Use the design tips and hints to help make your exterior painting project easier.
Spring Cleaning
If you get the urge to wash your curtains and beat your rugs the minute the thermometer starts to rise, carry some of that energy outdoors. A few hours spent cleaning and repainting gutters, washing mildew patches off the porch, and painting over any peeling spots delivers a powerful seasonal pick-me-up to the exterior of your home.
Fanciful Fence
Here’s an easy weekend project that results in a cute headboard for a child’s bed. Buy a three or four-foot section of picket fence at any home supply store. Sand smooth, then prime and paint in the color of your choice (use a glossy finish to stand up to little hands). Attach directly to the wall, and position the bed in front. The effect is fresh and garden like, and the slats make a handy spot for a clip-on reading light.
Ready to Pounce?
If you’re planning a faux finish project, here’s a term you’ll need to add to your paint glossary: pouncing. Simply put, pouncing is the act of gently dabbing the tip of a dry brush into wet glaze, removing just enough of the top coat to let a base color shine through. Less pronounced than sponging, pouncing results in a soft, subtle, dappled finish, often called a “stippled” effect.
Freshen Your Furniture
Wrought iron and wicker furniture may need a quick coat of paint to spiff it up after months of winter storage. One easy remedy: a can of spray paint, which works into wicker weave and iron curlicues better than a brush. Just remember to wear eye protection and a mask, then spray away.
What a Drag
Despite the name, dragging is anything but tiresome. Instead, it’s a quick way to achieve an interesting, textured finish on a painted wall. Simply drag a dry brush (a broad wallpaper brush works well) through wet paint or glaze, leaving a trail of fine vertical lines. Always work top to bottom, dragging the brush in one clean swipe, and keep your hand steady and wrist firm.
Slippery Slope
Disposable plastic dropcloths are great for protecting furniture during a painting project, but to cover the floor, nothing beats canvas. Plastic is dangerously slippery underfoot, and prone to rip right when it’s needed to catch a spill. Invest in a real canvas dropcloth, instead: you can throw it the washing machine when you’re done, and it’s durable enough for a lifetime of painting projects.
Summery Stripes
Here’s a backyard project the whole family can help with: transforming an old picnic table into a playful patio focal point. Choose two colors that tie in with the exterior color of your house—perhaps the window trim and front door “punch” colors. Paint the picnic table slats and benches in broad awning stripes, alternating the two colors. Use a glossy exterior paint, for easy sponging after outdoor dining.
Porch Pick-Me-Up
If the front door of your home is like a friendly handshake, the front porch is the welcome mat. Giving the porch floor a fresh coat of paint every few years keeps the whole house looking fresh and inviting. Remember: mid-tone colors usually work best (too light will show dirt and too dark will look gloomy); and use extra durable porch paint, which comes in a wide variety of shades or can be custom tinted.
