Learn How to Paint

This weekend I worked on one of the bedrooms in our house. Check out my inspiration here.

This was the plan...

I added just a few new things: duvet cover, curtains, chair, and desk. And shopped my house for the lamp and pillow. Some artwork is still needed, but just a little sprucing up made a big improvement to the room.

It wasn't exactly what I would call a stress free project. But in the end I learned a lot about painting; how to paint wood paneling and how not to paint a metal desk.

Lesson 1:

When the guy at the paint store seems unable to tell you how much paint you need, for the wood paneling on the walls in the bedroom, because his computer program is down, you should not proceed to ask other questions and expect knowledge answers. Hence when said paint store guy insist that the primer plus paint will work great on wood paneling....to not believe him or you will end up with this.

Lesson 2:

When you return to the paint store, do talk to the guy with the 25 years of service badge on his shirt. He will show you the right primer to get, and give very spot-on tips on how to apply it.


Lesson 3:

Even though 25 year guy gave great advice, it will probably not work for you, because you have bad luck. So you have to use two coats of the primer before the paint will stick to the wall, causing great anxiety that you will run out of said primer and have to return to paint store a third time. (For the record, I just made it...if you don't count that spot behind the head board of the bed that no one will ever see because that is now the permanent spot for said bed.

Lesson 4:

After finally finishing the walls in the bedroom, you move on to the desk. The paint job goes great with no problems. Then when the next day you move the desk into the house, from where you painted it in the garage, and barely brush it against the door frame, huge chunks of paint will fall off. You will curse yourself for not using primer, and run outside to spray paint it again. But by this time it is night, the temperature has dropped, and oh yeah it is snowing. The spray paint immediately freezes into a crackle finish on the part you were touching up. Not the look you were going for.

Lesson 5:

So back to paint store (aggghhh) where you purchase primer, sandpaper, and another can of spray paint. You think you are getting smarter now. You are wrong.

Lesson 6:

After a good sanding, the desk is once again ready to be painted. Do not rationalize that the weather is warmer (almost 40) and that is close enough to the temperature that the spray can said is acceptable (50 degrees to 90 degrees). When you add the primer, you get a small crackling effect, but you ignore it thinking the paint will cover it up. Then you add the paint, and it starts to freeze into 3D bubbles all over the whole desk. It looks awful.

Note: I was so upset I forgot to take a picture, but it looked something like this...

 

Via

Lesson 7:

Do not cry...much...over a bad paint job.

Lesson 8:

It does not look as horrible once the paint spreads out a little as it dries. Rationalize that is looks like ice crystalizing. It might even be pretty...maybe. Also, notice that with the addition of the primer, the desk does not chip. Win!

Lesson 9:

Put the desk in the room, and admire how it looks good in the room....if you stand in the doorway....about 5 feet away. Tell yourself that it is good enough for now, and you will just sand it down and start over in April...when it is warmer outside.

Lesson 10:

Learn from this experience. Always sand, prime, then paint...in appropriate weather.

Have you failed at any project lately? Did you learn anything from it?