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HOME-HINTS |
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Decorating |
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Decorating can be daunting especially the first time and we all learn by experience. However there is always benefit in picking up handy tips from others. |
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PLANNING & DESIGN Before setting off to the shops to your new paper and paint do give yourself time to plan your new look. Consider where the room is and to what purpose it is to be used. Soothing decor goes well in a lounge or sitting area but you may not want to be lulled to sleep in an office. Room decor often reflects our personality too. Some like bright bedrooms that stimulate the occupant the moment they wake up; while others prefer subtle tones and facing a new day gradually and gently. Maybe looking in magazines for ideas would help you. Also think of the light in the room as your choice of decoration can affect how light is reflected in the room. Smaller rooms usually benefit from a light airy feel with lighter colours on the walls although darker flooring can also give the illusion of space at times. PAINTING PREPARATION The first skill in the painting is the preparation which always to my mind seems to take for ever, but if skimped on mucks up the final look. Effort made in cleaning surfaces and rubbing down old paintwork to smooth finish is always worthwhile. Rubbing down the old gloss paintwork is not just to get a smooth surface but really improves how the new paint sticks to the old surface. Even painting matt emulsion on walls and ceilings is best done on a clean surface to improve the final result. So washing down the walls first is a great idea especially if there has been an open fire or smokers in the room in the past. Ensuring a smooth surface is wise as painting walls can highlight the rough surface underneath. Naturally smooth fresh plaster is suitable to paint and usually to allow good drying of the new walls over a period of months only a light emulsion is recommended. Older walls that have been scrapped before and had wallpaper on in the past may benefit from being wallpapered with a lining paper first to give the best surface for painting. To get good seams between the drops of paper on the walls it may be worth getting an experienced wallpaperer in to do the job before the amateur starts painting. GLOSS/SATIN FINISH Paint now comes in such an array of colours and finishes it can be overwhelming to the novice. For woodwork such as door frames, doors and skirting boards the usual choice is gloss paint(which gives a shiny finish) or the newer "satin finish"(which gives a softer pearlised semi-gloss finish) paints which both provide a tough finish to withstand the odd bump. Nowadays there are also the thicker one coat type paints which withstand a less skilful painter and cover quite effectively. If you talk to a professional painter and decorator they will often favour the original thinner style of gloss paint, because with good brushwork these paints can give the smoothest finer finish. EMULSION PAINT FOR WALLS OR CEILINGS Paint for walls and ceilings also comes in matt or gloss finishes and this is usually very much a fashion or personal choice. Usually a matt emulsion for ceilings to prevent glare from artificial light is chosen. Also most favour a light colour often white for ceilings to maximise the light reflected back into the room. However there is always the rebel who wants to buck the normal and opts for something dramatic like a black ceiling and even stencil paints stars onto the black or dark blue "sky". With painting walls there are things to consider. Gloss finish emulsion is often more washable but does have that slightly shiny appearance, whilst the matt emulsion is duller and is often still washable to some degree.
WALLPAPER Wallpaper can make a room homely and special but if this is your first time of tackling this task pick a smallish room where mistakes will not bother you endlessly. A spare bedroom or office space may be best not the lounge/sitting room you will relax in and see every problem. Very thin papers or those with difficult patterns to be matched up at every seam will make matters worse. It is great to pick up ideas and how to do leaflets from your DIY store. Remember preparation is still essential so stripping walls of old wallpaper is a must. Nowadays steam machines can make the job so much easier but make sure you dry the room out after using the steamer. Treat yourself or borrow some good equipment a firm flat table, soft pasting and smoothing brushes, roller, large scissors, sharp knife, stepladder and a plumb line. Measure the walls before buying your paper so you know exactly how much to buy when you read the advice charts at the shop even allowing for the extra needed to match patterns up. Be kind to yourself and allow an extra roll to permit you the odd mistake. Even consider using a vinyl type finish so if you get paste on the front of the paper by mistake you can wash it off more easily. |
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