Summer fun! Redesign your kid’s room!

The kids will all be done with school this week and will soon be begging for something to do. Why not let them redesign their bedrooms? Kids of any age can give their input and believe me, having two daughters and having worked with kids for several year I KNOW they have their opinions on what they like and what they don’t. Designing their bedroom is such a fun and creative outlet and it really is a HUGE deal to give them a say in how their room looks.

Depending on age, maturity, and artistic talent, I can work at their level of involvement. I can help them get their ideas on paper and then implement the design. I know some parents get concerned over their child’s choices. “You want a BLACK wall??” “How many colors are you using??” “Are you going to be tired of this in a year??” Well that’s where I come in. By working together, we can come up with a plan that works. And remember, it’s only paint!

A room design or redesign doesn’t have to break the bank either. If your child has a favorite character that you’re afraid they’ll grow out of in a year or two, then maybe character bedding and some framed artwork or a couple mural accents (instead of a full room mural) would work. Paint the walls in one or two colors from the bedding for a cohesive design. If your child is older and wants something a little more sophisticated, there are several things you can do: paint the wood furniture white or black to tie all of the pieces together, paint the walls in colors of their choice (sports, school, or favorite colors), make custom canvas paintings, frame prints, paint their closet doors with chalkboard paint, paint an accent wall with either a faux finish or a special design. The possibilities really are endless!

Custom Name Mural

Closet doors painted with chalkboard paint

A Full Room Mural

I can help with every step from the planning, measuring, drawing, artwork, murals, to the implementation of a full design. I will be there for as much or as little as you need. And the really amazing part is when your child says: “This was MY idea!” or “This is just what I wanted!” or even “I helped to design my own room!” Now THAT is a pretty awesome gift!

I hope you all enjoy your summer! Go make some wonderful memories!

Face-in-the-Hole ~ Donation for Peoria PD/Relay For Life event

 I was asked to paint this for the Peoria Police Department to be used at the Relay For Life event as part of their fundraiser. It will be saved and used for future events also.

I also walked the relay with my daughter’s and my youngest’s girl scout troop. We had a good time for a good cause.

Mural Makeover for CPS: Crisis Room Completed!

Well, here are the pictures of the “New & Improved” Crisis Room. I took a series of pictures going aroun the room. Here shows 3 walls. On the 4th wall there isn’t much wall space so there is only a ladybug and a snail of which I didn’t get a picture. I’ll have some close-ups on Facebook. I will be starting on the next room in the near future and will post more updates then.

Mural Makeover for CPS

My painting keeps taking me in new directions and here I go again… I volunteered to help paint murals in the new CPS building in Peoria, AZ and ended up being handed the project – several rooms and helpers who don’t paint, hmmm. Well, with the VERY small budget they gave me, I decided to hit up Sherwin Williams for donations. I’m a loyal customer and hoped they could help. They did indeed. They gave me about $120 of paint without batting an eye (thanks guys)!

I’m starting in the Crisis Room – where the families go first and wait to find out what will happen. When that room is finished I will move on to the supervised visitation rooms. There are 7 of these rooms and there is 1, possibly 2 artists coming to do a room each- the rest I will do (any artist volunteers out there that want to help?). I’m designing a couple rooms at a time to get approval and with my schedule I’m only there 4-5 hours a week. This could take a while…but it WILL get done.

The rooms to be painted are quite bleak – plain walls, a table and chairs, few toys… I’m designing rooms for toddlers up to teenagers in hopes of offering a little distraction, some hope, and maybe even a smile. I’ll post the finished rooms on here but you can follow the progress on Facebook if you’d like -that’s when I don’t forget my camera at least… like last week.

Here is the Before of the Crisis Room:

Many reason’s for using decorative painting in your home and the best places to put it

 There are so many possibilities for decorative paint treatments and so many reasons to use them in your home. Decorative painting is one of the most cost-effective ways to add custom touches and personalize your home. Decorative paint treatments can be used to create focal points or highlight features of a room. 

 

Use decorative painting to:  

Accent wall in entry

*Create an accent wall in an entry, dining room, or bedroom.  

 *Highlight a fireplace or large crown moldings.  

*Transform plain columns.  

* Highlight niches or entertainment centers.  

*Create a dramatic backdrop for art work.  

*Further a theme or motif, tie elements of a room together.   

*Compliment a style such as Tuscan.  

* Add the illusion of depth, height, or space to a room.  

*Tie in 2 or more colors in a room or adjoining rooms.  

Faux finish on fireplace

*Give new life to old hardwood floors.  

*Liven up your block fence or your cement patio.  

 Ways to personalize with decorative painting:  

*Add a border.  

*Add words! A name or a phrase.  

* Add a “faux” window with a view to whatever your heart desires!  

*Repaint an old piece of furniture to match you decor.  

*Have your shiny brass hardware redone in a bronze or pewter finish.  

Olde World Style

*Paint a faux finish or an all-over stencil above or below a chair rail.  

*Paint clouds on a ceiling.  

*Add a relief (raised) stencil to your dining room ceiling for a dramatic effect.  

*Add stripes, vertical (for the illusion of height) or horizontal (for the illusion of width) to a room.  

*Create interest and fun in a child’s room with mural accents or an all-over mural!  

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 These are just the tip of the iceberg! The possibilities are endless!

 

You may also enjoy this article:

The decorative arts, past and present

10 ways to improve your home with paint

Save money on art, crafts, and home improvement materials

 

Decorative Painting in Kids Rooms

Kids of all ages can have their room customized to fit their style and personality. These rooms don’t have to break the budget either. Young children can have lively and fun characters, borders, their name, bold patterns or soft murals. Older children and teens can choose such themes as a castle, Paris, music, or skateboards. The best idea for style longevity is to steer clear of specific characters and fads. If, however, you plan on repainting in a few years anyway then go with whatever makes your child happy.

