“While looking at one of my first New York apartments, David Hicks told me diplomatically, ‘Dear boy, if you’re going to paint the walls white, you need art.’”  -Peter Dunham

We couldn’t agree more, Peter. Once the painting contractors have finished the work, the fun has just started.

“A good paint formula for ceilings is the trim color plus 50% white.” –Allison Caccoma

That’s a handy tip for hassle-free color coordination.

“Every room needs a touch of black, just as it needs at least one antique piece.” –Jan Showers

Is Jan right? That’s up to you to decide, but we think following her advice will produce a lovely effect.

“The perfect wall color is seldom the prettiest shade on the fan deck. Give that slightly drab stepsister shade a go—it will be far more interesting.” –Robin Bell

Good advice, Robin. But what if I already went a bolder and brighter paint color and want to tone it down?

“When painting your walls, go bolder and stronger than you’re comfortable with. After it’s finished, if it’s too intense, gray the color with its complement and wash it on—you get an expensive decorator look in hours, and it is so easy! Pour the paint in a paint tray, then with a wet rag slosh and rub the new color over the old savagely. The color will then be a quieter version of itself, and you should immediately love the effect. This has worked for me 99 times out of 100.” –Jim Howard

Thanks, Jim—although if any of our customers are thinking of trying this, we’d recommend testing this method on a small scale before tackling the entire room.

At Zenith Painting, we may not have the way with words some of these designers do, but we know all there is to know about starting your interior design off right with a beautiful fresh coat of paint.

Give us a call at 720-855-7019 and we’ll get you started on the path to making your Denver home look like it was designed by a New York decorator.

The post Top Home Decorating Tips from Interior Designers appeared first on House Painting of Colorado.

Here are a few of our favorite tips for making the most of your new colors once the paint is dry in your home interior.

1. Natalie’s Customizable Paint Deck

Here’s a simple project from furniture designer Natty By Design that will make it easy to find matching accessories for your new paint scheme. It just takes a little bit of planning and a couple of dollars.

Image Credit: Natty By Design

Looks nice, right? You can turn a few paint stirrer sticks into an attractive, portable color coordination tool.

All you have to do is buy some paint stirring sticks from your local hardware store and paint one side of them with the colors used in each of your rooms. Drill a hole through the base of the sticks and link them through a metal ring and you’re ready to go shopping.

As a bonus, Natalie also mentions the clever plan of storing extra paint in mason jars to save storage space and still be ready for touch-ups.

2. Elise’s Doily Design Furniture

Elise Randels of Creativity in DIY has discovered a clever way to add some classy color to vintage furniture. She started with some aging hardwood chairs and taped a lace doily patterned curtain over them and spray painted them with a bold new color, effortlessly creating a charming design.

Image Credit: Elise Randels

It’s a great way to get a distinctive look from vintage furniture while matching your new paint.

3. Johnny Egg’s Contrasting Drawers

Here’s an award-winning concept for detailing furniture from Johnny Egg: contrasting colors used for the exterior and interior of furniture.

Image Credit: Johnny Egg

Paint the interior elements of your favorite furniture to create layers of coordination between the furniture and the wall paint. It’s a simple project you can tackle in your garage; just remove the drawers, tape off the outward-facing elements, and spray paint the sides for a stylishly shocking burst of unexpected color.

Of course, all of these projects assume you’ve got a fresh new coat of paint to work with. If you’d like some help with launching your new look, give Zenith Painting a call at 720-855-7019 for a free quote.

The post Making the Most of Your New House Paint appeared first on House Painting of Colorado.

Let’s take exterior home painting for example. It sounds straightforward, but here are the questions you should ask a cut-rate contractor to make sure you’re really getting a quality bargain and not just paying less to get less:

1. Will you be treating mold and mildew?

Just painting over mold and mildew won’t solve the problem and can lead to major flaws down the road. Make sure your contractor is prepared to properly treat and remove these messes.

2. How will you remove the existing paint?

It’s not usually necessary to completely remove any old paint, but make sure your contractor has a plan to strip away loose patches of paint. If you have glossy paint on your exterior, it will not accept new paint easily, so your contractor should be prepared to completely remove it.

3. How will they deal with cracks and other flaws?

Painting over cracks is easy. It’s also a sure way to a messy paint job that leads to further damage down the road. Your house painter should be prepared to caulk any gaps and allow them to dry before proceeding with primer and paint.

