Paint your look
Jacqui Tutton of Gqeberha writes We swapped houses with my father-in-law; he moved to our smaller property, which is more manageable for him, and we moved to his bigger plot with a large garden for our boys. Now, I’d like to tackle a DIY makeover on a budget.
We’ve painted the bedroom walls a light grey; what colour would you recommend for the pedestals? I’d also like to paint the built-in wooden cupboards in the dressing room a dark navy blue, and I want to paint over the existing bathroom tiles. Any tips?
Jani Augustyn-Goussard of Paint & Decor DIY replies I think the current trend of ‘colour drenching’ could work very well for you. This entails using tones and shades of a single colour across many surfaces in one room.
FOR YOUR BEDROOM
Paint your bedside pedestals in a colour that picks up on your décor. Consider a lovely light grey like Annie Sloan’s Chicago Grey with a toned-down Annie Sloan English Yellow stripe. Paint the wall behind the bed in a darker grey with a blue undertone such as Paint & Decor’s Rosemary. If you prefer a more dramatic look, paint the wall behind your bed and the pedestals in a dark navy like Paint & Decor’s Midnight (see right). For a modern edge, paint the bottom half of your lampshades in Annie
Sloan English Yellow.
THE BATHROOM
Your tiles look shiny, which means the glaze is hard and non-porous, making it difficult to paint over as there’s no grip for paint or primer. Use graphic towels, a patterned rug and plants to add interest until you’ve saved up enough to retile. However, if you’re determined to repaint, follow these steps. Remember: this isn’t a long-term solution:
1 Clean the tiles with sugar soap and a scrubbing brush and ensure that the grout and all the crevices around the bath are clean too. Wash the sugar soap off with water and a clean cloth. Let it dry.
2 Sand the tiles with 120-grit sandpaper. Wipe the dust off with a clean cloth.
3 Use a good quality tile primer such as Paint & Decor’s Multipurpose Primer or Plascon’s Tile & Melamine Primer and follow the instructions carefully.
4 Once done, apply two layers of a good quality wall paint such as Paint & Decor’s Luxury Lowsheen.
5 Seal with a good quality varnish. I’ve used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Lacquer and Woodoc Water-Borne
Floor Sealer with great success.