without ruining your carpets

SEE FULL VIDEO HERE

When choosing skirting boards you have a choice now of 4 in to 6in ( 6in seems to be the most popular these days) and you can get them in raw wood or primed. Primed is the easiest as you can go straight in with your paint, but more expensive than the other.  However bear in mind you don’t need to buy primer,  it may work out around the same. This is what the primed looks like…

If you choose to buy the raw wood boards you will need to prime them with a primer that will seal in all the knots.

For that i recommend the oil based BLOXX IT as that will give you a perfect finish for your paint to adhere to as well and you wont have to worry about the knots bleeding through your water based paint in months to come. I did two coats on the one in the video and i rolled it on with a mini roller and used a brush for the grooved areas.

Allow this primer to dry completely in between coats. 40 min is the dry time and 2 hours before you recoat. Then you can go in with your paint. I use Advanced Satinwood from Fleetwood on all my interior woodwork. You can also choose the lower sheen eggshell finish. This is what it will look like when finished.

Here is the paint i use and the reason i use this paint on all my interior woodwork is because its hard wearing, washable ( and skiting boards can get very dusty and if you are using the white it will not yellow over time. Its not too shiny like some other satinwoods and of course its water based do the clean up is easy. I am all for easy clean up !!

Now you will see in the video I talk about painting boards in situ. Its easy enough if you are painting over tiles or wooden floor then all you do is get out the washi tape and tape off your walls and your floors before painting . But with carpet , especially thick pile carpet, how do you not get paint on the tips of the carpet ?

You attach a strip of washi tape to some newspaper and put it right up to the board ( even a little over the board) and with a paint scraper you push the tape down in under the bottom of the board. This holds down all the carpet too and gives you access to the whole board while totally protecting the carpet. You will see me do this in the video .

If you need to fill in holes the way i did, here is the product you need. Its fabulously smooth and doesnt even need sanding after it gets hard…my kind of filler.

Of course pre painted boards have to be cleaned and sanded and sometimes primed before you can add another paint. So give it a good clean with a 50/50 mix of methylated spirits and water and a sponge. Wipe it dry with some kitchen cloth.

For the sanding you should ensure you sand back and lumps, bumps and /or drips from the previous paint job and get he surface as smooth as possible. Medium grade sandpaper should be sufficient unless it has been heavily painted in gloss paint and then you should use a course paper. This angles brush was the business for getting right down to the bottom of the board. However these brushes hold a lot of paint so be careful not to over load your brush, this can cause runs and drips… the very thing you have just sanded off !

Spread your paint well. Here is the Advanced Satinwood. You can choose from 100’s of colours or you can choose the new Advanced Eggshell finish… a lower sheen paint but equally easy to use. I use this one on all my furniture updates and now have my own ‘Shabby Colour Collection’ in it. The grey I used in the video is called Shabby Light Grey and is available HERE in the eggshell finish, with nationwide delivery

When you are finished remove all your washi tape ( the low tack washi tape i use in the video will not take off your wall paint) and admire the perfect job you did.

Here is the Video…..

Hope you enjoyed that and will give it a go yourself at home.

Aileen

The post How To Paint Skirting Boards appeared first on Shabby.ie.

By Guest Blogger & Interior Designer Wioleta Kelly.

With the launch of my new Interior Decorating Course for the Shabby School , I thought i would give you a little taster by showing you a few simple things to help change the decor for the coming season.

Did you know that you can never overdo decorating your home with textures? The more textures, the better!

We discuss this is great detail on the course. See FREE previews

They will instantly make your pad feel cozy, warm and inviting. The texture is the thing that makes a room pop and gives it a WOW-factor! Textures are especially important in our homes during Autumn. They are perfect for long, dark and cold evenings that are awaiting us. They have a power of making your home look warm, cozy and inviting. And isn’t it all that Autumn is all about?

Here are a few of my favorite ways of making your home cozy this fall.

-Get a few textured cushions in warm colors. Mustard, green and orange will be perfect this Autumn. Search for the velvet, wool, and fur ones. H&M Home has some really lovely cushion covers that will only cost a fraction of price of the filled cushion, so it’s an inexpensive way of adding a new pop of color to your home.

Have a look at my diagram. Three cushions on a sofa can add so much to your room!

-Plants are a great way to introduce textures to your space and I cannot recommend them highly enough. If you are not a big fan of them, artificial plants are done so well these days, that no one will ever know that these aren’t real. If you like the real deal, heathers, ivy and even something as simple as a few branches cut from a tree would be ideal this season.

-Faux sheepskin is inexpensive, it looks great and it will add an extra texture to any space. You can also buy it in many different colors to suit your rooms color scheme. I use mine just outside the stove to protect the floor from the ashes and that’s enough to instantly warm up the room, but you can use yours in many different ways. On a bench in a dining room, on a sofa, on a bed…

– If you truly want to relax in the evening, switch off the ceiling lamp and turn on all the table and floor lamps. It’s also a great tip if you have friends calling over and you want to make your home look warm and inviting. They will be so comfortable they will never want to leave!

Did you know that you should have at least three different sources of light on three different levels in every room? Ceiling lamp itself is never enough and the Autumn season is the best time to fix this problem. Think table lamp on the lowest level, then wall lamps and floor lamps on a higher level and of course ceiling light on the highest point in a room. The Range has a great selection of lamps that will suit any pocket.  But don’t stop there. Pick a few strings of battery-operated fairy lights and scented candles. You will be warm, cozy and comfortable!

CLICK HERE and check out my course on Giving Your Home The WOW factor.

WIOLETA

The post How To Decorate Your Home For Autumn appeared first on Shabby.ie.