Oh dear

[ksmith]

It started with $9 worth of wallpaper trim. Which has already been mentally replaced with a narrow chair rail, which should ideally match the baseboard, which still needs to be replaced...

I think washing the walls will suffice. Shouldn't need to repaint, she said, with a catch in her voice.

Some of the wallpaper in the kitchen needs a switch-out, though.

Comments

[retrobabble.livejournal.com]

Oh oh. You're in the "tipping the domino" stage. Proceed verrry carefully.*g* And if you need any advice, feel free to ask.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

We have edged out into the living room. New curtain rod and new curtains are planned. Since we want things done by the holidays, we can't go crazy.

I did notice that the paint beneath the wallpaper strip is lighter than the rest of the wall, which I guess is to be expected. Will a good scrub be enough to even out the color, or does a change take place to the paint itself that renders it darker?

Advice--are you an interior design person by trade or inclination?

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I did notice that the paint beneath the wallpaper strip is lighter than the rest of the wall, which I guess is to be expected. Will a good scrub be enough to even out the color, or does a change take place to the paint itself that renders it darker?

Several possibilities. The paste from the wallpaper strip may have changed some things, or some dinginess may cling to the exposed paint. In my experience, paint tends to fade/grow lighter--but then I live in Texas.

Has a smoker lived in the house? Tobacco smoke can seriously darken paint, and also give the color a yellow cast. Or smoke from a kitchen fire, etc.

Check an inconspicuous spot for washing--some interior latex doesn't wash, or is applied too thinly to hold up to any scrubbing.

If it'e really dirty, wash before re-painting!

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

The cast is on the grey side...but we have a fireplace, and for a long time the stove fan didn't work.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

The cast is on the grey side...but we have a fireplace, and for a long time the stove fan didn't work.

Seriously suspect...

[retrobabble.livejournal.com]

Advice--are you an interior design person by trade or inclination?

Both -- lucky for me. :)

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Tell me--what are the Now colors for kitchen cabinets? And which woods/shades never go out of style.

I ask because my kitchen cabinets are green, kind of a deep piney/mossy. The heretics took all wood cabinets and stained them this way, and I decided that I would rather try to strip/restain then get new because all-wood costs the earth. My cabinets are Shaker-plain--no adornment whatsoever on the door, no trim--but the shelves are 3/4" real wood. No sagging with these babies.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Understand that I have been talking about restaining these cabinets for years now. I think timeless may serve better than trendy.

My two cents...

[retrobabble.livejournal.com]

Funnily enough, your cabinets *are* trendy right now. *g* It really is anything goes. If I had to say a trend, I would say an Arts and Crafts Shaker style, typically cherry (now I'm out in Northern California - it's oak in various other parts of the States.)

Medium to dark stains are trendy right now, but I would stay away from dark - obviously the young 20-something designers who are spec'ing this stuff never saw interiors from the 30's and 40's. *g*

Natural woods are always timeless, plus the finishes have come a long way from shellac.