Prep Work is Key 

When painting your floors, prepping the surface is a crucial first step in ensuring an unflawed outcome. No matter the material ”” wood, tile, concrete, etc. ”” you”™ll need to first clean and buff the entire surface. Concrete and recently refinished wood floors may prove trickier and could need stripping before any paint is applied. Next, test the paint in a small, inconspicuous area to see how porous the floor surface is. Older woods, laminate, or porous concrete can soak up paint and you”™ll need to adjust your paint choice accordingly to guarantee even coverage.   

Choose Your Color Palette Wisely

Consider the overall design of the room”™s interior when selecting a color for the floor. When unpainted, floors remain understated backdrops to a home”™s aesthetic. However, when painted, especially with a distinctive color or finish, the floor may steal the show. If you would like an inexpensive, effective remodel, choose a color that already harmonizes with your existing color scheme.

Select a Finish According to Use and Tone

Do you prefer a floor that shines, reflecting a room”™s natural light, or would you like a matte-finished floor that makes its own unique statement? Consider the tone of the room when selecting a finish for your painted floors. In a highly trafficked area, a matte floor may work better to show less wear and tear. To elevate luxury and elegance, a high-gloss finish would be the cherry on top of a stately interior.

Plan Accordingly

In other words, don”™t paint yourself into a corner. There”™s no avoiding the floor. Make sure to plan your floor painting job accordingly when members of the household are out, or the room doesn”™t need to be used. Homeowners should wait at least 24 hours before stepping on it. Keep in mind a plan of escape so you can exit the room without ruining the fresh paint job.

Hire a Pro

Many homeowners take on the daunting task of painting interior flooring without considering how time-consuming each task can be. Simply cleaning and buffing the floors may take an unexperienced and unprepared homeowner an entire day. Professional painters have the tools and skills to complete the prep work in considerably less time. We have many interior floor painting jobs under our belts and can perfectly execute your vision.

Fordham & MacLean”™s skilled and seasoned painters offer superb house painting services to the greater Boulder area. Our experts handle prep work, painting, and cleanup at an affordable cost and guarantee our final product to exceed your expectations. For all your house painting needs, contact us today.

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DIY: Update Hardware

Look around your home and you may see certain pieces of hardware that look worn and outdated. Handles, drawer pulls, sockets, and light switches are some of the most expended items in a home. Constant use can leave these items dull, faded, or loose. Moreover, many homeowners overlook their home”™s hardware since it”™s not a big-ticket renovation item. However, by replacing these elements throughout the house, you”™ll breathe new life into cabinets, vanities, and doors.

Kitchen and bathroom faucets may also benefit from an upgrade. If you can use a wrench and some plumber”™s putty, you can definitely swap out those cracked, outdated water knobs for more modern ones. While you”™re at it, install a new showerhead or bathtub faucet. This renovation takes only a few hours and your entire bathroom or kitchen will immediately shine.

PRO: Interior Painting

A home interior paint job contributes greatly to the overall aesthetic of your house. In fact, painting just one room is a lot more involved than many homeowners think. Taping off molding, doorways, light fixtures, and outlets must be done perfectly, or the job will look messy when finished. In addition, covering precious items and flooring is essential to keeping your house free from paint splatter or spills. Hire a professional Boulder painting company to conduct your interior paint job and you”™ll be extremely pleased with the results of a beautiful redone room. 

DIY: Tiling and Molding

Crown molding can immediately enhance a room”™s aesthetic, as can baseboards and decorative doorways. Select your desired molding from a local hardware store and cut accordingly. Installing molding is a little more time consuming than other DIY projects but it gives any home a serious facelift.

Retiling your bathroom or kitchen can also be accomplished over the course of a weekend. Rent a wet saw, purchase grout, and select your desired tile for the intended space. Retiling a backsplash, shower stall, or even bathroom floor is a straightforward process and mistakes can be easily corrected before the tiles set. 

PRO: Exterior Painting

Prepping the outside of a home is half the battle when preparing to take on home exterior painting. Most homeowners don”™t realize how much work goes into the job before paint ever touches the home. A quality professional Boulder painting service will spend just as much time, if not more, washing the outside of your home, scraping off chips, masking fixtures, and cleaning up when the job is finished. When tackled as a DIY project, painting the exterior of your home can extend well past the weekend. However, a top-rated professional painting service can complete the project quickly and efficiently. Leave this one to the pros.

