*This post was sponsored by Sherwin Williams and some of the following links are affiliate links for your convenience. Click here for full disclosure*

Para leer este post en Español haz clic aquí. 

Hello! It has been a while since I posted a painting tutorial for you on the blog and I am really excited to share my latest transformation with you! This is a project I have been wanting to do for the longest time. I have been slowly incorporating farmhouse style into my home and I love the look of cement tile, however, it can get really pricey so I thought I should try stenciling a wall in order to get it to look like cement tile.

Related Post: How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

Alright! So here are the details for the stenciled wall.

Project: How To Stencil A Wall and Add Floating Shelves

Time: 1 Week

Difficulty: Advanced

Supplies:

• Emerald Interior Paint
• Minwax Water-Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner
• Minwax Wood Finish Walnut
• Purdy Ultra Finish Roller
• Premium XL Polyester Tight Spots Brush
• American Line Pro Mini Roller Tray
• HANDy Paint Pail Liners
• Contractor Series Black Foam Mini Rollers
• Purdy Standard Paint Tray & Liner
• Stencil (I used the Marbella stencil)
• Painter’s Tape
• Drill
• Screws
• Gloves
• Cotton Rag
• Paper Plate
• Wood Glue
• Level
• Nails
• Nail Gun (or hammer)
• Pressure clamps (we like this kit)

 

• Paint Colors:
• For the Wall – Snowbound SW 7004
• For the Pattern – Requisite Gray SW 7023

 

STEP 1:

Always make sure to prep the walls! Start by taking off fixtures, plate covers, remove furniture, and clean/wash the walls down.

STEP 2:

Paint your wall the color of your choice. I wanted to make mine look like cement tile so, I used a soft white.

STEP 3:

Once you paint the wall and let it dry, you need to find the exact center (this can be done by diagonally measuring the wall and seeing where the 2 lines intersect or you can do it by finding the vertical and horizontal centers and matching them up – whichever you prefer.)

Place the center of the stencil on the center of the wall and tape it with Painter’s tape. Use a level to make sure it is straight.

Use a foam roller to apply the paint. Once a thin and small amount of paint is on the roller, use a paper plate to remove any excess paint.

Then, apply to the stencil.

My two favorite shops are here and here. 

Using the guides on your stencil, continue to paint the pattern on the wall.

Tip: You will need to clean your tile several times during the process as your paint will accumulate and cause the stencil openings to become smaller. The BEST cleaner for stencils is this product called Lift Off. Make sure you have some on hand when doing this. 

Save the borders for last. Make sure your edges are protected with painter’s tape.

Take your time. When doing the borders, tape the stencil to the wall on one side. Let the part of the stencil that goes over the edge stand freely and then press down on the stencil with your fingers while you paint to get as close to the border as possible.

Continue this throughout the entire border. Finally, touch up any areas with a small artist brush.

Related: How to Stencil Linoleum Floors

STEP 4:

Here is a list of wood for the shelves. We built two.

• Three 8’ x 12” boards
• One 2” x 4” ripped in half (you can use two 2” x 2” if you don’t have a table saw)

You will need to cut them down to these measurements:

The image below shows all the cuts for one shelf.

 

A – 2” x 4” ripped in half, 9 ¼” length (3 pieces)

B – 2” x 4” ripped in half, 46” in length (1piece)

C – One 8’ x 12” cut in half (2 pieces for top and bottom)

D – One 8’ x 12” cut in half and 3 1/8” height (1piece for the front plate)

E – 11 3/16” x 1 ½” wide (2 pieces for the side plates) You will have 9 pieces total.

STEP 5:

Create your wall support. Join the 3 A pieces and the 1 B piece to make an “E”. Use wood glue and nails. You can use pressure clamps to keep them together while the wood glue dries.

 

 

STEP 6:

Build the shelf: Use pieces C, D, and E to make a box. Attach them like the picture below.

Again, use wood glue and nails for a good seal.

Sand the exterior of the shelf.

