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Powder Room Design Tips

While a half bathroom might not seem like it requires much interior design thought, it is still a part of your home that allows you to make a statement! Typically, half bathrooms are utilized most by visitors. Many homeowners neglect their powder rooms, leaving guests with a less-than-impressive experience when they visit. Spruce your powder room up with these design ideas to leave your guests feeling welcomed and impressed when they stop by.

Use fresh paint colors. Not only is painting a fast and inexpensive way to update any part of your home, but it can instantly convert the look and feel of your entire powder room. Opt for a color that is light and bright, as dark hues tend to make a room look smaller and more cramped than it actually. To give the illusion of more space, powdery blues and light lavenders are great colors for small bathrooms.
Opt for open shelving. If your powder room lacks storage space, install shelving over the toilet or vanity mirror. There are plenty of options available specifically designed for these tight areas, so you won’t be losing much space in your powder room. Open shelving is a great way to store extra toiletries or washcloths and it provides a flattering and modern look.
Create a mirror wall. Instead of including a small mirror above the sink, install a large mirror that will cover up an entire wall in the bathroom. Since mirrors create depth and dimension, covering an entire wall with a mirror will create the illusion of a larger space.
Incorporate a pedestal sink. One easy way to create more space in a half bathroom is to ditch the large vanity basin sink and install a skinny pedestal one instead. Not only do pedestal sinks clear up more room, but they are versatile and can match virtually any theme or color scheme.
Install sconce lighting. If you are looking for a refined way to include more lighting into your powder room, sconce lighting is an optimal choice. They’re small and don’t take up too much space, and are also available in many different colors and design options.

Just because your powder room is small doesn’t mean that it deserves design neglect! Follow these tips and tricks to transform your half bathroom into a relaxing and inviting environment. For more design inspiration, contact the professionals at CertaPro Painters of Des Plaines.

How To Remove Paint Stains

Painting can be a messy project if it’s not handled properly. Drips and accidental paint spills can do major damage to flooring, clothing, furniture and even skin. As a general rule, you want to clean up a paint spill as soon as it happens. Unfortunately, this can’t always be done, and a dried paint stain must be dealt with. This guide explains the two most common types of paint used in house-hold applications, and the best methods to remove them.

Types of House-hold Paints

Before you handle a paint stain, you’ll need to understand the type of paint that caused the stain.

Oil Paint: Oil-based paints are typically used for exterior applications because they grip the surface that they are covering better than a latex paint would. Oil paints take more time to dry than other types of paints due to the additives, sometimes as long as 24 hours. These additives give the paint a glossier finish, but make it very difficult to remove.

Water-/Latex-Based Paint: Water-based paints are best for interior applications. This type of paint dries rather quickly because the moisture in it evaporates. While water-based paints aren’t as durable or as shiny as other paints, they are very easy to clean up after. Typically, only soap and water are required to do the job. Latex paints tend to last longer than other paints, having a better resistance to cracking and a better color retention.

Paint Removal

Oil Paint Removal: Oil based paint is difficult to remove from a surface, but it’s not impossible. Normally, the use of chemicals is required. Turpentine, acetone, kerosene, and other varieties of chemical paint thinners do a decent job of removing oil paint, but they can also strip the surface of its original color, particularly in clothing. Test the surface you’re trying to remove the paint from prior to emptying a container of paint stripper on it.

Once you’ve purchased a chemical paint remover (which you’ll find available in pastes, liquids, sprays, and other forms).

If the oil paint landed on a wood surface, sand off as much of the paint as you can, then use the paint stripper to remove the rest.
If the oil paint landed on a carpeted surface, you can try pulling as much of the excess paint out first , then using the paint thinner to remove the rest.
To remove oil paints from the skin, wash with soap and water first. If that doesn’t remove the paint completely, use baby oil, a combination of olive oil and salt, a homemade sugar scrub, or even mayonnaise to gently strip paint from your skin.

