craftnstyle

Hey ya’ll

So my den is paneled and I just hate it.  It’s dark and dreary and I just can’t stand it any more!  I’m a firm believer that paint can fix a lot of problems so that’s what I decided to do!  I only have the built-ins painted so far so this is just a sneak peak of how it’s turning out!

The paneling is oak veneer and looks terrible.  I decided to do some caulking and wood filling to fix a few minor problems and then I did some light sanding.

Here’s the before:

Please disregard all the junk in the photo.  I just haven’t move it yet!

Here’s the step by step:

First remove all the hardware.  Then use caulk and wood filler to fill gaps and holes or make repairs to damaged areas.  You may even want to do some sanding especially if there is any kind of gloss on what you’re painting.  All of this paneling and wood was pretty close to bare so sanding was minimal for me.

After the caulking, wood filler, and sanding I moved on to the priming.  You must prime so the paint won’t peel up.  I used Zinsser water based primer.

Before I primed I measured and marked off for the hardware so I wouldn’t have to mess up the paint job.  I just tapped a nail indention where I needed to drill.  That way I could still see it after I painted.  I let those dry twenty-four hours in between each coat of primer.

Now it’s time to paint.  I used a semi-gloss called Dover Whitecliff that I had from Walmart.  I use their paint a lot.  I’ve never had a problem with it.  I used three coats on the woodwork, drawer facings, and cabinet doors.  Again I let the paint dry twenty-four hours in between coats.

After painting the woodwork I moved on to the paneled walls.  For these I used Behr Perfect Taupe in a satin finish.  I did tape off the woodwork in places to make sure I got a clean edge.   Because this wood is so dry I used two coats to protect it.   I particularly like the way you can see the grain of the wood even though it’s painted.  I think it gives a natural texture without being overwhelming.

Then I drilled the holes for the hardware.  I found the 14 cup pulls and 4 handles on Ebay for $35.  To me that was a bargain! I used the original hinges for the cabinet doors.  I just spray painted them in an oil rubbed bronze to match the other hardware.  Then I reattached everything when the paint had dried well.

The counter top got painted last.  That’s covered in another post here.

It turned out exactly the way I wanted!  More to come when I’ve done  a bit more painting!

Hope this was helpful if you plan to paint some paneling!

Hi everyone!

Have you ever had a formica counter that was so ugly it made you go cross-eyed every time you look at it?   Did you just want to take a chain saw to it so you would have an excuse to replace it?   I have one of those…or should I say… I had one of those!  I didn’t want to spend the money to replace it when it was completely functional.  I just wanted it to look better so I decided to give her a bit of a facelift!

Here’s the before: (after sanding)

Then I primed with three coats of Zinsser water based primer:  (sanded in between coats of primer)

Then I used acrylic craft paint from Michael’s and Hobby Lobby:  (with a sponge)

Here’s the finished counter:

I am really pleased with the end result!

OMG!   So much better!   Now I can actually look at it without wanting to claw my eyes out!

So here’s the breakdown:

1.  Sand the surface to prep it for priming.  This will help the primer adhere to the surface better.

2.  Prime with at least two coats of primer.  I used three coats and I let it dry twenty-four hours in between each coat.  I also sanded in between each coat then wiped with a damp cloth to remove any debris.

3.  Use a natural sponge to dab on acrylic craft paint.  Make sure to clear extra paint off the sponge before dabbing on to the counter.  You want to work as dry as possible.  This will prevent big globs of paint turning into a gooey mess.

4.  All of the instructional videos that I looked at suggested to work with the paint wet to blend colors.  I chose to let my paint dry a bit in between  so there was some definition of the colors.  I was afraid they would blend too much and become “muddy”.  Pick your Poison!

5.  I layered seven different colors of acrylic paint until I got the desired coverage.   Black, Dark Brown, Light Brown, Grey, Pearl, Gold, and Copper.   I found a picture of a piece of granite online and used the same colors.  It doesn’t look exactly the same but it’s close.

