Potential paint colors

I'm off to the paint store today to pick up a few new colors for a desk and a pair of french chairs.  

I've picked out a few different color choices, but I haven't narrowed them down yet.  Here are the top five front runners (all by Benjamin Moore).

SALSA:

SUN KISSED YELLOW:

SILVER LAKE:

SOUTH BEACH:

RUMBA ORANGE:

Any favorites?

Oil Based Paint Tips

For those of you looking for the depth and sheen only achieved with oil-based paints, but are a little hesitant to try, Rustoleum makes a great pre-mixed product sold at most hardware stores.  It's a great place to start and comes in several basic colors.  

My first "oil" project was the sideboard in my dining room.  It took less than a quart of paint and a half a dozen foam brushes.  Cleaning paint brushes when using oil paint is such a pain, I try to use foam brushes whenever I can.  Keep in mind that oil paint takes much longer to dry than latex so it drags out painting projects quite a bit, but in the end it's worth it.

The added benefit of this product is that it doesn't require primer or a clear top coat.  

If you're feeling a little more adventurous and want to have your own oil mixed, Benjamin Moore makes a great product:  Impervo Alkyd High-Gloss Enamel.

Also, as solvent paint products become more "green" they tend to not self-level as well or go on as smoothly, this creates more noticeable brush or roller marks.  To reduce this a little paint thinner or Penetrol can be added and mixed with the product.

Customizable Paint Deck

Do you ever find yourself shopping for furniture or textiles for your home and wish that you had a your paint colors with you to refer to?  I know I do.  Here's an quick, portable, $2 project to remedy that.

Start by taping off a group of paint stirrer sticks from the hardware store.

Grab your different wall colors.  I keep a little of each one in labeled mason jars above my microwave.  They make for convenient touch up.

Paint the bottom portion of the stirrer sticks.  Let them dry and remove the tape.  An optional step is to cut some of the length off the sticks to make them more portable.  Then drill a hole in the ends.

Add a metal ring.  I picked up a pack from Walmart for under $2.

Write the names and brand of your paint on the backside of each stick.

Now you have your own customizable paint deck to refer to.  Throw it in your purse and you're good to go!

It is quickly becoming unbearably hot here - and I tell you, it's not pleasant sanding in the garage when it's 100 degrees outside.  In an effort to clear out most of my "inventory" before summer break starts and it becomes 110 degrees, I've been churning out several projects each week.  Here are a few I just finished up.  Both are in the shop.

A black lacquered sofa table.

Here it is before.

An Ethan Allen coffee table.

I also finished an end table and a dresser but the photos turned out terribly are aren't worth sharing.

Later this week I'm going to go over an easy way to get the lacquered look at home without a sprayer.  See you then :)

How Do You Like Them Apples?...again

*I switched from a blogspot to a dot com several days ago {and then switched right back again} - it's thrown my scheduled posts off a little - this post was meant for today.  If you're having problems getting my updated posts you might have subscribed the couple days I was nattybydesign.com, so you might have to re-subscribe now that I'm back to nattybydesign.blogspot.com....make sense?  Sorry for the confusion.*

Candy Apple Red {by Glidden} + faux bamboo = fabulousness.

Before.

After.

Tomorrow I'm going to go over my method for painting hardware.  See you then!

A China Cabinet

Hope everyone had a great Easter.  Ours was incredibly low-key, but that's what made it so nice.

I finished a china cabinet for a client over the weekend.  It's going in her bathroom to house towels and toiletries.  

 Here it is before.

On a complete side note, Zac and I started a diet today.  Pretty greuling when your lunch literally goes from this

to this.

Lettuce...yuck.  Cold chicken...double yuck.  On our list of approved foods: legumes, lean meat, eggs, veggies...period.  That's it.  My guess is that this diet we're trying is so successful because it's participants opt to starve rather than eat from the list of approved foods.  We do get to gorge one day a week.  Zac asked if we could lay in bed tonight and dream of what we were going to eat on Saturday.  I can't wait.  On a more positive note, I am SO excited to finally lose this last 14 lbs. of baby weight.  I guess it's time...my baby just turned 2!

And last, but not least, my favorite picture from Easter weekend.

Thanks for reading :)

New to The Shop

Happy Monday!  If yours are like mine - there's too much to do and not enough time to do it.

Not a lot of time for staging today, but here's my weekend project all nice and finished.

A pair of Broyhill end tables.  Check The Shop for details.

Here they are before.

What do you think of my new antique mirror?  Pretty sweet, huh?  I had quite the time putting it up this morning - it probably weighs 40 lbs!