Fixing up my 1976 ramshackle home took 5 years. But of all my many home improvement projects, the easiest and cheapest were the four I completed using paint alone. I gave my kitchen a facelift, modernized my fireplace, removed popcorn ceilings from every room, and gave my patio door a French pattern-all using nothing but paint. Here's how you can implement these super easy home improvement projects yourself.
Kitchen Cabinet Remodel
The kitchen cabinets in my old house were made of shiny, cheap-looking plastic. I decided to custom paint them with a Tuscan motif. First I primed the cabinets with water-based primer. Next, I used a sea sponge to dab cream and taupe paint on the cabinets. Finally, I streaked plum colored paint here and there, before dabbing away the sharp contrast with my sea sponge. This easy kitchen cabinet remodel gave my cold, cheap kitchen the air of a country kitchen.
Fireplace Remodel
The brick facade of my old fireplace was soot-covered and ugly; while the wooden mantle was faded and caked with cobwebs and grime. Using a sea sponge I dabbed cream, taupe and sand colored paints on the bricks, giving them a fresh finish. Then I painted the wooden mantle in white (eggshell finish) to match the floor molding and window casing in the room. With this easy fireplace remodel I completely modernized my fireplace.
Ceiling Remodel
Though I first tried to spray water on my popcorn ceiling before I scraped it off, the process was slow and ineffective. Instead, I painted the ceiling in cheap, closeout paint to saturate the popcorn texture. Then I easily scraped the ceiling clean in no time at all. This easy ceiling remodel saved me time and reduced the mess considerably.
Window Pane Remodel
The glass doors leading to my deck were large, plain and boring. To give them the sophistication of a French door pattern, I spray painted a grid over the glass using frosted glass paint. It was easy to form the grid by taping printer paper on the glass, while leaving a space between the sheets. I completed this easy window remodel in ten minutes and love the results.
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