To make the job even easier, heat up the oil paint on whatever the surface may be, then scrape what melts off. Finish the job with the chemical paint remover of your choosing.

Always remember to wear protection when using chemical strippers to avoid any health-related issues.

Latex Paint Removal: Luckily, there are a few ways to clean up a latex paint spill. If the paint spill is still wet on any kind of surface, soap and water will usually remove it.

To take latex paint off of most surfaces, remove as much of the paint from the surface first, then use the soapy mixture to gently dab the surface clean. If the paint is on clothing, soak it in water first and then machine wash regularly.
If the latex paint has dried on a surface, scrape as much of the dried paint off. Use pliers, putty knife, or another type of scraping device, taking care to avoid scratching the surface. Then, soak the area with a mixture of water and dish soap, scrubbing after a few minutes to begin removing the caked on paint.

If you’re struggling to remove latex paint with soap and water, you can find water-based latex paint removal products in a home improvement store. These solutions are mixed with water and then blotted on the paint stain. When you’re shopping, check the type of remover before you make a purchase – there are a variety of options available specifically designed to work on certain surfaces.

Remember, paint stains are preventable! Trust experts, like those at CertaPro Painters of North Raleigh, to tackle your interior or exterior painting project mess free.

Elegant Bedroom Ideas

As a homeowner, it’s safe to say that your master bedroom is your favorite part of your home. It’s your sanctuary, the space you rely on at the end of the day to just unwind and relax. Many times, people think a bedroom should be comfy, cozy, and inviting, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be elegant, too! If you consider your style comfortable yet chic, these design tips are perfect for you!

Neutral color scheme. Neutral themes are anything but boring – they’re timeless and easy to match your décor and furnishings around. Experts suggest starting with fresh, neutral color like beige, gray or white as a base for your elegant bedroom design. From there, you have the freedom to incorporate pops of color in your décor. Working around a nude color palette allows you to play with furniture upholstery, wall decor, bedding and more.
Add a statement piece. To create an elegant bedroom, include one or two pieces that will stand out and capture the attention. Lay down a captivating throw rug or install a dramatic painting. By limiting your number of statement furnishings, you avoid creating a bedroom that feels busy. For a smaller bedroom, play with your bedspread design and make that the statement piece in your room.
Decorate your bed with pillows. Add some elegant drama to your room with lavish throw pillows. Avoid going overboard with decorative pillows. Instead, Mimi Wilson, a Gainesville interior decorator, recommends using the rule of odd numbers. Odd numbers are more visually appealing, so if you have two sleeping pillows, incorporate three accent pillows to create a balanced look.
Include extra seating. The main piece of furniture in a bedroom is a bed, but that doesn’t mean that you are restricted to just that. For instance, you might also want a space where you can sit and read. Small arm chairs like this Milan wood accent chair or a bench at the foot of your bed are perfect for creating such a space. By incorporating additional seating into your bedroom, you add dimension and create an upscale feel.
Install decorative lighting. The way a room is lit creates the ambiance, but a dramatic chandelier or lamp also adds style to a room. It’s important to consider the size of your bedroom before you settle on a light. For instance, if your bedroom has high ceilings, you can work a chandelier into the space. Work within the space to find a light fixture that creates a look of balanced elegance.

If your master bedroom isn’t already your favorite part of your home, or if you’re simply looking to upgrade, follow these easy tips and tricks for transforming your bedroom into a space of luxury and elegance.

5 Best Interior Design Projects for Winter

With the cold weather and early nights, you may be looking for a way to distract yourself from the winter blues. Giving your home a winter makeover could be just the pick-me-up you need. For some, organizing, updating and redecorating clears the mind and relieves stress. Here are some of the best interior design projects you can undergo this winter to keep yourself busy!

