Decorating With Paint

(HIT) - There are several reasons why painting ranks as the nation’s most popular do-it-yourself decorating project. Painting enables you to get the exact colors and the precise sheens that you want in your home’s decor. Plus, it’s much easier to paint than to wallpaper, and it costs less money.

Do the walls in your house need a decorating face lift? But one that’s quick, inexpensive and as painless as possible? Easy enough. Invest in some top quality paint, a good brush and get going!

Decorating With Paint Provides A Personal Touch

New decorative painting techniques are in vogue today which for relatively little money, can give a room its own distinctive flair. Sure, you can always decorate with the reliable, creative ways to apply paint—such as with a sponge for a cloud-like effect; or a rag to simulate fabric; with a comb to create striped patterns; or through stencils to customize a wall. Or you can flick small dots of paint over a basecoat for a nifty spattering effect.

"With these paint decorating techniques you can create the exact colors and effects that you want", explains Gregg Jacobsen, Director of Sales and Marketing for Martin-Senour® Paints.

"Wallpaper can give you a pre-packaged look. But whenever you use decorative painting techniques, you put your own personal touch on your decorating project".

"Two people can use the same color paint and apply the same decorating techniques, but the end results will still turn out differently. One person may use a real fine stroke, while another person may paint with a slightly different density. It’s neat, because the final product is a piece of you—like art work," observes Jacobsen.

"Thanks to the various techniques available for decorating with paint, you can get the effect of wallpaper, but in the color you select", explains Rochelle Friedman Walk, Director—Marketing Communications for Dutch Boy® Paints. "When you apply wallpaper, you are stuck with the dye lots that a designer has chosen. But with paint, you’re decorating with an almost unlimited pallete of colors," adds Walk.

Decorating With Paint Is Easy

"Decorating with paint is relatively easy—whereas wallpapering requires more experience and knowledge," continues Walk. "It’s easier to get a more consistent result with paint and to feel more confident with your decorating work". "Walk wisely notes that "decorating with paint requires less time. You can usually select your colors, purchase them, come home, and complete your painting project in one day." But with wallpapering, you generally need to order the wallpaper or select it in advance. Wallpapering is a much more involved, laborious process requiring more work and more experience. You need to line up the design and pattern and cut around corners and windows.

"When decorating with paint, if you’re not pleased with the effect, you can always apply another coat of paint," advises Jacobsen. "You don’t have to worry about stripping wallpaper and gouging your walls. You can always paint over paint, but it’s not usually recommended to paint over wallpaper."

Decorating With Paint Is Cost Effective

Most of the time, decorating with paint is less expensive than wallpapering. Jacobsen maintains that people should purchase the best paint product that they can afford. "You can buy paint for $4 or $20, but for $16 difference, you can have the best product on the marketplace. By spending just a little bit more money, you’ll end up with a final result that may last twice as long."

Different Decorative Painting Effects

Decorating with paint offers the opportunity to create a variety of effects and illusions. For example, you can use color to adjust the size and shape of your room. Walk suggest that you select a warm color to bring in a really big room. And for a room with a very high ceiling, you might choose a ceiling paint with a deeper tone to bring it down a bit. "Or you can actually opt for a combination of paint and wallpaper," explains Walk. "Let’s say that you have an unusual set up of walls with no breaks. You might choose to paint one wall to add diversity," says Walk.

Paint Also Adds Protection

"After decoration or improved appearance, a secondary reason to paint is the protection it offers, especially in a home’s high activity areas, such as the kitchen, bathroom, and children’s rooms. Products with a satin or semi-gloss enamel will give you better washability, scrubability and overall durability," notes Jacobsen. "Typically in these rooms you are also looking for additional protection against moisture or grease from cooking smoke.

Exterior Painting

The main reason to paint the exterior of your house is for protection against weather and the elements. "If paint is peeling, the moisture will penetrate into the wood, which will lead to degradation of the wood," explains Jacobsen.

"Back ten or fifteen years ago, the vast majority of homes were painted a color," observes Jacobsen. "Afterall, more people see the exterior of your home than the interior. People are applying more accent and trim colors these days, and they are using the outside of their house to express their personality through color."

For technical assistance or more information about decorating with paint, call the Martin-Senour® Paints at 1 800 542 8468 or Dutch Boy® Paints at 1 800 828 5669.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center

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