Bedding is often a great jumping off point in designing a room. Both patterns and colors can be pulled from the fabric and repeated on walls and even furniture. As you can see in this room, the colors match the bedding and the oversized flowers in the border add punch without overpowering the room. The name above the bed adds that personal touch while tying into the rest of the room.

Options for painting a room include mural accents and names – small areas with big impact:

A full mural confined to one area:

Other kids room ideas: A full mural that covers one wall or the entire room, stripes, words or phrases, shapes, painted furniture, painted accessories or even ceiling fans. The possibilities are endless!

Mural/Decorative Paint Finish or Wallpaper part 3

 Style and Appearance

I’ll start by discussing faux finishes in a little more detail here. The word “faux” means fake, so a faux finish is a finish that imitates the real thing. These finishes can include marble, granite, limestone, or an “aged” finish you would find in say a 17th century tuscan farmhouse. Both the depth and feel of these finishes are best accomplished with paint and/or plaster. Decorative finishes, however, encompass an infinite amount of colors and patterns. Painting, certainly does give more depth to any finish but that may not be that important to you, keeping in mind the over-all look you are trying to achieve.

There are certain styles that lend themselves much better to paint than wallpaper. These include any Olde World or plaster-type finish, frescoes, Tuscan, folk art, or anything where a time-worn look is desired. Wallpaper works well for such styles as French (toile), English styles, and many contemporary styles.

Olde Worlde Style with Hand-Painted Cracks

When deciding on wallpaper or paint, make sure you consider appearance. Any small wallpaper mural you purchase, where edges are exposed, should be considered temporary. If you decide to buy a wallpaper “window”, consider adding a simple frame to cover the edges and integrate it into the room. A painted mural will always have the edge over wallpaper murals in appearance. Since cost is comparable, a painted mural is the better investment.

Mural/Decorative Paint Finish or Wallpaper part 2

Customization and Personalization

There are all sorts of companies now that make custom wallpapers. Sometimes a wallpaper mural can be made from a photograph. I have seen this advertised, however you must have a very good quality picture to begin with or your mural will not be too clear when enlarged. If you choose to have a mural done this way, make sure you find a photo that you like in it’s entirety. Look it over very carefully because you don’t want telephone wires, garbage, or if it’s a street scene – some unattractive stranger staring at you every time you walk by. I would also suggest seeing one of these murals in person before making your decision.

If you choose to have an artist hand-paint your mural, you can request your own personal touches – a store sign with the family name, a wine bottle label with your anniversary date on it, or the family pet running in a field. Another reason to choose a hand-painted mural is so you can integrate it into the room. If you purchase a ready-made window mural, for instance, you will have a seam/edge around the mural. The edge will be more pronounced of course if you have textured walls and it may seem to float or look out of place. However, with a painted mural, you can alter that perception. As you can see in this picture, the hand-painted stone extends beyond the edges of the window and becomes an integral part of the room, not a lone element.

 

For a medium or large all-over pattern or a repeating border pattern, painting is an excellent option. By measuring carefully and making slight adjustments in placement, you’ll have a custom look and no worries about overlapping patterns on your last corner.

 

 

Wallpaper for a small, repeating/all-over pattern where overlapping the pattern would be much less noticeable may make more sense than paying an artist for this tedious work. However, if you can’t find what you’re looking for in a wallpaper pattern, you may want to have it custom painted.

 

And lastly, every faux finish is custom made. The client chooses the color(s) and style – with help from their artist or designer. I have never seen a faux finish wallpaper that I like. Faux and plaster finishes are applied in layers and you can see the depth in these finishes that can not be accomplished with wallpaper. I will discuss this further next week.  

 

Next Friday…Style and Appearance

 

 

 

 

Mural/Decorative Paint Finish or Wallpaper Part 1

As an artist who paints murals and faux finishes, this topic is near and dear to my heart. Of course you’re thinking that, because of my profession, I would recommend a paint treatment anyday over wallpaper. And you’re right, mostly, but not for that reason. There are several reasons I would recommend a painted finish but once in a while, I have to admit, wallpaper will be a better option. Things you need to consider: Cost, durability & longevity, appearence, customization & personalization, installation & removal, and wall texture.

Cost

Everybody wants to know “how much am I going to spend?” Sometimes that is the one and only deciding factor. It certainly shouldn’t be. Cost should actually be near the bottom of your list of criteria. The cost to wallpaper a room can be anywhere from $300 to several thousands, just for the wallpaper (remember large wallpaper murals can be very expensive). And what about installation? And possible removal? Figure in those costs as well as your valuable time if you decide to do it yourself. To mural, stencil, or faux finish that same room can run anywhere from $400 to several thousands also.  

As you can see, general cost estimates are irrelevent in the beginning stages. Your final price will be based on the amount of detail, time involved in the design and implementation, cost of materials, etc. For a mural, you would need to decide if it is a full floor to ceiling mural with lots of detail or mural accents throughout the room, cartoon character style or realism. For a decorative finish, do you want a 1-2 step galze finish, a venetian plaster that takes several steps and expensive materials, or an allover repeating stencil pattern where the artist would need to puchase several stencils and and use plenty of prep time to design your room so the pattern flows properly. The decorative painter/artist you choose will help you make these decisions and more.

So, now what? Well, I hope you’ll remember cost is just a small part in your decision. Yes you can still keep a budget but don’t get hung up on a number when there are so many other things to consider.

Next up…Customization & Personalization