 

Then apply your stain with a cotton rag. We chose Walnut.

 

Let your stain dry and seal with your preferred sealer.

Apply with a brush and let set.

STEP 7:

Once everything is dry, attach your support to the wall. Find your desired height and make sure to line up the center of the shelf to the center of the “center” tile on the wall.

 

Use a level to make sure the wall is even. Screw your support to your wall studs.

 

Tip: Make sure to pre-drill holes for your screws so that the wood doesn’t split.

Slide the box over your support and drill screws from the top into the supports  so that they stay put.

Again, be sure to pre-drill the holes.

 

 

Here is what the finished product looks like:

Finally decorate your shelves and enjoy your new accent wall!

 

Now I want to go and stencil more walls! How about you? Tell me what you think about the final result!

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*This is a sponsored post provided by Sherwin Williams, but all opinions are my own. The following are affiliate links for your convenience*

Time: 2 Weeks

Difficulty: Advanced

Overview:

The foyer is the first thing your guests see when they enter your home and it is the first opportunity you have to create a welcoming atmosphere and showcase your style. If you feel that your foyer doesn’t do either, there are several things you can try to achieve the look you want.

 

Materials:

• Emerald Interior Paint – Flat Sheen
• Emerald Trim Enamel – Semi-Gloss Sheen
• Minwax Gel Stain
• Simple Green Ready-To-Use Surface Prep Cleaner
• Purdy Ultra Finish Roller
• Purdy Extension Pole
• Purdy Standard Paint Tray Liner
• ScotchBlue Pre-Taped Painter’s Plastic
• ScotchBlue Painters Tape
• 3M Pro Grade No-Slip Grip Advanced Sandpaper 180 GRIT – 1pk
• 3M Pro Grade No-Slip Grip Advanced Sandpaper 220 GRIT – 1pk
• Sherwin-Williams Shrink Free Spackling
• Xtend & Climb 15-1/2′ Aluminum Telescoping Extension Ladder
• Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane
• ProVal Semi-Oval Angle Brush
• Paint Thinner
• HANDy Paint Pail
• HANDy Paint Pail Liners
• Sponges (cleaning)
• Gloves (cleaning & staining)
• Drill
• Wood filler

 

Colors used:

• Repose Gray SW 7015 – walls
• Pussywillow SW 7643 – door
• Extra White SW 7006 – trim
• Walnut Stain – railings

As you saw in my previous post, our foyer was pretty dull and beige. I knew I wanted something more updated and a bit more elegant so here is what we did step by step in order to update our foyer. We kept it simple, but it still made a HUGE difference and I share our tips along the way.

STEP 1:

The first step is to decide which color you wish to use. If you have a 2-story foyer, the best thing to do is keep it a neutral color, this way you can change out accessories and colorful décor without having to repaint 2-story walls to change your look.

Purchase paint samples and apply them on your foyer walls to see how the colors look in your space.

Tip: Place the samples in different areas –in shade, direct sunlight etc. By doing this you can see what the colors look like in different types of lighting.

STEP 2:

Prepare the space for painting. Remove all furniture, wall décor and switch plates from walls. Use a drill if necessary. Fill in any holes or indentations in the walls with spackle and sand down with a fine grit sandpaper until smooth. Clean your walls, then add painter’s tape and drop clothes or plastic covers to protect your floors.

STEP 3:

Cut in trim and other areas first and then paint your walls. For 2-story foyers, use an expandable ladder that can be easily adjusted to the height of your ceiling in order to reach the top trim. Expandable painting poles are also great at allowing your roller to reach farther up on high walls.

Even if you are using paint with primer, always apply two coats of paint for an even finish. For high traffic areas, make sure to use a washable paint so that walls can be easily wiped down. I used Emerald Flat.

Tip: Paint an additional coat to the area surrounding light switches, since these areas get a lot of action and need to get wiped down more often due to fingerprints.

In addition, if your foyer has any unsightly but necessary features like large returns or doorbells, you can paint them the same color as the walls to minimize their appearance.

