grey's Profile

We are working on two properties at the same time and we have a few rules:

FOCUS on one task at a time (don't look at the mountain in front of you). Writing out each step helps to keep us on track. urbancricket... a plan is key. Without a plan you have no momentum.

Don't begin another task until the first one is COMPLETE. If you start too many things at once, I guarantee you will feel overwhelmed.

Have all your materials and equipment ready BEFORE you begin. The biggest waste of time is running to the hardware store mid stride. This goes hand in hand with doing your research.

Starting and finishing something is more often a mental challenge than anything else. If you find yourself getting tired or frustrated. Give yourself a BREAK and then get back into it! adbeck, this is where the music and glass of wine really helps.

It may be easier to call someone in and pay them, but it's the satisfaction of starting and completing a project that makes DIYing so satisfying :)

White is one of the hardest paint colors to get right. Here are a couple of rules of thumb.

1. Prime over all the dark colors to "neutralize" the space. Dark surfaces will cast a color onto your white samples.

2. Once you have narrowed it down to a couple of possible whites, buy a test sample and paint a square of each white in your space. 2 coats recommended.

3. Look at the color in the daylight as well as with your lights at night. Shadows at night will show the strongest undertones of blue or yellow in the white, while daylight can washout even the creamiest whites. Color samples in the store never look the same in your space. Neon lights in store compared to soft light in your space can drastically change a white from grey to yellow.

4. Choose a high quality primer to cover dark colors and go with a cheaper paint if necessary. One thing to keep in mind is that cheaper paints may have less coverage (400 sqft vs. 500 sqft). They also may be less resistant to washing (i.e. magic eraser).

5. Depending on your space, you may opt to paint one room before painting the entire place to see how you feel about the color.

We just purchased a home that was painted in a very creamy yellow beige (ceiling and closets included). We painted one entire room (ceiling, walls and trim) in white to make sure the loved the color before buying gallons and gallons of the stuff. We noticed that our white looked blue compared to the beige walls. It was not until the entire room was white, that we were able to really tell if we liked the color.
Good luck!