6.  Sand lightly.  I sanded after layering a couple of colors and after I got the desired color just to give it a smooth finish.

7.  Polycrylic over the final coat.  I’m sure you could use another type of top coat if you wanted.  I just chose Polycrylic.   I used five coats of polycrylic and let each coat dry for twenty-four hours in between.  I wanted to prevent it from peeling up.

8.  Let finished countertop dry completely before putting anything on it.  I let mine dry for one week.   I was so impatient!   This will let the topcoat dry and harden which should prevent scratches and nicking of the finish.

This particular countertop is not going to come into contact with water like a  kitchen countertop would.  I may have used oil based primer if it were a kitchen countertop and I may have used a different topcoat as well.

I hope this was informative and I would love to hear some feedback!  If you’ve painted a formica countertop I’d love to see how it turned out!  Feel free to send me some pics!

Hi everybody!  Sorry I haven’t posted in a while but the holidays and real life got in the way.  Hopefully I’ll be a little more consistent in the future.  The den makeover is taking place but slowly.  I still need to move a lot of stuff out of the room.  The countertop preparation for painting has begun.  Caulking and sanding have been done.  A good clean and one more sand should make it ready for the primer.  Here’s what it looks like now:

Awful isn’t it?  Of course it looks even worse after I’ve been sanding it!  Well I know a little paint goes a long way so I can’t wait till it’s finished!  So back to it tomorrow…wish me luck!

Happy Wednesday everybody!
Today was a great day! The weather was perfect…a little dry and not too hot! A wonderful day for playing outside, but I have so much to do inside. The first step to transforming my den into a craft room will be to paint the formica counter in the built-ins. This is the ugliest Formica known to man….you know, the fake wood kind. Not the new kind either. I think this is from the original inventing of Formica. (Have I mentioned that my house is really old?) I will be so glad to cover it up with some pretty paint! I finally decided on paint colors so “Let the Priming Begin”! I will be up early in the morning to do the first coat of primer. Then I’m going to detail the rest of the built-ins with caulk and wood filler to make it look nice. I plan to let each coat of paint on the Formica dry for 24 hours. This will help prevent paint chipping. There will be about six coats of paint on the Formica when finished so that’s a week. Hopefully by the time the Formica is finished, the rest of the room will be ready to paint. I’ll be documenting the whole transformation (to be revealed at a later date). Wish me luck!

Hi all!

Just an update about clearing the den…it’s taking a lot longer than expected!  While we’re waiting for that to be finished I thought it might be nice to share some pics of my Grand Puppies.  Brody is the Weimaraner  and Bella is the Catahoula Leopard Dog.  Check ‘em out!

Both these sweeties belong to my daughter (aka “girlie”) and her wonderful husband (aka “our guy”).  They are very spoiled and much loved!  You can tell because they get to use the furniture and hang out in the kitchen!

   Hi!  I’m Linda Kay (aka LK) and this is my new blog CraftnStyle.  This is just a way to share some creativity and personal ideas as I set off on a new road for this part of my life.  I recently retired from nursing and I decided that I’d like to use my creative instincts as I set out on this new journey! 

   I’ve always been a bit crafty…thanks to my mother.  She always had me painting or creating something.  Even sewing and crocheting are included in the list of skills she passed on to me.  We also enjoyed the weekend antique markets in our area.  We were always antique-ing  for something!

My first project is to make a craft room in my home…a place to be creative and have all the tools I need to accomplish my goals.  I have always wanted a craft room and I decided to convert my den into one.  It’s plenty big with a few built-ins.  It needs a lot of work though.  It’s oak paneled and needs a good painting to brighten it up!  Colors are being considered and as soon as the room is cleared out I’ll start fixing her up!  I may even give her a name.  I’ll think about that later….

Check back with me to see the progress and I’ll try to do some before pics!  Thanks for stopping by!