STEP 4:

To add a little bit of drama, paint the inside of the front door a color other than white. You can use this opportunity to use a bold color or you can simply use a color several shades darker than the wall color in order to add dimension.

Make sure to go with the grain of the door panels. You can also use painter’s tape to prevent from going against the grain in some areas.

Start with the recessed areas. Use a brush and paint in a clockwise motion to keep a consistent look.

Then, with a small roller, go over the vertical raised panels. After applying paint with a small roller, smooth over with a brush and remember to go with the grain.

Continue this process in small sections.

Repeat the process until the door is complete. Then apply a second coat using the same steps.

STEP 5:

Another way to update the look of your foyer is by changing the stair railing color. Oak is a popular builder’s grade finish and it is also found in older homes.

By applying gel stain in a darker shade, you can create a more custom and higher end look to your staircase without a ton of work.

First, you must clean and prep the railings. You will need to sand them down to remove the finish, if you get to bare wood that’s even better. To remove any clear coat remaining you can use Simple Green Ready-To-Use Surface Prep Cleaner and the coarse side of a dishwashing sponge.

Wipe them down with a damp cloth and let dry. Then tape up all surrounding areas and balusters.

Lay down plastic to protect carpet and wood.

Mix the gel stain very well with a stir stick; you will notice it is a thick and gelatinous consistency so stir until the lumps go away.

Make sure to wear gloves and apply the gel stain with an old soft cotton rag.

Tip: Apply baby powder all over your hands in order to prevent excessive sweating and be able to easily remove and put gloves back on. 

Make sure to move along with the grain of the wood when applying the gel stain and remove excess stain as you go. Work in long strokes in order to apply as evenly as possible.

Let dry per the instructions and apply second and third coats until you get the look you desire.

Finally apply a polyurethane coat to seal the gel stain and let it set.

Once dry remove all painter’s tape and protection.

STEP 6:

Lastly, in order to pull everything together and finish up the space, repaint all trim and molding. Make sure to touch up all corners and crevices and any areas that might have had bleed-over from any stain or wall paint.

STEP 7:

Bring back furnishings and décor to complete your transformation.

I love how the front door looks now with the darker color.

I added an area rug with the colors of both the front door and the entry cabinet to pull it together.

The stairs look so much better now (except for the carpet, but I must be patient, it will happen!)

It feels so fresh and airy now.

That hideous yellow doorbell is not as loud anymore since I painted it the same color as the walls. And I love how the french doors look. I still need to update the hardware, but it’s such an improvement already.

Next up is finding a light fixture I like, cause that one has to go!

And finally I need to add artwork to the walls.

If you like this, don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest!

Be back with more stuff soon!

Let’s connect! Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Hi there! As you know I have been working with Sherwin Williams this year in order to bring you some great inspiration on how to transform your home with the power of paint.

I have shared my kitchen makeover and already have my next project that I will be revealing for you tomorrow.

Okay, so you may already know, we purchased our home back in 2013 and by that time our home was almost 12 years old. It’s in a beautiful neighborhood where the homes all still have pretty good sized yards, but suffer from lots of beige walls and brass door handles. Slowly we have been trying to update it and give it more a personal touch… or simply put, just make it prettier!

It definitely needed some help! We had green bean walls in the kitchen! Who does that?

So anyways, I felt that the next project that would be perfect to transform would be my foyer. It’s a 2 story foyer that’s actually pretty narrow.

It has the ugliest shaggy dog carpet (that’s what I like to call it) that I wish to eventually replace. The stairs have oak finished railings which screams “my grandma lives here!”

I like the fact that it’s not completely closed off and you can see through and into the formal dining room, but the oak finish clashes with the darker furniture in the dining area.

Ugh! Do you see the shaggy dog??? 

To the right of it I have pretty french doors that lead into my office/craft/kids play room… The doors are pretty but boring.

