(bringing back one of my early favorite posts from last winter)

Let’s Roll…

Or brush, or sponge, or rag…even spray! No matter how you do it, just paint!

For most of you (not me!) it’s the dead of winter and outdoor projects are pretty much out of the question!

Even if you’re going to hire someone, it’s too cold to go out there and even show them what you want done! So what to do? How can you scratch that remodeling itch when the mercury drops to unmentionable levels?

I asked myself that question and the first two things I thought of were painting and lighting. They go hand-in-hand and I’ll touch on great lighting tomorrow. But for today, let’s talk about paint.

See the Room as Art!

There is an artist in you whether you know it or not! If you already know it, great! If not, just look at some pictures and ask yourself “Does this inspire me?” When you start to feel inspired, that’s when you’re on the right track. Follow that look and you’ll find what you want for your new space! Let’s start with a simple one and work our way up to CRAZY!

Simple, right? But beautiful too! The contrast of the darker wall color against the bright white trim works great in this nook! Great use of similar colors in the art and furnishings brings it together. A small area like this can be tackled in a weekend and make an impression for years!

Make White Sing!

A white wall has many great characteristics. They make spaces seem more open, and of-course, brighter. Sometimes, when there’s a shortage of natural light or to go with a particular design, white is the way to go.

Two thoughts about white walls:

1. Even if your room is already white and you want it to stay white…repaint it anyway! If the paint is more than a couple of years old, it will make a difference. You might also change a shade to “tweak” the look a little bit. There must be 1,000 “white” colors!
2. Add color with furniture and decor, like in the photo above. You might have an old chair laying around that you can repaint in two hours. Try it…it could change your life! (at least a little bit)

Look Past The Walls!

Feeling inspired yet? If not, check your pulse! These cabinets ROCK! I’m not so sure about the ABC’s on the glass, but I do love the use of color in the kitchen cabinets.

It can easily run $40,000.00 or more for new cabinets. Why not look a little closer and ask that artist in you what other options there might be? If you get a good answer, I’d say you should buy the artist a cup of coffee or something! If not, keep reading…

Hit the Door!

Painting the kitchen cabinets a little bit of a reach for you?  You’re not alone.

The impact you can make by painting a door or window is really astounding! I can’t decide which one I like better, the blue or the red?

What do you think?

So, honestly, don’t you feel like painting? You have options:

Walls, Ceilings, Trim, Doors, Floors, Furniture…

Everything including the Kitchen Sink can be painted, though you might want a pro to hit the sink for you.

The bang for your buck is unmatched and the D.I.Y. difficulty factor is  among the best you’ll find. Go for it!

Get Radical!

If the artist in you still has not stirred, I have one more trick up my sleeve. If this doesn’t get you going, there may be no hope…I’m sorry.

Now THAT is color!

Oh, a couple more details…you have to do it right! The web is full of great resources. I found a site here that has good advice on exactly how to paint. You can also email me for my thoughts if you’d like. I would love to see your before and after photos. I’d love to help.

Let me know if I awoke the artist in you in the comments, and use the ShareThis feature to share this new blog with friends. Just click on that little green button and all the options will show up before your very eyes. If nothing else, it’s colorful!

Is it just me, or does everyone look at the ceiling when they enter a new room? I never miss the ceiling details and if you’re looking for a place to start remodeling, I think you should take it from the top!

False beams are a super detail that can be done in most homes. Sometimes called “boxed beams” these are usually not “structural”, meaning they don’t hold anything up; they’re for looks! And they do look good!

It’s pretty common to see these beams done as shown in these photos. The construction consists of four main components:

1. Framing Lumber (not seen)
2. “1-by” Side boards
3. Crown Molding
4. Another 1-by on the bottom

Sometimes, as in the picture at the top, you’ll see these beams “supported” by columns. While often not needed to hold up the roof, the columns look great and add room definition.

There are times when both the beams and columns are structural, so know for sure before you ever take something that looks like this out!