Our professional Boulder painting service can help you tackle all of your home interior painting and exterior painting renovations. A skillfully applied coat of paint has transformative powers and can give your home the cost-effective, beautiful remodel you”™ve been dreaming of. If you”™re uncertain of which paint color you want, we offer a free color consultation to ensure the project is completed to your satisfaction. Contact us today for more information.

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Introduce Pops of Color

Painting the interior of your home with shades of white can give the roomӪs aesthetic the space it needs. If you love bold patterns or enjoy bright colors, painting the walls of the living room or bedroom with color may create chaos instead of harmony. A white backdrop allows for experimentation with d̩cor. If you havenӪt decided on a theme or style, it may be wise to choose an uncomplicated shade of white and allow ideas to come as you live in the space. You wonӪt have to design around a strong color, but can instead play with fabrics and furnishings with ultimate freedom.

Paint an Accent Wall

Perhaps you have a favorite color you”™d enjoy using in your home, but the color may be overpowering on all the walls. An accent wall can really add energy to a space without overstimulating the senses. White paint on the three corresponding walls help the accent wall shine as the focal point. Similarly, with industrial style rooms, white can help accentuate brick, iron, or concrete features. Bright, cold colors often compete with architectural features, nullifying any unique beauty they provide, but white provides the perfect background.

Create Space

In particularly small rooms, white has the ability to open a space up and make it feel larger than it actually is. Similarly, in oddly shaped rooms, white can expand corners or nooks instead of closing off the awkward areas. Eggshell and satin finishes help give dimension to the final product, so the room doesn”™t feel flat, but instead shines with any hint of natural light.

It Never Goes Out of Style

2019 saw many paint color trends that offered unique ways to spruce up drab rooms. Navy, marigold, and pink are gorgeous additions to any space; however, they may eventually go out of style. White is a low-maintenance paint color that is never off-trend. For homeowners who don”™t wish to repaint every few years, white offers unwavering beauty and style.

White paint offers homeowners freedom to experiment with splashes of color and playful patterns. It also helps open up a space by reflecting natural light, making your small rooms feel expansive. Fordham and MacLean”™s experienced Boulder painters can help tackle your next home interior painting job. Contact us for more information.

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Classic Burgundy by Benjamin Moore

When you”™re in need of an eye-catching splash of color, Benjamin Moore”™s Classic Burgundy won”™t disappoint. This shade of merlot is ideal for incorporating into the kitchen or office, as its bold tones make a statement without being overpowering. It”™s also an excellent choice for adding a punch of personality to cabinetry or even the front door.

Rust by Benjamin Moore

Colorado is famous for its multitude of autumnal hues. If you”™d like to bring elements of nature indoors, consider Rust by Benjamin Moore. This warm burnt orange shade is reminiscent of fall and will add depth to any room that you desire. If you”™re on the search for creative ways to use unconventional colors, try introducing rust tones to the interior or exterior of cabinets. This color looks especially crisp when paired with white, so it”™s great for contrasting with white walls or furniture.

Rosemary by Sherwin-Williams

If you love the soft greens of autumn, Rosemary by Sherwin-Williams will be a welcome addition to your home. This subdued green will lend a Zen feeling to your living room or study, but itӪs so versatile that itӪll complement any room that you choose. This shade of green pairs well with many other shades, so youӪll have plenty of flexibility when selecting d̩cor or furnishings.

Izmir Purple by Sherwin-Williams

The arrival of fall means early sunsets and velvety night skies. Izmir Purple by Sherwin-Williams will bring this imagery into your home and serve as an eye-catching statement color. This bold shade of purple makes for a stunning accent wall and will effortlessly create a focal point. It”™s also a winning choice for smaller spaces such as bathrooms or meditation rooms.

The changing of the seasons provides the perfect opportunity to freshen up your home with new colors. When you need a job done right, get in touch with our experienced crew. We”™ve served Boulder homeowners and businesses for more than 40 years, and we”™d love to help your home look its best. Home interior painting is one of our specialties, and we offer a free color consultation to ensure that you”™re 100% confident with your choice. When you”™re ready to learn more about our services, please reach out to us.

