Tag Archives: paint

A Faster Progression: Airstream Update

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How long does it take to get paint out of one’s hair? I still have paint in my hair from two weeks ago and I’m doubtful that it will ever come out. It took way more coats of paint to cover the walls than we expected. We had to use a primer, two base coats and a top coat to cover the icky, dated walls. But at least now the airstream now has a floor and painting is complete. We also installed a “real” toilet. No creepy camper potties for us! (TMI?) Anyway, what I’m trying to say is “we made some serious headway, people.”

If anyone is curious, we ended up using Kilz Premium as the primer, Valspar Contractor Finishes 2000 in Ultra White as the base coat and Valspar Paint and Primer in Ultra White as the top coat. We also put a coat of Kilz on the floor before we laid it to ensure the floor was sealed. If you can’t tell, I want the Airstream’s interior to be as bright white as possible.

Bed Build ProgressOur budget is getting a little tight as we are progressing through this project. Flooring is expensive! We chose laminate flooring to keep the cost down and keep the airstream light in case we ever wanted to tow it. And again, we had to buy much more paint than I ever imagined. It can be cheap, fast or good, but it can’t be all three– is that how the saying goes? Le sigh.

bathroom in airstreamWe’ll definitely be reusing old lumber from previous projects and trolling Craigslist for free stuff. My friend already found us a 3/4 size fridge for $75 bucks on Craigslist and I’m hoping to score a few more steals! (Gabby, you are awesome!)

Does anyone have any tips for acquiring free fabric or lumber? I need both! Let’s hear them in the comments!

love,
melanie

Before and After: Cedar Chest

 

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Most of the things that live in our house are either thrifted, handmade or gifts. Rarely do George and I buy any home goods full price. We both grew up on the low end of a middle class households. When I was little, my mom made all of my clothes and George grew up in the country (’nuff said), so the DIY attitude has been engrained in us.
before2We thrifted the chest above to use for George’s t-shirts. He has amassed quite the collection since he began working for a clothing company– one of the perks! We knew that Lane Cedar Chests are good quality, but the finish was in bad shape. We thought it might be fun to paint the chest instead of staining the wood. I really liked the bones of this piece, just not the surface. So, instead we sanded it down, primed it and painted it. (We didn’t paint the inside, of course. Cedar smells too good!)

We decided to highlight the different panels of the chest by using a different color. I love the color combination of grey and yellow. Although, I did make poor George go to the paint store multiple times to get the right shade of grey. Grey is such a hard color to get right!

After!Here’s the after shot! TA-DA! It’s amazing what a little paint can do.

Do you have any Before and After Projects to share? Show ’em to me in the comments!

love,
melanie

Happy Spring!

Last night George and I painted eggs. We didn’t feel like spending money on dye, so we painted them with some cheap, non-toxic watercolors we had around the house. George did an amazing job, of course. He painted our faces on the eggs!

Supplies:

  • Paintbrushes
  • Watercolor paints
  • Water
  • Hard-boiled eggs

I kept my eggs more abstract since realism isn’t my talent.

I don’t condone eating the eggs after painting, since the watercolors aren’t technically edible, but it was nice to do something other than just sticking the eggs in some dye.

Hope you all have a relaxing holiday,
love,
melanie