1. Pick a room and repaint it.

This may seem like a major undertaking, but it is actually quite simple and cost efficient. Rich colors, jewel tones and grays are great colors for the winter months, according to the expert Portsmouth painters at CertaPro. The richer colors can make a room feel more warm and cozy, while the grays can put you in the winter wonderland mindset. You can also play up the winter whites in a gray room through your furniture and decor.

2. Revamp your lighting.

Soft lighting creates the perfect environment for cozying up with your loved ones during the cold winter nights. Replace your current lights with ones that have a dimming option or you could forget typical lamps altogether and use candles. Candlelight is very romantic and also comforting. If you use scented candles, you can bring in the smells of the season as well, like cinnamon, pine or Christmas cookies.

3. Add new textures, fabrics and accent pieces around the house.

Wool, faux fur and cashmere are just a few fabrics that exude a wintery feel. You can add throw blankets or pillows to your couch or layer some plush area rugs on hardwood floors. Place a festive table runner on your dining room table, mantle or buffet. According to Olathe, KS interior decorator Becky Lane, metallic, gold, silver and sparkly accent pieces, like vases or candlesticks, also bring in the winter vibes.

4. Spruce up the fireplace.

If you haven’t changed the look of your fireplace in decades, winter is a great time to do so. Modernize an old school fireplace or rework your current mantle with various votive candles or a festive holiday shag. If it’s a wooden mantle, you could re-stain it and add some seasonal decorations atop it. If you don’t have an actual chimney or fireplace, there are plenty of space heaters on the market that resemble fireplaces and work well in small spaces.

5. Update your window treatments.

If you live in a colder region, your windows may need to be insulated sooner rather than later, especially if they have been causing drafts since the fall. You want to accomplish this before the temperatures really begin to drop. You can replace your blinds with heavier window treatments that will help insulate your home during the cold winter nights, or hang new seasonal curtains for added decor. Heavy drapes protect the room from drafts and can add some winter flair.

‘Tis the season to deck the halls and get into the interior design spirit. Making your home just a little more cozy during the winter months can help boost your mood this time of year. Even the smallest of changes can make a big difference!

How to Pair Paint with Furniture

You’re ready to renovate a room in your house but what should you do first, choose your wall colors or pick out your furniture? If you want to save yourself some time and money, you should pick out your furniture first. Deciding to change the furniture you buy can be costly and a hassle, while you can change your wall colors with the swipe of a brush. Discover the ways you can pair your paint colors with your furniture.

Choose an accent color. Do you have a multicolored couch or chair that is going to be in the room? Printed throw pillows? Choose a color from those prints to paint the walls. The walls will make the subtle colors in the furniture pop. You could also choose to pull one of those colors and paint an accent wall with it. To achieve an accent wall, paint three walls in a neutral or complementing color and the remaining wall whichever accent color you choose.
Choose a complementary color. For every color on the color wheel, there is a color that complements it. If you are no color expert, you can find tools online or in the paint sections of home improvement stores that can help you find a color that will go best with your choice. According to Lake Mary House Painters, you should choose a color that compliments the main piece of furniture you are going to place in a room to complete your home design.
Go monochromatic. To pull off a monochromatic style in a tasteful way, choose one color or variations of different finishes in the same color. You can go neutral or bold depending on your own personal style and the existing decor of your house. Once you’ve settled on a furniture piece, use it’s central color to dominate the room you are going to paint.

Picking the perfect color scheme from your walls to the furniture can seem like an easy enough task, but it may leave you with more questions and uncertainties than you thought. Pairing your furniture with your paint doesn’t have to be overwhelming. If you need some help or guidance, the professionals at Rehoboth Beach painters are there to help you every step of the way. Give us a call at 302-650-2578 today to schedule a free consultation!

Protecting & Restoring Furniture

Between everyday uses and the constant desire to keep a room looking updated, furniture can get a little worn out or dated. Luckily there are certain measures you can take to protect your existing furniture, and even restore furniture pieces you thought were doomed.

