Month: December 2019

Inspiration

Nursery Makeover with a Sweet Striped Accent Wall

December 20, 2019

Are you or someone you love expecting? Creating a cute-as-can-be nursery doesn’t have to be a challenge, and with tips from KILZ® you can color the space any way you choose! In this new nursery, soft colors are painted in a sweet striped pattern to create a playful accent wall. The colors pop because the wall was primed before it was painted! Want to recreate the look for yourself? This painting project is simple to do at home.

Room with one blue painted wall and another wall in the middle of a paint color change Nursery with yellow, grey, and blue walls with a white crib

When painting a porous surface like new drywall, KILZ® 1 Standard Primer is recommended. Designed for use on multiple interior surfaces, KILZ® 1 Standard Primer seals porous surfaces and promotes a more uniform appearance of the topcoat. To begin, wipe down the accent wall with a damp cloth to ensure it is clean and free of dust and allow the surface to dry. Next, apply KILZ® 1 Standard Primer to seal the porous surface of the new drywall. Apply primer using a brush first to “cut in” around edges, then use a roller to fill in. Allow 1-hour dry time.

Now it’s time for paint! Selecting the lightest of the three paint colors as the base, apply KILZ Complete Coat® in Origami to the entire accent wall. Use a brush first to cut in around edges 4 to 6 feet at a time, then use a roller to fill in those sections before moving along. Allow 1-hour dry time. Next up, painting the striped pattern! Measure the height of the wall and divide by the desired number of stripes to determine the width of each stripe. Use a measuring tape, pencil and level, mark the placement of each stripe, then apply painter’s tape to each line (ensuring the tape is on the correct side of the line so the stripes are even).  Using a roller, paint every third stripe in KILZ Complete Coat® in Yellow Frosting. Repeat the above steps to paint every other remaining stripe in Aqua Ice. Remove the painter’s tape (pulling off at an angle) before the paint has fully dried to ensure clean lines.

Person painting a wall white Person painting a wall cream Person measuring on a wall Person painting a portion of a wall yellow

To finish up the sweet space, we primed and painted a plain wood rocking chair in the same light blue shade used for the striped accent wall – KILZ Complete Coat® in Aqua Ice. It really ties the nursery together! When painting wood furniture, it is advised to always use primer first. Primer will help protect the wood and will ensure better adhesion and truer color from your paint. For this chair refresh we used KILZ 2® All-Purpose Primer, a great choice for furniture upcycling projects. To learn how to paint a chair of your own, keep reading below!

Step 1:

Remove chair cushion and set aside.

Step 2:

Sand the entire surface of the chair; do a first pass with 100-150 grit sandpaper then finish with a second pass of 180-220 grit sandpaper.

Step 3:

After sanding, wipe down the surface with a damp cloth to remove any dust or residue and allow the surface to dry before moving on to primer.

Person painting wood planks white

Step 4:

Apply KILZ 2® All-Purpose Primer, moving in the same direction as the wood grain for best results. Allow primer to dry for 1 hour.

Step 5:

Next it’s time for paint! Apply KILZ Complete Coat® in Aqua Ice using a nylon or polyester blend brush, moving in smooth strokes that go the same direction as the wood grain.

Person painting wood planks light blue

join the conversation:

Military Makeover Header

Inspiration

A Military Makeover for Grandpa’s Office

December 17, 2019

A grandfather’s military service is honored in this beautiful office makeover.

Before painting, smoke-stained walls needed to be addressed and KILZ® Original Primer does the trick. Trusted by pros for over 40 years, the powerful formula blocks most heavy interior stains including water, smoke, tannin, ink, pencil, felt marker, grease, and also seals pet, food and smoke odors. In this surprise room renovation, meaningful memorabilia become the focal point, showcased on dark-hued walls primed with KILZ® Original and painted with KILZ® Tribute® Paint. Want to recreate this look at home for yourself or someone you love? KILZ can show you how!

Office with cream colored walls and a floral chair Office with blue walls and military decor on the walls and on the desk

To begin and prepare for priming, wipe down the walls with a damp cloth to ensure they are clean and free of dust and allow to dry.

Next, tape around the baseboards, trim and moldings. To seal and block stains and odors, apply KILZ® Original Primer to the walls. Stirring prior to and during use, apply primer using a brush first to “cut in” around the edges, then use a roller to fill in and allow 1 hour of dry time. Once the primer is dry, apply KILZ® Tribute® in Oceans Deep using the same application method as the primer – using a brush first to cut in around the edges 4 to 6 feet at a time, then use a roller to fill in those sections before moving along. Remove tape prior to paint fully drying and admire the stain-free walls.

Person wiping a wall down Person priming a wall Person painting a wall the color Oceans Deep

To complete this surprise room renovation, an old desk is given new life! Primed with KILZ® Original to ensure truer color from the topcoat, the desk is painted with KILZ® Tribute® in Bookmarker – a dark oxblood hue that complements the deep green walls. Want to refurbish a piece of furniture at home? Keep reading the steps below to learn how!

Person screwing off the handle to a drawer

Step 1: Remove drawers and hardware.

*Pro-Tip: Put the screws back into the hardware, then seal the hardware and screws in painter’s tape and label it. It’s always best to put every screw back exactly where it came from. That will put the least amount of stress on the wood.

Person sanding a desk drawer

Step 2: Sand the surface; do a first pass with 100-150 grit sandpaper then finish with a second pass of 180-220 grit sandpaper.

