One of the most common questions I’m asked is what paint colors are in my home. Deciding on what colors to use in your home can sometimes be a nerve-wracking decision. I hope this post helps answer some of the questions you have before heading to the paint department and being completely overwhelmed by the thousands of paint colors to choose from……..

Paint Brand

First I want to talk about paint brands since there are so many to choose from. I have tried many different brands, and for the most part, I don’t see a huge difference from say Valspar to Sherwin Williams. One thing I do think is important is to get at least the mid range quality paint. Don’t go with the cheapest one, because you will end up paying more in the long run by needing additional coats. I really like paint + primer. I feel it goes on thicker and covers better. I can usually get away with one coat, unless I’m painting over a darker color wall. Another thing to remember, since there are so many different brands out there, is the price can vary significantly from a more economical paint to a designer paint. I tend to fall in love with designer colors and fortunately places like Lowe’s and Home Depot will color match just about any color for use in an economical brand.

Paint Finish

I never used to realize how important paint finish is to the life of your walls until I had kids…..hahaha!! I was the person that always picked flat paint because I didn’t want it to shine. Well I have learned just how important the shine is!! Flat paint is a dirt magnet, but satin or semi-gloss paint is cleanable and wipeable. So for this reason I ALWAYS suggest at least a satin or higher finish.

My Paint Colors

Nearly all of the colors in my home are Benjamin Moore but color matched in Valspar paint. Some people say its not a 100% perfect match but I have been very happy with the colors and don’t notice any difference. My wallet appreciates it too!! I also often use true or pure white paint for trim or other accents. I like using this because I don’t notice any other colors pulling through the white. Whites can be tricky since there are so many tones to choose from. It’s very easy to love a white on paper and find that you see blues or tans in it once it’s on your wall. I have never had this problem when just using a pure white. Even if I have cool or warm tones in a room it always reads a true white and nothing else!

Living Room

Kitchen

Sunroom

Dining Room

Master Bedroom

• Walls: Revere Pewter in satin by Benjamin Moore
• Shiplap Wall: Pure white in satin by Valspar paint

My Twins Room

Fall is here and I don’t know about you but I’m so excited!! I love everything about fall, the cool crisp weather, sweaters and cute boots, and ofcourse anything pumpkin!! This has had me thinking about my plans for fall decor and one of my favorite things to add into my decor is cute seasonal signs. One of my favorite was is to layer different signs that compliment each other with out being to busy or overpowering one sign over the other. I find the best ways too do this is to use different patterns or textures that flow well with your main sign. Another thing thats important is to establish your anchor piece. This is usually the largest sign in the grouping but not nessusarly the boldest, it can be very plan with a simple pattern or texture, something that draws the eye in but is also not the focal point. Finally when doing a grouping of signs how do you know how many to do??? Well a good rule of thumb is to use odd numbers, things are always more visually appealing when in groups of 3 or 5, and making your own signs are the perfect way to get that hormones look of your grouping. That being said not everyone is artistic or able to make signs. which is why I’m so excited about this easy and budget friendly DIY sign project that I have put together for you today, what could be better right?!?

Supply list

Step 1

The first thing you will want to do is cut your wood board to the size you want. I used 1/2″ thick MDF board and cut it to 15″x13″. Home Depot will make the cuts for free or you can use a table saw if you have one. Keep in mind that your printable will be on a sheet of paper that is 8.5″x11″. Next, paint it with flat white paint and let it dry for a few hours. While it’s drying you can print out your printable.

Step 2

You can use my free printable here Autumn Printable or any other one you like. You will need to print a mirrored image of your printable. It should be easily done in the printing settings. You are doing this so that when you lay your image down on your board (printed side down) it will appear the correct way!

Step 3

Once your paint is dry, you can attach your printable to your board. You will need a foam brush and some Mod Podge. Take your foam brush and put a generous layer of Mod Podge on the printed side of your printable. Then lay it down on your painted board (printed side down) and smooth out the bubbles and creases the best you can. There will still be some wrinkles in the paper, but don’t worry. Let that dry for a few hours – you need the Mod Podge to be completely dry.

I really love the look of layered signs! It’s such a fun look to create a statement piece in your home. The key part to making this work is to establish your statement piece, and today I have a fun DIY project that can be used as your anchor piece. This board combines some of my favorite things: wood signs and SHIPLAP!!! This shiplap board is the perfect anchor piece in a sign grouping because it adds texture without taking away from the whole design. It can also be used in many other ways, such as in combination with a wreath, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Supply list

Step 1

The first thing you want to do is cut your MDF or plywood to the size you want your sign to be. Home Depot can make the cuts for you for free or you can use a table saw if you have one. Then measure the width of your board and cut pieces of shiplap at that length to stack one on top of another. You will need to determine how many of pieces of shiplap to cut based on the height of your sign. Now its time to assemble everything together! Fasten the shiplap pieces to the board using glue and brad nails. For a cleaner look, shoot the nails in from front to back. This requires assembling everything upside down like you see in the pictures below.

We used 1 inch 18 gauge brad nails. First we nailed the sides and then added a few more nails along the middle in a zig zag pattern.

Step 2

Now it’s time to paint. Don’t worry about painting the sides because they will be covered with your trim pieces. We used a paint sprayer but you can easily do this with a roller or paint brush. While that is drying you can cut and stain your trim

Step 3

Measure out the lengths of trim needed and cut them to size at a 45 degree angle. The trim will attach to the outside of the sign so that the sides are covered. It can be tricky to get the measurements right so I like to cut each piece a little too long and then slowly cut them down to size. 

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