4. What quality and spread of paint will you be using?

The lowest bidder is likely to do either use poor quality paint, spread the paint too thin, or even both. Do a little research on the paint they plan to use to make sure it’s the right tool for the job. The spread is harder to determine—you can ask how many coats they’ll use, but there’s no guarantee they’ll give you an honest answer, or that the coats will be thick instead of stingily spread as thin as possible. It’s up to you to decide if you trust the cut-rate contractor to give you your money’s worth.

So always ask them—or ask Zenith Painting!—about these details before agreeing to anything. In fact, if you’re in the area of Denver, Colorado, you can ask us directly by calling Zenith Painting at 720-855-7019 for a free quote and more information.

The post Is Your Exterior House Painting Contractor Charging the Right Price? appeared first on House Painting of Colorado.

It’s hard to reach and nobody ever sees it, so why bother, right? That’s why an unpainted patch behind a toilet is a sure sign of amateur work.

It’s actually easy to paint behind a toilet without removing the tank, so there’s really no excuse to skip it. Here’s a few ways you can make quick work of the toughest part of painting a bathroom in your house.

1. Bag It

By far the simplest solution is to take a common plastic trash bag and fit it over the tank. Now it’s perfectly fine to brush up against the tank as you paint the wall behind it.

2. Build a Better Brush

Here’s a simple DIY solution that can help with other hard-to-reach areas as well: Take the soft foam brush of an edging tool, and remove the short handle. Tape on a long flat handle instead, something like a ruler or stirring stick. The result? A precision painting tool!

3. Slim Jim/Johnny/Long John

If you expect to tackle a lot of nooks and crannies, it’s worth investing in a tool made for the job. These have a few names: Slim Jims, Johnnies, Long Johns. Instead of the makeshift brush described above, a Slim Jim is made just to handle tasks like this. They’re small rollers attached to long wire handles, and apply paint smoothly and evenly in tight spaces.

There you go, three solutions to this common home painting problem.  Of course, if you’re in the Denver, Colorado area, and want a perfect pain-free paint job from professionals, give Zenith Painting a call at 720-855-7019 for a free quote!

The post Bathroom Painting: Three Ways to Paint Behind the Toilet appeared first on House Painting of Colorado.

1. No Blotches, No Flashing

Have you ever seen a freshly painted wall that looks great—except for a big blotch in the middle? It’s the right color, but it looks like somebody put a giant messy thumbprint on it, especially when the light hits it.

It’s a nasty flaw, but luckily it’s easy to prevent. A coat of primer is all it takes to make sure that every part of your wall accepts paint equally. Blotchy, dull “flashing” is the result of paint soaking into repairs like drywall patches. A coat of primer creates a new surface that will hold paint without absorbing it.

2. The Right Way to Remove Painter’s Tape

We’ve talked about tricks for making stubborn tape easier to remove, but before you take the tape off the wall, you should first make sure it is completely separated from the dry paint. Otherwise, you’ll be pulling off flakes of wall paint as you strip.

Wait for the paint to completely dry, then take a utility knife and cut carefully along the line that the paint and tape meet. Now you’re ready to pull that tape away, even if you need a little help from a hair dryer to do it.

3. Avoid Plastic Drop Cloths

Spills are going to happen, so you should always be using drop cloths. Specifically, cotton canvas drop cloths. Plastic is slippery, and even small spills will remain wet and easy to accidentally track through your house.

There you have it, three more tips for flawless walls and paintless floors.  There’s always more to learn, and we’ll keep sharing our tips with you, but if you’d rather hire an expert than become one and you’re in the Denver area, give Zenith Painting a call at 720-855-7019 for a free quote!

Image Credit: DeviantArt

The post The Return of Pro Painting Tips from Zenith Painting appeared first on House Painting of Colorado.

At Zenith Home Finishes, we always work with professional equipment and methods. But if you’re not a professional, you may not want to invest in all the specialized tools or learn all the detailed techniques that a pro uses.

Here are 5 tips for solving awkward painting problems with household objects.

1. Spray Painting Made Simple

Spray painting is efficient, but it’s also messy. If you’re painting small objects and furniture, there’s a simple way to keep the paint on your target and off the surrounding area. Just set a cardboard box upright to create a ‘spray booth’. Cut a hole in the top to let in light and dangle objects from coat hanger wires, then cover the hole with plastic wrap and start spraying!

