Restore a Timeless Home with KILZ® and Leanne Ford

Here on the Perfect Finish, we sat down with top designer Leanne Ford to chat about her restoration to the exterior of her 120-year-old home in Pittsburgh.  Using KILZ 3^® Premium Primer and exterior paint from the BEHR^® MARQUEE^® Designer Collection palette, Leanne’s goal is to restore all the exterior spaces of her home to their natural original beauty. 

“My husband and I bought an old historical home from 1900 and I loved it had been set empty for almost five years before we moved in, and it was totally magical. It was waiting for us. And it’s this beautiful old historical home that I really felt drawn to save and fix up and take it back to its glory.” – Leanne Ford

Built in 1900 by celebrated architectural icon, Charles Barton Keen, this home is punctuated with gorgeous exterior elements, wooden windows, pergolas, archways, and columns, all waiting to be brought back to life.

“I’m trying to hone in on what the architect’s plan was for this home, what the people that built it, what their plan was for the home. So, we’re really just doing primer and paint on the window and all the woodwork on all the doors, which is exciting. This home is 120 years old and we’re only the third owner. So, I do feel a duty to keep it beautiful.”

To save as much as possible of the exterior, there are structural elements that need some love. To start, Leanne chose KILZ 3^® Premium Primer, a versatile and heavy-duty interior and exterior primer, that will create a clean canvas for new color. She emphasizes the importance of tackling a restoration like this right from the start, which includes choosing the right products for long-lasting results.

“The outside of your house is a big job, and I’m trying to do this and not do it again for a long time. So, I’m getting the best primer. I’m getting the best paint. I want to do it right. And I want it to last. First, we’re going to do KILZ 3 Premium Primer and we’re going to put it on all the surfaces and really, it’s going to make it a beautiful clean canvas for the paint.” – Leanne Ford 

The Pergola

“This house is all about the outside. It’s all about the garden, and it’s all about the pergola, and it’s all about the sunroom. This house is made for sitting outside and looking at this beautiful building.”

The current state of the exterior proves the home has withstood many decades of weathering. To refresh this historic structure, KILZ 3 Premium Primer ensures that porous surfaces are evenly sealed; scuffs and blemishes are hidden, stains that could otherwise show through or bleed through the paint are blocked and sealed-in and odors are neutralized. Reminder, it’s always important to clean and prep any surface appropriately, including exteriors, prior to applying a fresh coating.

The Windows

“My big thing is the windows and the doors and the wood. I don’t want these windows to look brand new. I wanted them to look clean and give them a fresh life.”

KILZ 3 Premium Primer creates a clean slate for the new color to show as intended. These windows pay homage to the age of the home and restoring them with KILZ 3 Premium Primer allows for the new topcoat to have a long life.

The Stucco

Much of the home is engulfed in stucco and it’s just as important to refresh and restore. After a thorough power wash, the adhesion from KILZ 3 Premium Primer will act as an anchor for the topcoat of paint to ensure it stays on the surface and prevents peeling while remaining flexible enough to handle the weather.

Once primed, and ready to go, the topcoat color can be applied. Leanne chose BEHR MARQUEE in Natural White from the new Designer Collection palette. This is a soft and timeless shade, a perfect fit for this home restoration. The BEHR Designer Collection is a palette full of tried-and-true designer-approved white, neutral, and accent colors.

“This home will be perfect for many dinner parties and family celebrations outside in the garden, admiring this historic home’s natural beauty. Walking to the backyard with a refreshed stucco archway and the new ivy growing on the pergola make the garden feel like a secret oasis for family and guests to enjoy. I envision having a very long life here. This is my last house.” – Leanne Ford  

This is a paid partnership with Leanne Ford.

Always refer to our website kilz.com or product back labels for additional information on which primer is suitable for your project and detailed instructions on how to apply our products. Check out our Coverage Calculator to understand your estimated paint needs for your upcoming project.