And then here’s the view from the top landing. The brown tones are blinding and that light fixture is hideous. It doesn’t even light up because the light bulbs burned out and we have not been able to figure out how to replace them! Terrible I know… but that is on the to do list further down the road.

Baby steps, people! ?

The rest just leads to all of the bedrooms….

You can see all of my sample colors and my spackle work already up. 

So, for my color inspiration I went straight Fixer Upper style and used The Gormon House, Episode o1, Season 1 as the look I was going for.

While their hand railing was curved it was still that classic style very much like mine, however, theirs is dark giving it a more modern and formal feel.

I also like the gray the walls and how it is a cooler and lighter gray. Since my space is narrow I want it to feel larger.

I also wish to change the colors of the french doors to give it more interest and finally clean up all the old trim by giving it a fresh coat of paint.

Things are coming together beautifully and while there are many things I still wish to do to my foyer, I will have the first phase ready to share with you tomorrow! So stay tuned and I will be back in your inbox for the after pictures and step-by-step instructions!

 

 

P.S. Subscribe below if you wish to be stay connected and be notified of the next post!

*This is a sponsored post and some of the links below may be affiliate links*

Para leer esto en español visite Sherwin Williams Latino aquí.

So the time has come to share with you the first phase of my kitchen transformation and I couldn’t be more excited. If you recall, I shared what it looked like a few days ago and it was just.not.pretty.

As you know, I have partnered with Sherwin Williams (Latino) to bring you this project and to share exactly how I did it, step by step. So if you too have a dreary kitchen and would love nothing more than to have your own elegant space, but don’t have the resources for an entire remodel, no worries! You can transform it  with the help of Sherwin Williams so in this tutorial I am going to show you how to paint kitchen cabinets.

Time it Took: An Entire Week

Difficulty of Project: Advanced

SUPPLIES (Most obtained at Sherwin Williams):

• Simple Green Ready-To-Use Surface Prep Cleaner
• FrogTape Multi-Surface Painter’s Tape
• 3M Pro Grade Sanding Sponge(s) Fine and Extra Fine Grit
• Premium XL Polyester Tight Spots Brush
• Purdy Ultra Finish Jumbo Mini Roller (2pk)
• Purdy Jumbo Mini Roller Frame
• Purdy Contractor Brush Comb and Roller Cleaner
• American Line Pro Mini Roller Tray
• HANDy Paint Pail
• HANDy Paint Pail Liners
• Extreme Bond Primer
• ProClassic Interior Waterbased Acrylic-Alkyd Semi-Gloss coating paint in PURE WHITE SW 7005
• FoamPRO Fits-All Paint Can Spout
• Dropcloth
• Sponges (cleaning)
• Gloves (cleaning)
• Drill
• Wood filler
• Rubber self-adhesive dots

You can read more about my kitchen and see more before pictures in this post, but here is what I was working with.

 

STEP 1:

Remove all doors from cabinets and remove all hinges from doors with a drill.

 

 

STEP 2:

Tape off areas you don’t wish to get paint on like, floors, walls, and even tile if you have a backsplash.

 

 

STEP 3:

Move all appliances out from between cabinets.

 

STEP 4:

If you plan on replacing your hardware with new ones that require a different set of holes, this is the time to add wood filler to the hardware holes currently in your cabinets. Let the filler dry, sand the area, and remove sawdust.

 

STEP 5:

Clean the doors and cabinets thoroughly with a good cleaner degreaser and a sponge to remove all grease and oils that normally buildup on kitchen cabinetry over time.

 

 

Tip: We used Simple Green Ready-to-Use Surface Prep Cleaner since it is non-toxic, doesn’t require diluting, and is tough on grease, also found at your local Sherwin Williams. 

STEP 6:

After preparing the surface, apply a test area of Extreme Bond primer, allow to dry properly and test for adhesion. Because of the exceptional adhesion of this product, sanding may not be necessary for most clean, paintable surfaces.