Construction of false beams is fairly simple. I’ve done a quick drawing to show you the parts involved and how they are arranged. Take a look:

Notice that I didn’t show anything about attachment. There are any number of methods for attaching the various parts. If I were doing this job, I would use an air nailer and trim nails, along with a good quality wood glue.

The attachment to the ceiling, on the other hand, is important. It might be helpful for me to tell you at this point that the top 2×4 has to be attached to the ceiling before the beam is built! There are a few ways to do this:

• Attach the 2×4 to solid framing in the attic using lag bolts or large screws.
• Add some blocking or “dead-wood” in the attic for this purpose if none is present.
• Use large toggle bolts. Just be sure to use a sufficient number to carry the weight of your beam!
• DO NOT rely on drywall anchors designed for use in a wall such as plastic expansion anchors or EZ-Anchors. You don’t want this hitting you in the noggin!

Add some v-joint material to cover the ceiling (or use bead board) and you can really kick it up!

Use graph paper and draw out your room to scale so you can mess around with alternative beam arrangements. I prefer symmetry rather than the look in the picture above…but I guess I could live with this kitchen anyway!

Important note: The drawing I did is just one way to do this. The wider your beam gets (notice that the beams in the picture are wide) the less sense it will make to use a solid 2-by along the bottom edge of the beam. You can build up the frame of these things pretty much however you want to, just keep them straight and square and be sure it’s all attached well to the ceiling!

Boxed-Beams

Difficulty: Moderate – While not a project for a complete beginner, this really isn’t that complex. This is especially true if you are going to paint your work, because goof-ups can be covered-up! You’ll need some good tools and ladders!

Time Frame: Short – An average Kitchen could be done in about 40 hours with two people working. This would include the painting time involved. You should at least prime the material before you put it up to reduce overhead paint work.

Cost Range: Medium – A job like this requires no structural work, no drywall work, and only requires painting of the material you’re installing. As such the cost can be well contained. That said, it depends on who you hire or if you DIY it! The materials involved for an average kitchen would generally be less than $500.00

Think Inside the Box!

I’m a huge fan of nice trim work! One of the reasons I love it so much is that something relatively simple can finish off a job to look a million times better.

Take a look at this room and imagine how different it would look if it had simple “drywall returns” to the windows. The woodwork has a truly impressive impact on this room.

You Can Do This!

I’m telling you, this isn’t as hard as it looks! There really aren’t that many parts and it’s all just wood that’s going to be painted.

The part around the inside of the opening is called the “jamb” or “frame”, depending on who you ask. Whatever you call it, it’s usually just a piece of 1X4.

The part that creates the pretty “picture frame” effect is called the casing. You can buy this at any building supply seller in a number of great shapes, called profiles.

At the bottom, of course, is the window sill. And this particular window is done in my favorite fashion, which sports an “apron” under the sill.

When you look closely, you can see that there really isn’t anything complicated in how this all goes together.

Do the Sill First

The sill is cut in one piece which extends from one side of the rough opening to the other. To create this look, the sill should be cut with small returns that will provide a solid place for the bottom of the casing legs to rest.

The Apron is usually just a piece of the casing turned upside down. There are a number of ways to finish the end of the apron trim. I’ve included a video at the end which shows you one of the best ways.

Miter the Top

I like the look of a cleanly done 45-Degree corner at the top. Just like this picture here. This allows the profile of the casing to carry around the window and frames the opening nicely.

Another option is to use rosettes. Rosettes are nice because they eliminate the need to do a miter cut, which is really helpful if you don’t have a miter saw! The video shows how to use rosettes, but I say get a miter saw! You’ll use it for project after project!

Door trim is very similar and if all you’re doing is replacing the casing, it’s even more simple than this window!

I have so many more great trim options to show you. I’m just starting to learn that it’s better if I don’t try and do it all in one post! So if you’re not already a subscriber, I encourage you to join The Crew by signing up for our RSS subscription or our regular blog updates by email. It’s free and then you won’t miss anything!

Here is the video: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/how-to-install-a-window-trim-141347/

So, what do you think? Ready to give it a try? Talk to me!