Month: April 2020

How Primer Affects Paint Color
April 15, 2020Springtime and DIY projects go hand in hand, and this spring season it feels like that sentiment rings truer than ever before. With all of us staying home to practice safe social distancing we have a lot more time on our hands, making it the perfect time to tackling a DIY painting project. But before you paint, don’t forget to prime!
While the paint’s job is all about color, the primer’s job is to prepare the surface for painting and make that color the best it can be. Even with a simple color change where you’re covering an existing lighter color with another color, it wouldn’t be advisable to paint without priming. If you paint without priming first, the end result could be a color that is a slightly different shade that the color you selected. For a simple color change from walls to furniture re-painting projects, KILZ 2® All-Purpose Primer is right for the job.
There are also certain surface types that are extremely porous, including brick and wood. If you paint on these surfaces without priming, there is a good chance the paint will seep into the surface – and that means your color won’t be as vibrant or true as you were expecting. When you’re looking to seal porous surfaces, KILZ® 1 Standard Primer and KILZ 2 All-Purpose are both great primer choices.
And it goes without saying that when painting over a darker color with a new, fresh-as-spring lighter shade, you definitely want to prime first. Otherwise shades like deep red will show through and change the tone of the new paint color you selected. If you’re going from a darker to a lighter color in your DIY painting project, KILZ® 3 Premium Primer has a thick, high-hide formula that is up to the task.
Prime first for dark to light color changes!
In all of these cases, priming before painting lessens the number of topcoats required – saving you time and ensuring your finished DIY project is the color you desired!
Always remember to refer to our website kilz.com or product back labels for additional information on which primer is right for your project and detailed instructions on how to apply our products.



One Living Room Two Ways
April 1, 2020To demonstrate that a fresh coat of paint can dramatically change the vibe of a space, we took one living room and styled it in two different monochromatic looks. Both designs started with choosing the right paint color! To ensure that the colors popped, the walls were primed with KILZ 2® All-Purpose primer prior to painting. This water-based, multi-surface primer is ideal for use when changing paint colors.
If you read our recent post on 2020 Design Trends, you know that we’re loving all shades of navy blue. The moody color works great in many different room types, and it was the perfect hue to bring some cool drama into this large living room. We chose KILZ Complete Coat® in Authentic Navy – a dark blue with a subtle purple undertone that appears as a true navy in most light. KILZ Complete Coat is a high-quality, water-based paint that provides a durable and scrubbale finish that is ideal for high traffic areas like living rooms.
Keeping the same major pieces of furniture for both looks (including the sofa, coffee table and arm chair), the paint color alone made a big difference in the feel of the space. Pillows, plants and other small décor items in a range of blue shades brought in a modern yet minimalist look, while a hint of bright orange in the artwork alluded to the next color that would transform the room.
After priming the walls with KILZ 2 All-Purpose to give us a clean slate, the walls were painted in KILZ Complete Coat in Pom Pom Orange, a cheerful marigold hue with a carrot undertone. The new bright orange wall inspired a bohemian, desert vibe for the space – calling for an abundance of accessories including vases, potted desert plants, patterned textiles and three-dimensional artwork.
By simply changing the paint color and accessories, this living room was transformed into two very different design styles – and it all started with the proper primer to make those paint colors pop!
Authentic Navy
Pom Pom Orange
Always remember to refer to our website kilz.com or product back labels for additional information on which primer is right for your project and detailed instructions on how to apply our products.



Calming and Energizing Paint Colors
April 1, 2020Changing the color of your walls can not only make a big impact on the overall look and feel of your space, but it can also affect your mood. Color theory is at the core of most interior design education programs and speaks to how different colors have the ability to evoke feelings of happiness, calm, excitement and even hunger. This month we’re showcasing two beautiful paint color palettes, each curated to suit a specific mood.
The colors for our two palettes were chosen from KILZ Complete Coat® line of a paint, a premium acrylic paint with excellent hide that is durable, scrubbable and resistant to fading. With the start of the spring season signaling fresh beginnings and longer days, our first featured palette is all about bright, happy and energizing colors. Including a vibrant teal-blue, sunny orange and yellow, and a sweet-sangria red – this palette is all about happy hues that bring about a sense of vitality and energy.
Southwestern Trail is a medium blue with a yellow undertone.
Lemonette is a bright daisy yellow with a gold undertone.
Chameleon is a green pepper with a cheery granny smith apple undertone.
Francesca is a deep red that evokes the color of a sweet red sangria in certain light.
Spice Market is a tangerine with a ginger orange undertone.
Our second palette is a breath of fresh air – comprised of soft blues, subtle greens and graceful grays. These lighter hues can instantly soften a space and evoke feelings of peace and relaxation. Including slightly brighter light blues and greens, along with cool gray tones with the subtlest hints of purple or gray, this palette is instantly calming.
Blue Juniper is a light blue with a gray undertone that is reminiscent of a cool rain cloud.
Twilight Spell is a grayed light purple with a slight red undertone.
Garden Moss is a mossy lime with a sage undertone, a perfectly relaxed green.
Alaskan Ice is a white with a blue gray undertone, like a cool cloudy day.
Touch of Lime is a light green with a yellow undertone.
It’s easy to see that color choice can have a big impact not only on how your space looks, but how it feels too. If you’re interested to try on different paint colors in different spaces (or even in your own space virtually!) check out KILZ Color Perfect™ where you can upload and virtually paint digital photos.
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