WARNING! Removal of old paint by sanding, scraping or other means may generate dust or fumes that contain lead. Exposure to lead dust or fumes may cause brain damage or other adverse health effects, especially in children or pregnant women. Controlling exposure to lead or other hazardous substances requires the use of proper protective equipment, such as a properly fitted respirator (NIOSH approved) and proper containment and cleanup. For more information, call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (in US) or contact your local health authority.

STEP 7:

Once you have established good bonding/adhesion, you can prime the entire surface.

STEP 8:

Roll on your paint. Use a small roller on the flat areas and an angled brush on edges, corners, crown molding and any other hard to reach areas.

 

Tip: Make sure to paint all exteriors and any front facing areas that will show even when the cabinet doors are closed. Refer to image below:

 

 

We applied ProClassic Interior Waterbased Acrylic-Alkyd Semi-Gloss in PURE WHITE SW 7005 which has an excellent flow and leveling characteristics for a smooth and durable finish on cabinets, doors, and trim.

STEP 9:

If necessary, sand any areas to remove brush strokes or any drips that you might have missed.

STEP 10: Once all the paint is dry, I added Polycrylic Protective Finish to seal the paint. I used a clear gloss finish and applied 2 coats. Let them cure at least 24 hours.

STEP 11:

Add hinges back on doors and mount them back onto the cabinets.

STEP 12:

If you will be adding new hardware, use a template to decide on the best location for the new holes and drill the holes. Then, add the hardware.

 

 

STEP 13:

To protect your doors’ finishes from constant opening and closing, add clear self-adhesive rubber dots to their corners.

 

 

STEP 14:

Enjoy your new kitchen!

You guys, I could not be happier with how this turned out! I absolutely love how light and bright it looks and how clean and new everything feels. The white makes it look super chic and the new hardware just takes it up to a new level (if you follow me on IG you can see a close up of those pulls – gorgeous!).

Plus, I was able to get the hubby to install our “new” microwave that we have had in the garage for about 3 years now… (shhh, don’t say I told you though!).

Here’s a look at the before and after images right next to each other:

Here’s the island:

There are a few more things that I plan on doing and I have already started prepping for them. I’m sure you have already noticed that we replaced our outlets and  that our backsplash looks a tad bit different. I will be sharing more details very soon!

I hope this post was useful and that you can walk away knowing exactly how to paint kitchen cabinets in case you feel inspired to bring life to yours as well!

But first, I would love to hear what you have to say about the makeover! Leave your comments below!

Let’s connect! Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Hey there! I hope you had a great Mother’s Day!

We are starting to ramp things up at home with a lot of projects and transformations and I cannot wait to share them with you all.

We moved to our home 4 years ago and we were so happy to have moved to the area we are in now at the time that we did. Since then demand to live in our area has skyrocketed so we were grateful to have found a beautiful and established neighborhood in such a wonderful area in Georgia.

I like to call it “Leave-it-to-Beaverville”.

However, when we bought our house, it was already 12 years old and was being rented out, so there were a lot of things that needed to be taken care of.

Slowly, we have been trying to update it, but frankly we haven’t been able to do as much as I would have liked. It may just be that when we moved in I was 9 months pregnant with my son and now I have a third baby. Ha! So I guess I have been pretty occupied.

But it seems like I am finally going to start checking off some items that I have been wanting to tackle so I’m really excited.

• So far we have done projects like update the Powder Bath on the main floor.
• We painted out our Master Bedroom.
• Just a few weeks ago we updated Aracely’s nursery with some fun decals.
• We have even removed a ton of overgrown bushes, trees, replaced our backyard fence and even replaced our roof.

It has been busy, but not as busy as it’s about to get.. Eeeek!

Which is why I am excited about my latest project with Sherwin Williams.

One of the places I don’t talk about much on the blog is my kitchen. Frankly, that is the least favorite area in my home. While it’s functional, it could definitely be larger and have a better layout. The cabinets are super outdated and totally builder’s grade. And I have mismatched appliances – the horror!