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Choose a Creative Location

A statement wall can make a big splash in any room of the house, so get creative when choosing the perfect location. While bold pops of color are often seen in the kitchen or living room, they”™re just as effective in other areas. A statement wall in an unexpected location has the power to make a room appear more spacious or hide flaws, so they”™re definitely worth considering. For example, if the entryway could use a little something extra, try visualizing the space with a fresh new color or texture. You may be surprised by the impact of a simple coat of paint!

Don”™t Be Afraid to Go Bold

While you may be hesitant to incorporate unusual hues into your home, rest assured that accent walls are the perfect way to express your bold side without overwhelming the space. Jewel tones are an excellent choice for statement walls, and we love the show-stopping Belize by Sherwin-Williams and rich Exotic Purple by Benjamin Moore. If you”™re not sure which color would best complement your home, don”™t hesitate to reach out to us for a free color consultation. We want you to feel confident in your choice and fall in love when you see the results.

Experiment with Texture

When you think of statement walls, your mind may immediately jump to bold shades. However, an accent wall can feature more than just color. Texture is an element that has the potential to take your statement wall to the next level. Painting techniques such as sponging, color washing, and strié will add depth and dimension to the room and complement your color choice.

A high-quality paint job is crucial in enhancing your home”™s appearance and boosting its value. When you”™re ready to shake things up by adding an accent wall, our experienced crew is here to help. We”™ve delivered unparalleled results for Boulder homeowners and businesses for more than 40 years and we”™d love to make your vision for your home a reality. We”™re happy to handle any job, whether that”™s interior painting, exterior painting, or commercial projects. If you”™d like to schedule your free color consultation before you move forward with Boulder wall painting, we”™re happy to help you find the perfect shade(s). Please get in touch with our team by giving us a call at 303-324-0561.

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Homeowners may utilize this dramatic color to set their home apart from the neighbors, to highlight aspects of a particular architectural style, or to evoke a moodiness that can only be prompted by black. If you”™re considering painting the interior or exterior of your home any shade of this dark hue, here”™s what you need to know first. 

The Meaning of Black

Black is such a striking visual, because scientifically speaking, the dark void it presents is  absence of light (and therefore color). When applied to the exterior of a home, that house will immediately stand out against any backdrop. A home with a black exterior will pop brilliantly against fresh white snow, but it will also sparkle and glint in the noon-time sun on any summer day. 

This color communicates power, richness, and strength. During the Middle Ages, royalty adorned themselves and their palaces with black. Black also signals protest and provocation; it is noteworthy and will not be easily overlooked. 

Interior Black Paint 

If youӪre interested in dipping your toes into this darkened design scheme without fully taking the plunge, try painting a small alcove of your home first. See how you like it and consider how it fits with the rest of your interior d̩cor. Fortunately, black goes with virtually everything, even pairing well with more black.

Premium paint companies have released lines of high-quality black paints in a variety of shades so homeowners can find a hue that works well in their home”™s interior. These blacks fit well with modern interior architectural styles, as well as houses with plenty of natural light. Brightly colored furnishings, retro style, and vintage vibes receive a stylish boost from black accent walls or interior paint jobs. This rich color can even foster peace, tranquility, and safety to sacred spaces like bedrooms or meditation nooks.  

Exterior Usage 

Black accentuates angular, sharp lines on modern homes while reinvigorating aged, weathered brick houses. A perfect coat of black paint suddenly transforms a dilapidated one-story ranch into a sleek bungalow that feels as if it was transplanted from the shore of a Scandinavian fishing village. Black converts worn and outdated homes to newer, modern-looking oases. Even steel, wood, and vinyl-sided homes can benefit from a black exterior paint job. 

The dramatic tone bursts forth from the mountainous and prairie landscapes of Boulder and Longmont. It can even contribute to greater energy efficiency during the winter months, keeping your home cozy and comfortable. Regardless of your reason for choosing a black paint color, your home will reap numerous benefits from this redesign. 

Fordham and MacLean”™s exceptional Boulder and Longmont painters provide high-quality services, including a free color consultation. Explore your options with this complimentary service, and when you”™ve determined that black (or any color!) really is right for you, contact us again and we”™ll help you achieve your house painting dreams.  

Image courtesy of Pixabay.