2. No More Drips When Loading Brushes

Speaking of coat hangers, try stretching a length of coat hanger wire over the top of your paint can. Tape down the sides to keep it steady. You can now wipe your brush on the wire every time you load up more paint.

3. Making Old Tape Like New

If you’re not painting everyday like we are, you might find that the painter’s tape or masking tape from your last project has become stiff and difficult to use. Just microwave the roll for a few seconds and the adhesive will soften.

4. Removing Paint Cleanly

Now you’ve got some working tape, but how will you remove it when you’re done? Tape can tear or pull off flakes of paint and finish—but not if you use a hair dryer to heat it up and loosen it first. Just a little heat and it will pull cleanly and easily.

5. Free, Spill-proof Paint Tray

It’s great to lay down drop cloths, but paint can still fall on the cloth and get tracked through the house accidentally. Keep the risk to a minimum by putting all your painting gear—cans, brushes, tape—in a portable spill-proof tray. If you like to shop at bulk outlets like Sam’s Club, try buying a plastic-wrapped case of 24 bottles of water (or the beverage of your choice). Cut the plastic several inches from top of the box and remove the water, then fold the plastic in to create a liner around the base of the box. Congratulations, you’ve got a very handy and very inexpensive accessory for getting your job done.

As always, if you’d like the job done professionally (no hair dryers or coat hangers!) in the Denver area, give Zenith Painting a call at 720-855-7019 for a free quote!

Image Credit: Flickr

The post 5 Home Painting Tips to Save Time, Money, and Messes appeared first on House Painting of Colorado.

Painting floors isn’t as difficult as some painting challenges—you don’t have to worry about drips!—but there are some best practices to follow to make sure the job gets done properly and looks great when you’ve finished.

So here it is, tips from Zenith Painting on the best way to get your wood floors glowing in a whole new color:

1. Start By Sanding

Wood floors typically have some kind of stain or finish, and perhaps you’re even starting with an already-painted floor that you’d like to recolor. So you’ll want to start by sanding the floor to remove those materials.

You could do the job by hand with fine grit sandpaper, but you may wish to look into renting a floor sander if you’re expecting to cover a large area.

2. Clean, Clean, Clean

Sanding surely kicked up plenty of dust and debris, and you don’t want it to mix permanently with your new paint. Use detergent, water, and a mop to get every corner, then allow plenty of time for the floor to dry.

3. Choose a Primer and Paint

Your local paint store can help you select products specifically designed for painting floors. Latex paint will provide a satin finish, while alkyd and polyurethane are good choices for a gloss finish.

If you’re taking on this job yourself and expect to make a mistake or two, keep in mind that latex paint is harder to touch up after it dries.

4. Time to Paint

You’ll want to use a brush to cut in at the outer edges of the room, but a roller will work fine for the rest. Don’t mind any roller marks, the paint will settle into the wood and leave a flat surface.

5. Finishing Touches

Painting can cause wood grain to rise, so you may wish to wait for the first coat of primer to set and do another round of light sanding and dust removal before applying additional coats of paint.

Finish up with a protective layer to guard against scuffs, scratches, and other wear and tear, and allow some time to dry—most paint types should dry in a day, but may take much longer to fully set and harden.

Call In the Pros

If you’re ready to get started on a whole new floor in the Denver area and don’t want to paint yourself into a corner, Zenith Painting can take care of the job for you! Give us a call at 720-855-7019 for more information and a free quote.

Image Credit: Flickr

The post Painting Wood Floors in Home Interiors appeared first on House Painting of Colorado.

We’ve talked about the best ways to use bold, dark colors in interior painting previously in the Zenith Painting’s blog, but let’s not give all the attention to the deep reds and brilliant greens.

Gray paint may be ‘neutral,’ but that doesn’t mean it can’t catch the eye and make a statement. Here are some of the chief reasons some people avoid neutral colors like gray—and the reasons we think you may want to consider giving it a try in your home.

#1: Neutral Colors are Cold

It’s true that gray isn’t a ‘warm’ color like red or yellow, and brightly colored furniture will look out of place against a neutral background. But try working with the neutral theme instead of against it!

Soft gray fabrics used in upholstery, curtains, and other features will create a unified look that makes gray feel warm and comfortable, and all the more so for being subtle instead of overwhelming.

#2: Neutral Colors are Boring

Now, we’ll grant you that it may be a stretch to call colors like gray exciting, but it’s also far from boring. The secret is to think elegance, not excitement.

