Erin asks: Hey! Can you share some tips about refinishing old furniture? Stains/paints? What is the best process? Thanks!! Answer: The antiqued/refinished furniture look is hot right now and you can save money buying un-finished furniture from woodworkers, on-line stores, and other places. You can also score big in your grandma’s attic, yard sales and the [...]
FixitUp FreshStart: Our New Front Door
January 9, 2012 By 11 Comments
Old house remodeling is often half challenge, half opportunity–and always a whole lotta work. And when opportunity knocks in an old house renovation, knock often first refers to knocking something down. Unlike modern homes which are built with conventional framing and interior drywall all neatly organized into a 4 foot matrix (FYI, framing with studs, [...]
Quick Tip: Cleaning a Paintbrush
October 8, 2011 By 31 Comments
Clean paintbrushes are happy paintbrushes. Sure, you can use the “wrap-in-foil-and-stick-in-the-fridge” trick if you get in a jam, but the real key to getting a paintbrush to last a long time is to clean it. And it really doesn’t take that much longer than rummaging around for foil. Run the brush under the faucet and [...]
Proper Painting Technique
October 3, 2011 By 37 Comments
One of the most important pieces of a successful painting job is using the right brush. We always recommend getting a good one like a Purdy or Corona, or Wooster. And by “good one” we mean a 3-1/2-inch angled brush. It’ll cover nearly any painting task, especially cutting in molding and inside corners. But a good [...]
QuickTip: Paint Can Management
September 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
One of the big reasons painting is messy is…because it is! Transferring liquid via bristles to a solid wall is more complicated than it appears and it is those who underestimate just how challenging throwing a good paint job on the wall can be that get the most frustrated (how could I possibly know that?) [...]
Molding Makes a More Perfect Home
August 17, 2011 By 1 Comment
Mark & Theresa help an expecting couple fix up their not-so-perfect home with new Fypon molding: base, case, and crown. They also make over the nursery with fresh paint, fun striped wall, wainscoting, and trim. And they share a few tips on using the cut-offs from the project. Watch to see how they make this [...]
FixitUpFinds: Olympic Paint and Stain App for iPhone and Android
June 25, 2011 By 3 Comments
Olympic Paint‘s–who has provided the deck stain for our real wood, real fun playhouse– mobile application called ColorClix makes selecting paint and stain colors from anything-a flower, tree, swatch of fabric, or even favorite photo easier than ever-not to mention free. Simply snap a photo with a mobile device, select any color displayed and match it [...]
Ribbit! Yes, that is a lot of Frog Tape
June 22, 2011 By 1 Comment
Sometimes I get inspired. And then my husband Mark has to take a breath and make a decision between trying to talk me out of my complicated plan or just step back and let it happen. We’ve taken on a molding project for a young family expecting their first baby this summer. And the molding [...]
FixitUp Find: Painting Stripes Just Got Easier
May 6, 2011 By 1 Comment
It took me a while to get my head around this one, but it looks like this tool—to help paint stripes and linear patterns on walls, furniture, floors, and so on—might just be crazy enough to work. When painters lay out a surface for stripes, they have to shoot plumb or level lines with a [...]
Painting Behind a Radiator
March 1, 2011 By 13 Comments
So you’re painting your living room. You’re excited, too. This is going to turn out great. You’ve bought everything you’ll need. A bountiful heap of plastic shopping bags full of drop cloths, roller frames, paint pans, a 5-in-1 tool, and, of course, paint brushes — and not just any old brushes; you need good paint [...]
