An entire room becomes a blank slate: Painting a Linoleum Floor and Knotty Pine Paneling

Earlier this week, I wrote about painting a naugahyde chair.

Today, it's a linoleum floor. 

Yes, Virginia, you CAN paint linoleum!!

 This is what I've been working on the last couple of weeks.

My client, Mike, just purchased a home
and instead of moving in
with all the home projects to be done at a later date,
he hired SheShe to get it all done BEFORE.
What a concept!
I've been working my butt off..
I'll write again about the rest of the house,
but
this room
was my "dream assignment!"
The transformation is going to be amazing!

It was a strange room off the dining room.
All the walls from floor to ceiling were knotty pine panelling,
two windows,
beige carpet......
and a door...

...and all the trim was woodtone as well.

After pulling up the carpet, we discovered.....

more brown!

Ugly brown linoleum with some squares missing..........

I love a challenge!

I started by replacing the missing squares 

with some remnant linoleum I had in my garage...

(see, this is why it's important to salvage stuff from alleys, folks!)

All the walls and trim were primed.

Always use a shellac based primer on knotty pine 

to seal the knots and minimize "bleed through."

Several coats may be necessary.

Next, I sanded all the linoleum to make

sure there was no remaining wax.

Then I cleaned it with TSP and wiped down.

Next, I primed the floor.

Looking totally better already!

I painted all the interior doors in the home 

in this beautiful navy.

The walls and floor were painted in SW Eider White, 

and the trim in BM White Dove.

Okay, now the fun begins....

I started creating a checkerboard effect 

by painting every other square in SW Hearts of Palm...

a wonderful punchy yellow-green.

First I used a stencil...

But after a while, 

I realized it was just easier to freehand paint...

l used a small foam roller and followed the lines of the linoleum.

Mugshot! 

Yep, that's me in my normal work attire....

After it dried, I used a stain sealer.

And here you go: 

A light and deliciously bright

BLANK CANVAS.

Just wait til you see how I finish it off.

You'll have to wait til next week

for the big reveal!!

Ugly Naugahyde "Man Cave" Chair Makeover

Every now and then, I do something totally stupid.

Case in point:

This ugly chair that I picked up at a church yard sale.

 What was I THINKING???????????

Total brain fart.

So....I  immediately posted it on CraigsList.

Nothing...

Then I put it outside on the sidewalk for two days and nights.

Hoping someone

would TAKE it...

Nothing....

 Then I started thinking...

"Treat this like any other ugly makeover project."

I've been wanting to try chalk paint on fabric or naugahyde....

So here goes!

I started with the ottoman. 

Painted most of it in Provence, but did a little funky

design on the base with Old White and Greek Blue...

Here it is all waxed. 

I swear, it's hard to even tell it didn't come this way!!!!!!

So I went for the chair next........

Here it is painted.

 Revisit.......BEFORE........and

AFTER.  

I think I can live with this now.

At least it's aqua!

And I promise I'm not making this up:

Just as I was rinsing out my brushes, 

I got an email hit from Craiglist.

Someone wanted to buy the original mancave chair....."really bad."

Never fails!!!

(Yes it's for sale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! $150.)

On Safari - Giraffe Skin Wall

Every now and then, 

I get a REALLY interesting assignment.

Like this blah nursery:

 ...with ducks..

 

My client was expecting a baby boy, 

and wanted to create a unique nursery.  

BUT...

she didn't want to have to redecorate in a few years.

All of her bedding and accessories will be animal themed.

So I got cranking on a "safari" themed room.

I painted an accent wall in giraffe skin.  

This is totally freehand, folks!

No stencils here!

 The other top walls were painted in the same green. 

Below the chairrail, I painted the walls in a caramel.

I also added a line of chocolate brown 

just above the chair rail for an accent, and a tie in...

 ...to these cheetah print valances I made.

This room will be age appropriate for years to come!

Heck it might even last till college!

And on that note, 

I'm heading out on my own safari and hope to be 

sitting about right here at cocktail hour this eve!

A special place with precious memories...

and we'll be making more!

Yard Sale Finds - Red and Rad Makeovers!

Good morning, all. And happy Saturday.

Saturday. 

Yard Sale Day. 

Darn it, I have to paint all day, 

but maybe I can hit one on the way to my project this morning.

Speaking of yard sales, 

here are a couple of pieces I picked up at sales while I was in NC a few weeks back.

This industrial workshop stool was almost perfect just the way it was,

but it had some serious rust issues.

One can of spray paint later.

This sold immediately in my booth.

 Sweet little chest with drawers.

 I decided to "step outside the box" on this one.......

I guess I've been in a red kind of mood. So after painting 

with Annie Sloan Chalk Paints (of course,) 

I used a red paint pen to line all the edges.

 This was my inspiration: industrial looking knobs that look like water cutoff valves.

In RED.

Here it is all finished up. 

This would make the sweetest little bedside table for a platform bed, 

where you don't want anything too high. 

$142 in my booth at Greenwood Antiques.

I'm working on a house now for a new owner who is moving in mid-May.

Can't wait to show off some of the work.

Now get out there and YARD SALE!