 

The backsplash is terrible as well, but at least I have one. It is situated in the center of the house so it has no windows and feels pretty dark. The countertops are a white Corian that gets scratched and stained so easily…. the list just goes on.

And while I would love to be able to do a complete gut job, hire a professional and get a brand new layout… my budget just won’t allow for it.’’

So I plan on doing several updates in order to get it to a more presentable space that I can live with for the next few years.

First off I plan on lightening it up. I love a clean & bright kitchen and I look to Joanna Gaines for inspiration in all things design related. I love this kitchen from Season 3, and while Joanna has recreated much more dramatic kitchen spaces I like how this one is small yet still very elegant and bright.

With a tiny kitchen and a tiny budget, I gotta be realistic here, amiriiiiight?!?!

And while I was not really a fan of the barn-turned-into-a-house episode, I absolutely loved the bold tile backsplash in the kitchen. Spanish style tile is really popular right now and I would love to have something like that in my own kitchen to add a unique touch.

I would also love to change out the hardware into something more than just knobs in order to add more interest.. Frankly, there are many things on my wish-list!!

I will be sharing the reveal of my first phase on Friday, so stay tuned!

What do you think? Anything else I could add to my updates?

 

Hello friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend. It rained the entire weekend for us here and it was chilly – not the weekend we were expecting. However, I got to spend time with my hubby and my kiddos and that’s what it’s all about. And on another note, last night’s The Walking Dead episode left me with a serious heart attack. I am having ambivalent feelings about next week’s season finale – something bad is gonna happen, I just know it.

Okay, so now for the stuff you came here for. One of the things I loved about my home when we moved in was that we had a powder room on the main floor of our home that guests could use whenever they came over. In our last house guests had to use the kid’s bathroom which wasn’t ideal, so you can understand my relief of having just a bathroom for visitors.

It’s the little things! Can’t stress that enough!

However, the bathroom looked like this….

UGH! It felt like a cell. Actually that toilet was NOT the one the bathroom had originally. We had already replaced it at this point and I couldn’t find the picture I took when we first bought the house. This was a HUGE improvement, trust me. It was actually like the 7th toilet my husband and I had replaced. We have become quite the awesome duo in replacing toilets – almost second nature by now.

Not something I would put on my résumé, but proud of our skillz just the same. 😉

We chose this style toilet because we prefer the comfort height, elongated seat and the dual flush system. The best part, is that this particular toilet only cost $99 at Home Depot. Gotta love that.

In front of the toilet we had empty space where we put a little cabinet that I had gotten for free at a previous job. It basically stored toilet paper and toiletries since there was no other cabinet in the bathroom.

And as you can see we had already fixed a few holes in the walls at this point. But I ain’t gonna lie, we lived this way for over a year. Yeah, ouch! The truth hurts. But frankly, we weren’t sure which direction we were going to head and there was that thing called our budget. Our bathroom did its job so we waited until we got some good deals on some stuff like tile and a sink with a cabinet component. I am not a fan of pedestal sinks in the first place and that one was hideous.

Then with that came deciding on a new faucet and a new light fixture, and a new mirror… yeah the list kept getting bigger. So we stalled….

The tile we got at Floor & Decor. We picked a nice tile that was actually only $3 per square foot! Ain’t gonna lie, it was a sweet deal. Unfortunately, I don’t think they sell it anymore, but it wasn’t on clearance when we bought it so not sure what happened there. It was nice to get it that cheap cause I wanted to cover the entire back wall with tile from top to bottom.

YEP! You heard right.

So naturally, everything had to come out.

We started with the sink…. And of course it didn’t leave without fight. As you can see it took some wall with it… but it’s okay cause it’s gonna get covered up.

And just like the ending of the first movie in a trilogy, I’m gonna have to leave you hanging. Stay tuned though! I will share the transformation before the end of the week.

But really though, my littlest is still sick and I have yet to finish editing the pictures, but I wanted to give you a little taste of what I have been cooking up for ya! Gotta keep it real for you guys! Life happens, but I know you understand.

Have a wonderful Monday!