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Dusty, Cabin-in-the-Woods Hues

Colors in the plaid, mustard, and brown families no doubt make a space look weathered, worn, and dusty. Interior designers used to believe that faux-wood paneling coupled with gray and forest hues could transform a simple, one-story ranch into a cozy cabin. However, elements of this aesthetic now make a home appear cluttered, small, and cramped. Pairing shades in the grayish-green family with dark brown, faux-material and plaid will make a space appear more like an outdated clubhouse or cabin in need of a makeover.

Faux-Tuscan

Paint colors from this decorating genre include light tans, sandy yellows, off-whites, and muted browns. The color pallet strives to resemble that of an Italian country-side villa, faded from the bright sun with colors subtle enough to harmonize with ropy olive tree trunks or dark green vineyards. However, this scheme is stuck in the late 90”™s and early 2000”™s and will no doubt make your home feel left behind, as well.

Jewel Tones

When used as accent colors, jewel tones like emerald, ruby, or sapphire can make furnishings, backsplashes, or cabinets pop. When paired together, they have the tendency to make a space seem more like a museum exhibit than an entry way. The eye-catching tones are warm, engaging, and overt, yet can easily take center stage. While these colors were very popular in the 90”™s, they work better today as highlights for an understated aesthetic. 

Avocado and Burnt Sienna

In direct response to the pastel, sugary-sweet color schemes of the 50Ӫs, this color pallet combo sought to invite nature inside the home. These colors are still popular, especially for the retro and vintage aesthetics. However, they should be left alone when it comes to wall paint colors. These are obvious mainstays of a 60Ӫs d̩cor style and can make kitchens and bathrooms look outdated and in need of a remodel.

Pepto Pink and Periwinkle Blue

Nothing screams remodel quite like a bubble-gum pink toilet or periwinkle blue tile. These colors are extremely reminiscent of decades gone and immediately signal that a home is outdated. However, coupling these colors with a slate gray paint color can give them room to breathe and make them look more modern. Chrome accents, natural wood furniture, and beige fabrics can tone down a Pepto-Bismol pink.

A high-quality paint job has transformative powers for the interior and exterior of any type of home. Our professional Boulder painters have years of experience and we even offer a free color consultation so you can confidently pair your perfect paint color with that avocado-colored refrigerator. 😉 If you desire to bring your Boulder home into the 21^st century, or if you are simply in need of a top-rated, exterior house painting service, give us a call today.

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Interview Your Painter 

When inviting someone into your home to perform a job, it”™s okay to vet them first. Interview the company you”™d like to work with and ask pertinent questions about product selection, prep work, and clean up. Move forward only if the painter provides answers that you”™re comfortable with and that make you feel confident in his or her abilities. 

Choose a Painter with All Necessary Licensure and Insurance

Many homeowners don”™t realize that painting companies must have proper licensure in order to run a legitimate operation. Paint and the chemicals related to painting are toxic and must be used and disposed of correctly in order to keep operators, homeowners, and the community at large safe and healthy. Professional painting also involves the use of many tools and equipment that take experience and caution to operate. A state-issued license means that the painting company has filed all necessary paperwork and operates according to specific guidelines. Your painter and his or her crew will be working all around your property so it”™s vital that you make sure that they hold workers compensation and general liability insurance. 

Select a Painting Company that Performs Meticulous Prep Work

Prepping the interior or exterior of your home is often more time consuming than actually painting the area. It”™s crucial that you confirm your prospective painting company has a detailed prep process included in the cost of its painting service; thorough prep work will help your home”™s interior or exterior paint adhere evenly and last longer. Prep work also means masking off areas and protecting surfaces that the homeowner does not want painted. Be sure that the company you intend to work with takes care when masking and is willing to go the extra mile to protect treasured items within your home. 

Choose a Painting Company with Reasonable Prices 

If a painting company has low prices, that”™s a red flag. High-quality supplies cost money and a painter who pitches a low price is probably cutting corners somewhere. House painting takes time and is a labor-intensive job. Consider the cost you would spend purchasing supplies and performing the prep, painting, and clean-up yourself. Estimating costs prior can help you recognize when a price is reasonable, too low, or too high. 

