The Cloffice Part Deux: Repainting Project

The prep time you spend prior to painting will save you aggravation and disappointment in the end.

Ten steps from start to finish.

3 days.

Total Cost: $157.50

New window treatment: 2 curtain panels... $50.00

Vinyl mini blind...$9.99

3 storage bins...$32.00

Contact paper...$6.75

Paint and Primer...$44.00

Roller covers...$10.00

Caulk...$4.75

Before (Pewter).....and.....After (Red Delicious), and how I got there:

You'll need the following supplies for painting:

Dropcloth

Claw Hammer (for removing nails)

Paintbrush

Paint Roller Covers + Roller

Paint Trays (I buy disposable plastic ones for $2.79, rather than washing them out)

Detachable screw top handle for the paint roller (looks like a broomstick)

Screwdrivers (flat head and philips head, for removing window hardware and switchplates)

Blue Painter's Tape

Ziploc Baggies

Lightweight Spackling

Putty Knife

220 Grit Sandpaper

Paintable Caulk (in a small tube, no big cartridge or caulking gun necessary!)

Rags

Primer (Use Gray primer to cover the existing paint, so that the Red paint adheres and covers well)

Paint in various colors( Red for walls, Bright White for ceiling and trim. I chose Eggshell finish.)

Paint Stirrers

Ladder or Stepstool

1. Set up a staging area for all supplies. The room I'm painting (closet + office = The Cloffice) is 11.5' x 8' so I'm using the adjoining bathroom to access tools and supplies. Give yourself some elbow room! I've never stepped backwards into a pan full of paint...and I don't want to start today.


2. Clear all furniture out, remove items from desktop, take all art off the walls and take down window treatments. Remove switchplate covers from outlets. Place all re-usable picture hangers, nails and screws in a Ziploc baggie. Tape the switchplate screws to the switchplates so you don't have to hunt for them later!

3. Fill nail holes with lightweight spackling, scrape off excess. You'll have less to sand.

4. Caulk all spaces between molding and ceiling, and places where molding has separated. Use Paintable Caulk!!

5. When the caulk is dry, start "from the top" and paint the ceiling first, then the trim. No primer needed--I'm painting white over white!

6. Protect the lighting fixure with painter's tape. Do not get near the hot bulb with the paint-filled roller--the bulb will shatter!! I learned that the blonde way, helping my friend Tracy repaint about 20 years ago!

7. De-lint the roller cover by using the sticky side of blue painter's tape. Wrap tape around your hand/knuckles and roll back and forth, like taking lint off a sweater.

 This "Wooster Shortcut" brand is my new favorite brush for "cutting in" -- the angle is perfect, and the handle is short and flexible, for greater control!

8. Now, "cut in" the ceiling paint with a brush. By that I mean, paint an outline of the perimeter edges with a brush, so you can use a roller to fill in the rest. It gives you neater edges, with no globs of paint, and there is no need to jam the roller into corners.

" Cutting in" the wall seam, the edges and under the molding with the small brush, loaded with gray-tinted primer.

9. Use the roller to fill in! Roll quickly but evenly, so the texture is like a lemon rind. Trust yourself here--it looks sloppy and ugly now, but...

It dries evenly!!

Primer dries to the touch in about an hour, but let it CURE for a few hours, so that the deep red paint will go on evenly and the paint molecules will grab on, rather than smear or get muddy!!

Though it's a small room, this job does not need to get any bigger than ONE weekend---red paint can be a challenge. Follow my tips regarding the primer (no shortcuts!) and the room will have a deep, lush color with just 2 coats of red paint, rather than 4-6 coats.

Another product plug--I love this "Handy Paint Pail" with disposable plastic liners. It's been through quite a few projects! Hold the pail, rather than the handle: pushing the handle up to my wrist allows me to stay balanced when up on a ladder, rather than trying to hold a wobbly paint tray or cup of paint, and there's a magnet that holds a brush.

10. OK, time to get bold. I'm ready for the RED paint! Same deal as the primer--cut in the edges, ONE wall at a time with a brush...then fill in with a well loaded roller. Make a W shape and keep rolling with even pressure over the wall, to get that lemon rind texture, and make sure there are no drips. If you press down too hard on the roller, you'll force paint off the edges, and will get "lap marks." They'll dry into a ridge...so make sure you catch any of those! The paint goes on light, and dries darker.

The first coat will dry a little splotchy looking, but I'm not worried.  I'm really happy with the way it looks so far!  Let the paint dry and cure overnight before painting the 2nd/final coat...and touching up the trim.

Gettin' there!

Finished!

Detail of window treatment. I re-used the curtain rod, which is "Blomma" from IKEA. The silver grommet in the curtain adds a bit of metro flair and it's repeated in the storage bins. (All from Bed, Bath & Beyond.) I used contact paper (from Home Depot) to cover the existing blotter I'm updating (from Pier 1), and repeated it on the inside walls of the closet (where shelf pin holes were visible!)