How to spruce up your home for the holidays…with paint!

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The holiday season is here and, even if you’re not planning on a full home makeover, you might consider some minor repainting to give the interior of your home a fresh look. With a few strokes of a brush, you can really make your home sparkle and leave a lasting impression on all those guests – both invited and unexpected!

Here’s some quick holiday painting ideas:

  1. Repainting heavy daily traffic areas, like hallways, foyers and kitchens can make a huge difference. These rooms get the most fingerprints and scuff marks.
  2. Bathrooms always take a beating. Look up, your guests will, do you have mold growing in the corners? Look down, have the walls near the toilet been clean recently?
  3. Walls look ok! How about your trim? Sometimes just repainting trim can make your room look brand new!
  4. Add an accent wall! Really want to impress? Paint the wall behind the bed in your guest room! Your guests will feel like they are in a fancy hotel!
  5. How about painting the inside of your bookcases?

Lots of people think painting is for the spring and summer, but with the help of our professional team, you’ll be ready to welcome all your holiday guests!

Choosing the RIGHT Paint Color Doesn’t have to be Spooky!

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Picking a paint color can seem scary. The paint store paint swatches are too small for you to be sure your paint is a wonderful treat and NOT an ugly trick!

Here are some simple tips can help guide you to the right choice for your specific room. Start with painting sample colors on the walls. Small containers of sample paint are available and typically covers approximately 75 sq. ft. This is enough to visualize the color in your room with your lighting and décor. Now, take time to look at the samples in different light, in the morning, during the afternoon, at dusk and at night with your room lighting.

Specific colors can emphasize certain features and minimize others. A long narrow room will look wider if you use a slightly darker color on the shorter walls and a lighter color on the longer walls. You can make a ceiling appear higher by applying a lighter color to it, or lower with a darker color. Dark colors absorb light, making a room look smaller. While lighter colors make rooms look bigger. To help a big room feel more intimate, paint the walls in colors that are warm, such as red, gold, orange and brown. To help a small room seem larger, try cooler colors such as blue, green or violet.

You can emphasize your home’s unique architectural features, like crown molding, mantles, window/doorway trim, with contrasting paint (lighter or darker than the wall) or by painting them with a glossy finish. Remember, all trim and moldings tend to look best in a lighter color than your walls.

Create an accent wall by painting it a different color. The wall to accent is generally the first thing you see when you walk into the room. Some rooms have a natural accent like a wall with a fireplace or large window. However, if there is not a focal point to a room, you can choose the wall where the headboard of your bed will go or wall behind your television.

Don’t let the wrong color haunt you! Following these simple tips can help carve a smile on your face and save you time and money!

What’s the right finish for you?

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Flat, matte, gloss, semi-gloss, satin…sounds simple right? Just choose one! So, how glossy is gloss? Flat sounds dull – who would use that?

Paint finishes matter more than you might think. For instance, if you have a room that has a lot of imperfections, small cracks, bumps and rough areas, then flat/matte is a good option because it does not reflect much light and will help hide these blemishes. However, flat paint is harder to clean. Ceilings are often painted with a flat finish. And if you have an adult home without kids and pets use flat and matte on everything! Eggshell has slightly more luster than a flat finish, but walls will not be shiny. It resists dirt better than flat and can be wiped with a wet rag. Eggshell is good for high wear and tear areas, like, mudrooms, kids’ rooms, bathrooms, kitchens and hallways. Low sheen and satin look best in for living rooms and dining rooms. Semi-gloss paint is tougher than eggshell, so it holds up better over time, but since it reflects more light, imperfections will stand out. Semi-gloss is also a good choice for a kids’ rooms or bathrooms. This finish is also often used for trim and doors. Gloss paint is a good choice for furniture, mantles and built-ins, because of its hard and shiny-durable finish.

