We can’t paint over our white walls, how to brighten the room.
By
on
June 10th, 2008
We moved into our first apartment with the hopes of painting, only to have these dreams crushed.
The other huge issue is every piece of furniture we own is old, mismatched wood and we are working on an extremely tight budget.
Would it be a poor decision to paint all our wood pieces a vibrant color to help brighten the room, or just work with the mismatched wood.
Also, does anyone have any suggestions on hanging fabric to block off a doorway. We have three of our main rooms connection with no doors and need to block off the kitchen into the living room to help keep it cool. The duct tape is not aesthetically pleasing.
Thanks.
Big Sky 23 says:
Try curtains over the windows and a walk-through drape where the doors would be.
Posters and paintings and photos on the walls would help.
You could also put a finishing compound on the wood furniture to treat it, but I wouldn’t paint it.
June 10th, 2008 at 3:21 am
chicagirl51 says:
I would lightly sand-prime and paint the furniture with a good enamel paint.I like using spray paint myself. You can also take fabric and dip it in liquid starch and apply it to the walls or one main wall. It can be easily removed by spraying with water and then cleaning the walls when you leave. No damge to walls. Sometimes a landlord will let you paint walls if you promise to paint them original color when you leave.
June 10th, 2008 at 4:06 am
captbob552 says:
First if you take all your old scratched miss matched furniture, sand it and paint it with a good cabinet grade enamel, it will look new. Sherwin Williams stores have some great colors.
I would use curtain rods to hang material between the rooms.
A second option is, look for a used building supply company and see if they have any used bi-fold doors. You can paint them to match you new furniture and the are easy to hang.
I remember my wife and I when we had our first apartment, we used to sit on the broken couch watching TV under two blankets to keep warm.
June 10th, 2008 at 4:46 am
titoalbanaples says:
I would not paint wood. If the wood need needs attention, sand it, stain it, varnish or whatever.lots of things to do to make it pretty except for paint. No problem with mismatched wood, look around. very few homes or businesses have all their wood match. Often it is pleasing to the eye to see a funky mixture of colors, fabrics and textures. Just think about a beautiful salad. Hmmm.I must be hungry.
June 10th, 2008 at 5:39 am
Walking on Sunshine says:
Curtain rods to hang drapes to separate the spaces you can use either mounting type or tension type (spring fitted). You could also use eyelet screws to make a tension wire to hang fabric loosely over the wall or even to hang large art work. As someone mentioned fabric starch allows you to cover walls with fabric but be sure to choose something “wall paper like” either a strong solid, neutral stripe or a print on print. If your furniture is similar in style than I say paint and slipcover to unify - some people hate the idea of painted wood but it can rescue a home to paint it. Watch a few episodes of Trading Spaces or Changing Rooms (even peruse their websites) for inspiration and handy tips. You don’t have to spend a fortune to have a terrific space but you do need to plan. Grab some magazines and tear out rooms you like to create a “decorating journal” carry this with you when you shop to keep you on track and keep all your receipts in envelopes on each room budget page to keep yourself in check. If money is particularly tight you can always buy New drop cloths from the Hardware store to make slipcovers for the couches and either leave them plain and add colorful pillows or spatter pint them (in a Jackson Pollack style)and use bold pillows as accents. Really the beginning point is coming to an agreement with your room mate(s) about a style then sticking to it to keep the look clear and defined. Good Luck.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:11 am
Ellieberto says:
Don’t listen to the guys on here. if the wood looks bad and it isnt’ a valuable antique go ahead and paint it. You can buy cheap picture frames by the lot and paint those too. put in some posters or glued puzzles and you walls are covered.
June 10th, 2008 at 7:02 am
suellenh says:
If your furniture is really wood and not composite, you can paint it; be sure to sand and prep for long-lasting results.
Consider a Mexican theme as they use bright colors and vibrant patterns.
You can buy curtain rods or shower rods that twist out and spring pressure hold them in place. However, these can damage painted surfaces if you’re not careful. It’s not hard to install curtain rods over the doors and the holes can easily be repaired when you move.
June 10th, 2008 at 7:55 am