Eight Tiny Paint Jobs That Make A Big Impact
One of the most exciting aspects of being a homeowner is being able to decorate as you please; including painting the walls or parts of a wall. While you can fully re-paint the exterior or interior of your home, there are smaller projects that can really spruce up your space. Here are some low-effort, big-impact projects to consider to re-vamp your space:
- Make over your metal hardware – Metal pulls, handles, and hinges really can make an impact. Remove your metal hardware and loosen old paint by using a chemical stripper, heat gun, or boiling water and scrubbing it with a wire brush. This combo will make your hardware look brand new.
- Redo a door – Liven your door up by painting the panels or contoured areas, or simply give your door a paint refresh. The key to great results is proper surface prep so once the surface is sanded and smooth, you can begin your paint job.
- Dip-dye effect – Give your tables and chairs a leg up with a tweak on color blocking know as dip-dye. First prep the legs by removing the old finish. Then, decide how far up the leg you would like the accent color to go, tape it off and paint the rest of the leg using vertical strokes.
- Trick out some trim – Treating your baseboards to a fresh coat of paint or adding crown molding will give the whole room new life!
- Spiff up your stairs – Bold-colored risers will make your place pop, or you can paint them white to highlight the wood treads. To get started - prep the risers and then protect the treads, making sure that the newspaper or plastic sheeting you put down extends from the base of the riser and fully covers the tread's nose (the protruding edge).
- Colorize a cabinet interior – Transform the interiors of a glass-fronted cabinet to create a dramatic and beautiful backdrop. White and light paint will make dark pieces pop, while deeper hues will let pale items stand out.
- Shape up your shutters – First, remove your shutters and scrape off any flaking paint to ensure a smooth finish. You’ll likely want to do at least two coats – let each coat dry in between paint jobs.
- Show your lanterns some love – exterior lanterns not only add illumination, they add style, but they take a lot of abuse outdoors. Restore them by scraping off any chipped paint, scrub the metal surface with a soft bristle brush and some soapy water. Dry with a towel and wipe down with alcohol. Once the lantern is dry, apply acrylic exterior paint using a small brush, starting at the top of the lantern and working your way down.
*Courtesy of BobVila.com
* Specific loan program availability and requirements may vary. Please get in touch with your mortgage advisor for more information.