At Fordham and MacLean, we take pride in our house painting services and offer high-quality work for a reasonable price. We won”™t scrimp on product and supplies or cut corners during the job to save on time. We see the project through, from start to finish, in order to deliver a superb paint job that offers joy to the home”™s residents and adds value to the property. Contact us today for a consultation. 

Photo provided under Creative Commons License Zero (CC0)

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Invest More on High-Quality Paints

The outside of a home sees plenty of wear and tear through its lifetime. Colorado”™s dramatic weather patterns can cause serious degradation to the exterior paint. High-quality paints in earthy shades are less likely to show dirt and debris, and the better quality offers more durability. 

Consider Permanent External Features

Depending on your home”™s architectural style, certain features may be more prominent than others. Colonials often feature large pillars, brick work, and wrought iron railings. Pairing a warm color with these elements can complement them, instead of clashing. 

The roof is one of the largest features of a home. Consider painting your home a balancing color like one within the same color family. Perhaps your roof is tin, terracotta, or uniquely tiled and you”™d like it to stand out. Choose a contrasting paint color that will help dramatically highlight the roof as a unique feature. 

Honor the Home”™s Location and History

Decide whether you want your home to blend with its natural surroundings or stand out from them. Mountain homes often select earthy, muted shades, like mossy greens or slate grays, so as to harmonize with nature. This helps the wild terrain seem unmarked by development and is courteous of neighbors who also want to maintain some semblance of solitude. 

Homes in Boulder”™s more historic neighborhoods often play with bright colors, like yellows and reds. Its Victorian style homes are painted in lively greens, soft purples, and even gumball pink. To restore your home to its historic condition, scrape away layers of paint to get an idea of former exterior paint selections. 

Request a Free Color Consultation 

When it comes to paint color selection, there”™s a world of possibility just waiting to be explored. However, making a final decision on your home”™s exterior paint color can take time and even become a bit daunting. At Fordham and MacLean, we appreciate the importance of taking your time to get the exterior paint color exactly right. That”™s why we offer a free color consultation. Select multiple colors and we”™ll paint sample swatches right on the exterior of your home so you can get a clear picture of how each color will look on the house. 

If you”™re considering updating your home”™s exterior paint color, we”™d love to help. Our professional Boulder painters are meticulous in nature and have years of experience painting Colorado homes. Contact us today for more information. 

Photo by Binyamin Mellish from Pexels

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Prep the Home”™s Exterior

Many homeowners believe that a long-lasting, outstanding exterior paint job starts with the most obvious item, the paint. In fact, laying the groundwork for paint to apply perfectly is the most crucial step. 

Prep your home by washing the outside, trimming away shrubbery, scrapping off chipped paint, and masking trim, windows, and doors. More often than not, prepping a home for an exterior painting takes longer than the actual paint work. Skipping these vital preparatory steps will prevent an enduring paint job. 

Use High Quality Paint   

Selecting the correct paint can shave hours, or even days, off of a paint job. Companies like Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore produce top-quality paints that blend well, apply evenly, and can withstand years of wear and tear. Choosing poorer quality paints also means that homeowners will undoubtedly need to apply a second, third, or even fourth coat to get cohesive, even coverage. Cheap paints usually don”™t last as long, either, and could mean your home is destined for another paint job in just a few years. 

Hire a Professional 

A homeowner may only paint their house a handful of times throughout ownership, whereas a professional has painted hundreds, or even thousands of home exteriors throughout a lengthy career. 

Painting the exterior of your home is no small task, and to do it right, involves multiple tools and various supplies. Saving these items until your next paint endeavor can eat up precious storage space and many homeowners find themselves buying new supplies with each job. Professional painters handle the set-up, supplies, and take down, leaving you with no mess to pick up and put away afterward. 

We also know the ins and outs of home exteriors. From masking doors and windows to clearing away debris, we handle it all so that you don”™t have to. Attempting to prep and paint your home”™s exterior may take an entire week, while a professional can get this accomplished in no time. 

Working with a professional Boulder painting service like Fordham and MacLean guarantees that your home will look its best and your paint job can last 8-10 years. We take pride in offering Boulder residents superb service, and even provide a free color consultation to ensure you”™re more than pleased with your selected shade(s). Contact us for a quote on your next home exterior paint job. 

Photo by Malte Lu from Pexels

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