Step 3: After sanding, wipe down the surface with a damp cloth to remove any dust or residue and allow the surface to dry before moving on to primer.

Person priming a desk drawer

Step 4: Apply KILZ® Original primer to seal the surface, moving in the same direction as the wood grain for best results. Allow primer to dry for 1 hour.

* Pro-Tip: When painting wood furniture, you should always use a primer first. Primer will help protect the wood and will ensure better adhesion and truer color from your paint.

Person painting a desk drawer maroon

Step 5: Once primer is dry, apply KILZ® Tribute® paint in Bookmarker with a brush, moving in smooth strokes in the same direction as the wood grain.

join the conversation:

Girls Room After

Inspiration

Cover Crayon Stains & Paint a Colorful Accent Wall

December 9, 2019

Children love bringing their artwork home from school. But when the actual home becomes the artwork, what can you do to restore crayoned stained walls? In this sweet bedroom makeover, the walls are primed and painted as the first step to a total room refresh that includes a striking honey-hued accent wall and vivid pink and yellow furniture.

Kids bedroom that has pink, white, and yellow colored walls

Crayon stained walls don’t stand a chance against KILZ 2® All-Purpose primer, used at the first step to create a sunny yellow accent wall in a little one’s dream bedroom. To begin, wipe down the chosen accent wall with a damp cloth to ensure it is clean and free of dust then allow the surface to dry. Next, tape around the baseboards, trim and moldings.

To block the light crayon stains and ensure a perfect finish, apply 1 coat of KILZ 2® All-Purpose primer using a brush first to “cut in” around the edges, then use a roller to fill in. Allow 1 hour of dry time. Finally, apply KILZ Complete Coat® in Yellow Duckling using the same method as the primer. Remove tape prior to paint drying, and the accent wall is complete! 

Person painting over a drawing on the wall Person painting a wall yellow

To match the yellow accent wall, paint the vanity in the same sunny yellow shade! Similar to the accent wall, start with KILZ 2® All-Purpose primer before painting. The fast drying, water-based primer offers enhanced hiding, making it ideal for changing colors on both walls and furniture. To begin, remove the vanity’s drawer and hardware. Next, sand the surfaces of the vanity. Do a first pass with 100-150 grit sandpaper then finish with a second pass of 180-220 grit sandpaper, always moving in the direction of the wood grain. After sanding, wipe down the surface with a damp cloth to remove any dust or residue and allow the surface to dry before moving on to primer.

Now it’s time to prime. Apply KILZ 2® All-Purpose primer, moving in the same direction as the wood grain and allow to dry for 1-hour. Next, apply KILZ Complete Coat® in Yellow Duckling using a nylon or polyester blend brush, moving in smooth strokes that go the same direction as the wood grain. Once the paint is dry, reattached your hardware and the transformation is complete!

Person sanding a vanity Person painting a vanity yellow Person priming a vanity Person screwing a handle onto a drawer

The final step in this child’s bedroom makeover is a pretty-in-pink dresser. Add a fun pop of color to a child’s dresser by painting the drawers a bright accent shade! Follow the same directions as outlined for the vanity, priming with KILZ 2® All-Purpose and then using KILZ Complete Coat® in Plumeria Lei for the drawers and a favorite neutral for the dresser’s body.

Step 1:

Remove drawers and hardware. 

Step 2:

Wipe down the entire surface with a damp cloth to ensure it is clean and free of dust. Allow the surface to dry.

Person pulling out a dresser drawer Person wiping down a dresser drawer

Pro-tip:

Put the screws back into the hardware, then seal the hardware and screws in painter’s tape and label it. It’s always best to put every screw back exactly where it came from. That will put the least amount of stress on the wood.

Step 3:

Apply KILZ 2® All-Purpose primer, moving in the same direction as the wood grain for best results. Allow primer to dry for 1-hour.

Step 4:

Topcoat with KILZ Complete Coat® Semi-Gloss Paint in Plumeria Lei.

Person priming a dresser drawer Person painting a dresser drawer pink

join the conversation:

Living room with light blue walls and grey furniture

Primer Tips

Pro Tips for Painting Over a Dark or Light Wall

December 6, 2019

A fresh coat of paint can go a long way in changing the look and feel of your space, and the last thing you want after meticulously selecting your perfect shade of white is for the old, unattractive color to seep through! One of our favorite neutrals is KILZ® Tribute® paint in Alaskan Mist and it was the perfect color to lighten up this living room.

Taking the heavy olive-green walls to a bright white could have posed a challenge, including a need for excess coats of paint which we definitely wanted to avoid. It was time to prime! We chose KILZ 3™ Premium primer for its thicker, high hiding formula. This water-based primer hides surface imperfections and reduces the need for multiple coats of paint to allow a truer, richer color from the topcoat. A coat of KILZ 3™ Premium primer on the unpleasant green walls followed by paint in Alaskan Mist, and the color change was complete!

If dark paint colors are what you’re after, we have professional primer tips for a light to dark color change as well. It might seem like a dark color like KILZ Complete Coat® paint in Night Magic can easily cover a lighter one in this bedroom refresh, so why prime? However, if you want that deep gray with dark blue undertones to look just right, we would suggest priming first with KILZ 2® All-Purpose primer. This water-based primer offers enhanced hiding, making it ideal for changing colors and helping to lessen the number of coats of paint required.

When painting to hide a previous color, KILZ® Primer reduces the need for multiple coats of paint to allow truer, richer color from your topcoat.

join the conversation: