Nancy Golden shows how she remade a spacious entryway into a warm, inviting foyer -- and in the process, created a focal point for the home. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the greatest degree of difficulty, this project rates a 3. It took 20 hours, spread over the course of two and a half days, to complete (it would have taken longer had most of the prep work not been done earlier in the week). The total cost for materials was $300. The first step in the project is to measure the space carefully. In this case, the foyer is a compact space horizontally but has high ceilings that draw the eye upward. Golden's main goal in this project is to balance the vertical and horizontal effects by contrasting the staircase with the rest of the entrance and adding a focal wall. After taking the room measurements, she creates a sketch of the room to scale and attaches paint-chip samples in the colors she has already chosen. Decorative painter Gigi Turpin suggests using a semigloss paint for the base coat. It will provide the best foundation for future coats of paint and glaze. Materials:
Paint
Brushes (paintbrushes, stencil brushes, etc.)
Sponges
Painters tape
Rubber gloves
Level
Plumb bob
Primer
Tape measure
Pencil
Caulk
Finish and glaze
Two wooden columns
Wood screws
1/4" plywood square
Permanent marker
Hand saw
Drill and/or screwdriver
Preparation: Apply base coat to walls and paint columns. Allow both to dry 10 to 12 hours. Expert tips: Be sure to allow plenty of time to paint the foyer, and always use scaffolding when painting tall areas. Beginning the Transformation In order to make a bold statement and provide contrast with the caramel shade she has chosen as the base color for the foyer walls, Golden suggests using a power color such as red, blue or black. In this instance, she plans to paint the treads and handrails black. - Tape off the areas that will not be painted, using painters tape (figure A ).
- Prime the area to be painted. Primer allows the paint to stick perfectly and thus resist peeling in two to three months.
Note: Because primer is typically white, in order to avoid unnecessary multiple coats, add a portion of the paint (2 ounces of paint to a gallon of primer) to darken it somewhat (figure B).
RESOURCES :
Painting Skills
ISBN: 1842154109
Author: Mike Lawrence
Order this title from Amazon.com.
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