Gray is calming, serene, stately. That may not be thrilling, but it’s far from boring. Use the right accessories to emphasize the dignified effect.

#3: Neutral Colors Say Nothing

Colors like gray are subtle and muted. So where’s the fun in designing a theme around that?

This might be the best-kept secret about using neutral colors in decorating and design: by painting with a neutral color like gray, you create the opportunity to make incredibly powerful design statements by contrast.

Think about a bright red room with a table in the center, a vase on the table, and a single red rose in the vase. Nice. Now imagine a steely gray room with that same rose. It’s a powerful statement, made possible by the neutral surroundings.

#4: Neutral Colors are Depressing

Flat gray in a dark room full of gray metal furniture… that’s the vision of gray we have from ugly institutional rooms.

Throw that thought away. Introduce some natural light, vary the shades and tones of the neutral color used, and you’re in a whole new world that’s energizing instead of depressing.

Excited about Neutral

Don’t just stop at neutral paint. Think of including other features to complement the color scheme: Fabrics, metals, stone, artwork. Combine shades and accents.

But paint is a good place to start, and when you’re ready to pursue that bold new neutral look, give Zenith Painting a call at 720-855-7019.

The post Going Gray: Choosing Neutral Colors for Interior Paint appeared first on House Painting of Colorado.

As we mentioned in our post about using post about using dark colors in interior painting, the bathroom is usually a smaller room focused on relaxation. Because of this, a strong color scheme and custom finishing elements that might overwhelm a living room can enhance the experience of a bathroom.

But take care: Whatever color you choose, whatever design theme you pursue, it will have to be able to resist the the high-traffic, high-humidity stresses of the bathroom. Lots of water and lots of activity calls for washable, water-resistant paint.

If you’ve got the right color and the right paint for the job, here are the steps to prep and paint a bathroom:

1. Repair Drywall

Try following Zenith Painting’s guide to repairing drywall.

2. Prime

Any repaired areas will need a fresh coat of primer. Areas that appear to have suffered water damage should be primed as well.

3. Pre-Painting Prep

Protect fixtures from accidental painting by either removing them or using drop cloths and painter’s tape to protect them.

4. Paint

Use a brush to cut in on corners and fixtures and a roller to cover the open areas. You’ve got a tough choice here: Do you want to remove your toilet’s tank to get perfect coverage of the wall behind it, or do you want to use a brush to reach behind? It’s up to you, but if you’d rather not take your toilet apart, we won’t tell.

That’s it. Do a walkthrough after the paint is dry to make sure there are no missed spots (remember, check behind the toilet!). You’re done!

And if you’re not, and you’re in the greater Denver area including Parker and Northglenn, Zenith Painting would be happy to do it for you! Just give us a call at 720-855-7019 for a free estimate.

Image Credit: Flickr

The post Choosing Colors and Painting a Bathroom appeared first on House Painting of Colorado.

Cons of Dark Colors in Interior Painting:

- They tend to reduce the apparent size of the room.

- It can be challenging to coordinate matching colors.

- They require additional coats of paint.

- They cannot be easily touched up.

- They easily reveal imperfections like poor drywall finishing.

- Dark colors can make rooms seem dark – of course!

Now, these are all real concerns you should be aware of, but don’t let them stop you from achieving the color scheme you desire. Dark colors are powerful and expressive, and there are ways to put them to great use. Here are a few areas of a home that are well-suited to dark colors:

Dining Rooms: The emotional impact of color can be put to good use in the dining room, where dark reds and blues can enhance the dining experience.

Bedrooms: As a space for sleeping and relaxing, bedrooms are suitable for dark colors—unless you use your bedroom as a home office or similar, in which case you may prefer something more neutral.

Bathrooms: Like bedrooms, bathrooms are typically places better suited to relaxation than activity. A dark color can communicate a sense of serenity.

Libraries: A library or study with wainscoting and paneling becomes more stately and subdued with dark colors.

Perhaps you’re sensing the theme? High traffic rooms that may see stains and scuffs on the wall are usually not the best choice for dark colors, but specialized rooms can use dark colors to their best effect with less risk of damage.

So go ahead, get dark. If you’d like help bringing out the bold in your home, give Zenith Painting a call for a free quote and to consult with our color experts.

The post The Risks and Benefits of Painting with Dark Colors appeared first on House Painting of Colorado.