Tag: KILZ Primer

Primer Tips

Primers for Small Projects

August 19, 2020

As we move into the start of fall, there is still ample to tackle painting projects you might not have gotten to during the summer months before the winter and holiday season begins. Small projects that, including furniture repainting or refreshing, can be completed in as little as a day or a weekend – but can still make a big difference in the look and feel of your space.

Do you need to prime when painting a small piece of furniture? Our answer is emphatically yes! But do you need entire gallon of primer to get the job done? Most likely the answer there is no. KILZ® Brand offers a family of hardworking primers suitable for all types of painting projects large and small, indoor and outdoor. Trusted by pros for over 40 years, KILZ® Original Interior Primer is available in a convenient aerosol formula, ideal for small painting projects and spot priming interior surfaces.

If you’ve never used an aerosol primer before, we have a few tips to get you started! Similar to priming a wall or set of cabinets, when using an aerosol primer you’ll want to be sure the surface is clean and free of dust. For glossy surfaces, we recommend scuff sanding the surface before priming to ensure maximum adhesion. When using an aerosol primer, wearing eye protection is advised, as well as covering adjacent areas to protect from any primer overspray. For best results, you’ll want to use the aerosol primer at room temperature.

Once your area and surface are prepped, shake the primer can vigorously for one minute after the mixing ball begins to rattle, and shake often during use. Hold the can upright, moving from side-to-side while spraying lightly and evenly about 12″ from area being painted. We recommend 2-3 thin coats to produce the best results. Dry time for most of our aerosol primers is about one hour, and then you’re ready to paint!

If you don’t want the odor of an aerosol primer, we suggest KILZ Original Low-Odor Interior Aerosol Primer. Formulated with the same stainblocking performance as KILZ Original, it features fast odor dissipation technology which means no lingering odor†. Ideal for use in dining areas, small apartments and other areas which are sensitive to high odor levels.

For furniture pieces that might be exposed to the elements on your porch or patio, KILZ Original Interior | Exterior Aerosol Primer is a great choice. We used this primer as the first step in repainting a thrift-store furniture find, meant to be used as an outdoor dining chair. Another reason to use aerosol primers is when covering intricate and detailed surfaces, like the back of this chair. Not only did the aerosol primer work to seal the surface, but it made priming the scalloped details a breeze!

Looking for more small project priming and painting tips? Check out our recent post on using KILZ Chalk Style paint to upcycle furniture.

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.

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Inspiration

Dining Room Debate: Light or Bright?

August 11, 2020

Is your dream dining room serving up pops of bright color, fun fabrics and fixtures? Or perhaps neutral tones and coastal inspired textures are your preferred dining room design menu? That is the question of this post, as we look at dining rooms styles from light to bright. No matter your style, we’re pretty sure there is one you will love!



Our dining room debate arose as we started a project to refresh an adorable dining nook. We knew we wanted to take the walls from the current dirty brown shade to an airy white hue, so first it was time to prime. To cover the light brown paint color, we chose KILZ 2® All-Purpose primer. This water-based primer offers excellent adhesion and easily covers light to medium colors. After properly priming the walls (and allowing them to dry!), we top coated with KILZ Complete Coat® Paint in White Wing. This sugar white shade has a cotton underdone and appears as a soft white in most light. For full step-by-step directions on covering both light and dark paint colors head over to our post Pro Tips for Painting Over a Dark or Light Wall.

The fresh white walls created a perfect blank canvas that could easily be the backdrop for a variety of color palettes. Inspired by the existing table and chairs, we started with a California Casual design style and played with neutral tones and textures. A new jute rug under the table anchored the space, while a fun basket-weave chandelier, sea-glass colored vase and ocean-inspired accessories completed the look.

Next up, it was time to turn this style on its head and go from light to bright! We brought in a bright white table and chalk-painted blue wooden chairs and an over-sized teal rug. Striped cushions and colorful brightened up the dining bench, while an array of three playful chandeliers came together to create a fun statement chandelier.


The newly primed and painted walls were the perfect backdrop for these two design styles, proving that white walls are far from boring. From bold and colorful, to sophisticated and neutral, the right white shade on your walls can open up a space to a myriad of design possibilities. Which style spoke to you?

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.

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Trends

Our Favorite 2020 Design Trends

January 7, 2020

While the KILZ® brand is known first and foremost for our hardworking primers, color and design are also important to our team! Primer might technically be colorless, but it is a crucial step in adding color to your walls, cabinets and furniture pieces. Primer should often be the first step in achieving a new look for your space, so in a sense you can consider primer a part of the design process just as much as paint.

As we enter a new year, we’re excited to share a few color and design trends to help you along the way to completing your painting and renovation projects. Color and design trends are everywhere, and there is no one size fits all in terms of the hottest hue or best design style – but we’ve rounded up a few of our 2020 favorites to help inspire your project planning process in this new year.

Kitchen with navy cabinets and white countertops with a large white farmhouse sink

Kitchens Are King:

In 2020, you’re going to see kitchen renovations and remodels popping like corn at the movies! (Translation: they’re everywhere and on everyone’s minds). In 2020, we’ll be exploring more kitchen color trends and design hacks on the blog to help you renovate your kitchen on budgets both big and small. Blue textured wall with a blue colored chest

Not Over Navy:

Blues and grays have been popular paint colors in recent years and we’re nowhere near done with them. From kitchens to bedrooms and cabinets to walls, navy can often act as a “dark neutral” to give a pop of color to a space while also keeping it classic. And we’re not alone in our love for navy, Pantone named Classic Blue the Color of 2020. Look out for some of our favorite shades of Navy in upcoming How-To posts later this year (spoiler alert – we’re painting everything from living room walls to dining room chairs in this easy to love shade!). Bedroom with green walls and a green fireplace with a bed that has purple sheets

Fireplaces that Pop:

Who doesn’t love the crackling of a warm fire on a cold winter’s day? And for a fireplace design that pops both inside and out, we’re loving bright white bricks against colored walls and monochrome fireplaces in unexpected shades. Living room with navy walls and a grey couch with a decorative pillow

Full Circle Design:

Patterns and shapes are easy ways to add fun and unexpected touches to any room, and for 2020 we’re loving circles! From painting round pops of color on an accent wall to circular inspired décor items like mirrors, fabric and lighting, curved shapes and lines bring a nice softness to any design style. Nursery with blue, yellow, and grey walls and a white crib

Color Blocking Children’s Spaces:

A little one’s room is the perfect place to play with pops of colors and interesting patterns or color placement. In 2019 we showcased a nursery makeover with a sweet striped wall, and we’re excited to explore more color blocking in 2020 for kid’s rooms.

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