimented.

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