The following tips will help you prevent damage to pristine pieces:

Prevent painting problems. Removing your furniture when preparing for a home improvement project is the best option to protect it from any paint spills, according to Elmhurst painters. If you have larger furniture pieces that are difficult to disassemble or move, protect it by covering the furniture with a cloth or plastic tarp. To ensure protection, tape around the bottom perimeter to make sure the plastic is secure.
Master moving furniture. To make sure that your furniture is getting the most protection during a move, you’ll want to dismantle each piece and store in bubble wrap. This will help to cushion the pieces while they are being moved and prevent scratching and denting.
Stop every day wear-and-tear. Whether its spending the day in your favorite chair with a good book or propping your feet up on the coffee table, the daily use of furniture is inevitable and we forget to be mindful of possible damages we could be causing. In order to avoid easy wear-and-tear, purchase quality pieces of furniture. A coffee table with a durable wood finish will last much longer, especially if you’re constantly propping your feet up on it. Consider the materials a piece of furniture is made with prior to purchasing.

If you have a piece of furniture that needs some love, you can restore it back to its former beauty rather than purchasing a new piece:

Fill in scratches. A common problem with wood furniture is that it can be easily scratched. These scratches can make a piece look worn out and unsightly, but there are many quick and easy solutions to giving your wood furniture a mini cosmetic makeover. To get rid of scratches, there are several methods you can try. For instance, some people swear by rubbing walnuts into specific areas to fill them. The more conventional way to repair scratches is to use a kit that usually involves applying stain. No matter what method you choose, repairing the scratches on wood will get rid of that worn look.
Reupholster your pieces. Mahwah, NJ interior decorator Susan Keefe believes that reupholstering furniture that is stained or outdated is the best way to give it new life. There are so many options when it comes to upholstery, from modern, chic patterns to solid colors. By reupholstering your furniture, you can refresh it while giving your home a new, updated look without having to purchase new furniture!

These furniture protection and restoration tips brought to you by the experts at Jaron’s Furniture.

Paint Protection: Keeping Paint Off Of Furniture, Windows, and Hardware

There are many steps on the pre-painting checklist that you want to make sure are completed before you whip out the paint brush. Prepping the walls and covering the floors are a great start, but there are other aspects of a room many homeowners don’t consider that require protection from potential paint spills! The professional Danbury, CT painters at CertaPro have put together a guide to help you prepare your furniture, windows, and hardware before you begin a painting project.

Furniture: It can be a hassle to remove all the large furniture from a room. Some pieces may even be so large that they won’t fit through a doorway without disassembly. To save effort and time, you can simply cover your furniture and get the job done without worrying about paint damage. To protect furniture, you’re going to need large sheets of plastic covering and tape. These items can be found at any hardware store. The main idea is to cover each piece of furniture so that the possibility of paint spills and splatters is eliminated. To cover a sofa, take the plastic covering and lay it over the entire couch, making sure it reaches the bottom. To hold the plastic in place, tape around the perimeter of the couch. If it’s easier, you can tape the plastic to the floor for maximum protection.
Windows: Paint drips on your window can look messy, and scraping dried paint off with a razor blade can cause damage to your windows. By taking the necessary precautions, accidental paint drips become less of an issue. If you have trim or a frame around your windows, start by taping off the outer edges with painters tape. This will ensure that the edge that is to be painted will have crisp, clean lines. To protect the window itself from any possible paint splatter, it’s best to use the same plastic covering used for the furniture. Cut the covering to the approximate size of each window pane and tape it down, making sure there is no space for paint to potentially drip through.
Hardware: To protect the hardware around your home, including light switch plate covers, doorknobs, and vent grills, it’s best to remove them completely while you’re painting. During the painting process, be sure to paint as close as possible to each fixture, as painting around the approximate shape of each piece of hardware could leave you with unwanted paint gaps. If removing hardware pieces is something you would rather skip, the best thing to do is to tape around the edges of each piece with painters tape and paint very carefully!

