Kids Jungle Bedroom Idea

Kid Room Idea: Age 3 – 7 Jungle Theme:

Wallpaper Border: At chair rail height, border paper with jungle animals

Below Border: Sand colored paint

Above Border: Pale blue to represent sky

Décor: Artificial tree plant with stuffed monkey hanging from limb or other stuffed exotic birds, snakes, etc. Large black framed prints of animals on walls.

Bed Covering: Black comforter with leopard and tiger print throw pillows

Halloween Story Deficit Disorder

The PW Asks: Have you ever painted a haunted house?

The Painter Says: No.

PW: Not even a creepy room or an animal jumped out or something moved that should not have done so?

Painter: No.

PW: Any pumpkins or ghosts or anything I can put in the blog for a good Halloween scare?

Painter: No.

PW: Boring.

NOT the Painter, but a close relative!

Bedroom Idea: Girl Age 14-18

Kid Room Idea: Girl Age 14 – 18

Walls and Ceiling: Paint walls and ceiling black. Then hand paint white shapes and patterns randomly placed; similar to paisley shapes. The white shapes bend from walls up onto ceiling. (Note: ceiling must be smooth or paintable. No popcorn texture.)

Wood Trim: White or Natural Wood Tone.

Bedding: Black and white.

Lighting: Chandelier with crystal droplets.

This idea came from a black and white patterned napkin and turned out exquisite. Dare to paint the ceiling black to get the right effect!

Advice on Exterior Home Painting in Freezing Temperatures

The PW Asks: How do you prepare for a day of exterior home painting in freezing temps?

The Painter Says: In freezing temps you can only use a semi-transparent product or an oil product and you must add isopropanol to the product which is gas line anti-freeze. There is water based colorant, even in oil based paint. This tiny amount of water helps suspend the colorant. In freezing temperatures, this moisture will crystallize unless the isopropanol is added. Next, the paint pump must stay indoors so the product does not freeze while the hose is snaked out the window.

PW: Why would anyone paint a house at below freezing temps?

Painter: Because the builder of the home may not want the bank to hold money in escrow. If the exterior is not painted by the time of closing, money will be held back.

PW: What do you wear to prepare for this kind of arctic feat?

Painter: A union suit, insulated gloves and good boots.

PW: Brrrrrr

Girl's Room Idea: 10-12yrs

Kid Room Idea: Girl 10-12yrs

Walls: Teal Blue

Ceiling: White

Wood trim: White (This is all window trim, base trim, jambs and doors)

Furniture: Light/Medium stain color

Floor: Hardwood floors with large throw rug in light color with gold diamond geometric pattern

Scary Cold Weather Painting Tale

The PW Asks: Do you have any scary cold weather painting stories?

The Painter Says: One time we were painting a cedar sided house exterior and it started to snow. Our biggest fear was that the snow was sticking to the stain and we worried about how it was going to look. It was only 10 degrees. Everything turned out and we never had a problem.

PW: Does painting home exteriors in cold temperatures have benefits?

Painter: Yes, because surfaces are dried out and as tight as they will ever be. Every inch of that surface is getting coated. When temperatures rise again and the surface expands you will see no lap lines. That’s Minnesota climate!

How Cold Is Too Cold to Paint?

The PW Asks: Can you paint outside in cold temps?

The Painter Says: Some acrylic exterior home products will allow you to paint as low as 35 degrees; but that must be the surface temperature – not the air temperature. In other words, the surface could be colder than the outside temp and that is a recipe for disaster.

PW: I don't think our insurance company would appreciate a recipe for disaster. But they might like your recipe for apple crisp. We need to post that one of these days.