A New Look at Doors

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Doors: white, black, slate or perhaps a bold red are all a part of past traditions. Now, the color design adventure can include an unconventional color spectrum for your front door. A burst of yellow sunshine can mark entrance ways. Limey-green can brighten a shaded porch and burnt-orange adds a splash of color to white-brick or grey siding. Jonathan

Putting Sizzle in the Splash – Five Oaks Diving Board Transformed

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Greece, the most beautiful country in the world, loved by many! Whether you have had first-hand experience, or are a screen-top dreamer, you will agree that the gorgeous beaches, blue waters and white rimmed sand are extraordinary. This was the inspiration when Hands On Painters was engaged to paint the Five Oaks Swimming Pool diving

To Paint or Not to Paint…

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Painting is not always a maintenance item for your To-Do List. It can also be a relatively easy fix to create major curb appeal! Whether your home’s exterior is brick or siding (vinyl, aluminum, fiberglass or cement) paint can help improve the appearance affordably.

Here are some pros and cons;

PROS – Like many surfaces exposed to the weather, brick walls will eventually fade and wear down and siding can become dirty and faded. Painting your brick and siding exteriors is an easy way to take your home and transform it to something fresh and new. Painting also can offer needed protection for both surfaces.

CONS – Both brick and siding need proper preparation prior to painting or peeling, buckling or warping may be the result. Be sure you are committed to painting your brick because going back is often impossible and know that painted brick usually requires more maintenance and should be repainted every 3-5 years. Painted aluminum often has a chalky appearance and light-toned vinyl, if painted much darker, it can absorb the heat and may deform the vinyl.

Warm-Sunny Days Reveal Work that Needs to be Done

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It is great to be able to take a walk around the neighborhood on a warm Spring day! What do you see? Paint peeling, mildew stains, rotten boards…certainly not on your home?! Look again! Dramatic fluctuations in temperatures, like we have in Maryland, can cause surfaces to contract and expand. The movement can cause paint to crack and flake off, if the paint on the surface isn’t flexible enough. Moisture can ruin exterior paint, too.  Rain, sleet, snow and ice can all negatively affect the paint on siding and trim. Moisture in all forms can cause paint to swell and soften, which eventually leads to cracking, blistering, flaking, and peeling. Moisture also encourages mildew growth. Hands on Painters can handle the details and make your home a showcase!

Before You Open Your Deck…

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We’re still having some chilly days, but you can still smell that wonderful smell…it is sure to bring a smile to your face!Someone is cooking out! It’s like an instant summer party and you are ready to crash it! But not so fast, it’s time to get your deck ready for those summer parties before the furniture is hauled out of winter storage. Here are some tips to consider: Wash it!After the pollen falls, break out your hose and give it a good washing. Repair it! Check for loose boards, nails that are sticking up and rough/splintered boards. Stain it! All that might be enough, but you may need more to bring the life back to the wood you love to enjoy! Power washing and often, a cleaning with bio degradable deck wash, stain and reseal extends your deck’s life by years. If it is time for that, you have options! You can let the natural wood shine through, match grain colors or (blend in) stains and blemishes. Call us! We’ll have a “Pro” come out and take a look.

20 Incredible Colorful Years!

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October 1997 we set out to start a little “Odd Jobs” company with only 2 employees. We thought how great would it be to do a few projects in the neighborhood and see how it goes.

Well 20 years later, and 40 employees later we’ve painted over 10,000 homes and served so many wonderful families throughout the state of Maryland. From Howard County, to Baltimore County we just cannot say enough great things about our customers. You all take the time to send us wonderful referrals, and compliments on our great work. However, we could not be celebrating 20 years without you!

THANK YOU! You’ve all made our jobs so much fun!

Summer Crankatudeituss?

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pic_bedroomIs everyone in your house feeling a little over each other? Ready to enroll your spouse into some sort of adult summer camp? Are you just hoping for a break from the family for just one weekend?

You may be suffering from a case of  “Summer Crankatudeituss”.

It’s serious condition, but curable. Suggested cures are island vacations to Tahiti. If your HSA does not cover the recommended dosage of vacation getaways, talk to a professional about how you can seek alternative therapy. Your local professional painter can also offer help. They’ll work hard to freshen the color of your home, and your mind.

But seriously folks….

Did you know that the color of your home can set the tone for your total mind body and spirit? Call us today, and let us come and help brighten your every day outlook. It only takes a fresh coat to totally change how you feel about your home, and your family.

Be sure to follow the link above to learn more from Elle Decor about how color can improve your overall mood.