Preparing your walls and floors for a painting project seems like the most common thing to do, but you don’t want to forget about the little details. Keep your painting project clean and organized with these paint protection tips!

How to Effectively Move Your Office

Relocating your office can seem like a challenging task, however with patience and planning, you can proactively solve problems that arise and ease the stresses of the move ahead of time. The following are tips on how to effectively move your office.

Plan Ahead: Before you start the moving process, it is important to create a step-by-step plan of what you need to do to ensure a smooth transition. Make sure the new office is in top condition. If there are any problems, like repairing the heating and cooling system, arrange to have them fixed as soon as possible. You’ll also want to make sure that the new space is big enough for all of the staff while accounting for any possible future hires. Expect that your plan will be put into action over the course of a few months, as moving is hard to do in a short amount of time.
Set a Budget: Overspending can happen in the blink of an eye, so it’s always best to determine a budget. Think about what furniture and office supplies you can bring with you, as well as what will need to be replaced. Don’t forget to account for supplies such as boxes, tape and bubble wrap too.
Delegate Tasks: Give each staff member the task of packing up their own desk area and advise them to take home any personal belongings such as their office decor and laptops. This will hold each person accountable for their own belongings, which can take some pressure off the move and prevent lost or misplaced items.
Communicate: Meet with your staff before the move and make sure that everyone knows what the plan is and, most importantly, the moving date. This will give your employees a general timeline of when they need to get all their ducks in a row. This will also ensure that nobody shows up at the old place wondering where everyone is! Make sure you listen to the employees thoughts and preferences about the new place because you don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable or like an afterthought.
Select the Right Movers: You’ll want to hire movers who are trustworthy and with a good track record to avoid ending up with boxes full of damaged items and furniture that is broken. Look for Bucks County movers who have helped to do larger scale or commercial moves in the area. Hiring a local mover ensures that they are familiar with the location of your current and new office, and will make the overall move go more smoothly.
Update Your Business Address: The last thing to remember is to update any resource that lists your businesses address and to get your mail forwarded to the new building. You don’t want to send anybody to the wrong office!

With these tips on moving your office effectively, you are on your way to making a smooth, hassle-free transition.

Office Cleaning Guide

In order to maintain a clean office, there are some things that need to be taken care of daily. By completing these tasks, you’ll prevent a buildup of dirt, germs, and clutter and be able to enjoy a happy and healthy office space.

Wipe down the table and desk tops: At the end of each day, your desk and any tables around the office should be wiped down. If your office has a kitchen area, countertops should be wiped down as well. This quick action will prevent any food from getting caked onto surfaces, as well as stop the spread of bacteria. Remember to use cleaning solutions that are natural and safe to use. Light dusting done daily will help prevent the accumulation of unsightly dust all over your office. In the spring and summer months, dusting each day can also help prevent allergy flare-ups.
Give everything a place: Your desktop should be clear to allow enough room to get work done without distraction. Pens should go into a pencil case or kept organized on your desktop. Extra paper, note pads, and folders should be kept in a desk drawer or in a storage closet. Keeping your desk and your belongings organized will help prevent clutter from forming, and make the daily wipe down at the end of each day easier.
De-clutter your workspace: Putting things away where they belong should ideally be done daily. Prior to leaving the office each day, take the time to organize piles of paper that may have accumulated on your desk. This will make dusting easier, with less to move around when you dust, and make coming into your office the next day less stressful. Invest in a filing cabinet or shelving unit to keep your books, binders, and other paperwork neat and organized.
Leave the big stuff to the professionals. Larger cleaning projects, like vacuuming and cleaning the bathroom facilities, should be left to expert janitorial services. Professional cleaners come in after office hours to give the place a deep clean, using the right chemicals, tools, and practices to make your workspace clean and safe to work in.

Having a clean office definitely help improves work morale. While daily cleaning helps maintain cleanliness, every office needs a good scrub down at least once a week to really get a deep clean. Tackle the small stuff daily, but leave the big stuff to the experts!

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