Having to work with a small space can be difficult, especially if you frequently have guests. You don’t want your friends and family members to feel cramped, but you also don’t want to move out. That’s where your Mansfield painting company comes in. With their expertise, they can tell you which colors will make your interiors look larger, without using a single sledgehammer or power tool. It’s amazing how much of an effect paint colors can have on your interior’s appearance, even in small spaces.

Go Light, Not Dark

It’s generally accepted that lighter colors, not darker ones, help a small space appear larger than it really is. When choosing colors for your space, avoid using dark colors, which absorb far more light and make the room look even smaller. Warm colors like orange, red, and yellow all make the room feel closer and smaller.

To enhance the size of the room, stick to colors that are cooler. For the best effect, use soft tones like off-white, blue, green, and other neutral colors. These colors give the impression that the walls are receding away, making your room look wider and more open. If you’re using colors other than the ones mentioned, try to use more washed-out, lighter tints. You can also stick to a monochromatic color scheme which uses different tints and shades of a single color.

According to painting companies in Mansfield, if you’re using multiple colors, choose hues that all share the same saturation. Select colors that are similarly positioned on their individual color swatches. This creates the illusion of space and prevents guests from becoming distracted by focal points.

Choosing the Right Areas to Paint

You’ll want to make sure you consider how all the elements of your room can influence the appearance of its size, not just the walls. For example, painting the ceiling a lighter color can make it appear higher, making the room feel less claustrophobic. Paint your wall trim and molding an even lighter color than your walls to enhance the effects the walls already accomplish.

While a darker color on walls can make them feel closer, choosing a single wall to act as an accent can make it look like it’s receding when compared to the lighter walls.

Use Light in Tandem with Paint Colors

As mentioned, the way light hits your walls has a significant effect on the overall appearance of your room. This is the case for both natural and artificial light, so let that light in! Pull back the curtains and unfold the blinds so light can hit your walls.

The more light you let in, the larger the room will appear to be. When light hits a lightly colored wall, it reflects light and makes the room feel more open and airy.

Looking for more tips from your Mansfield painting company? Schedule a free consultation to get more ideas for your next paint job!

Since our team only focuses on residential properties, you’ll get a truly catered experience when it comes to interior design. Our team of Idea Guys takes particular pride in interior and exterior painting. To learn more about opening up your space using paint, schedule a free consultation by contacting us through our website.

There are so many ways to customize the exterior of your home and make it look better than ever before. If you have a fence or deck that you think could use a touchup or even an entire color overhaul, your painting company in Flower Mound wanted to provide you a few tips before you get started.

One of the most common questions we get is whether customers should stain their deck or fence vs. paint it. We answer that and more in today’s post!

What to Consider When Staining

Sometimes you want to maintain the grain lines and texture that comes with your fence or deck, but still give it a like-new appearance. To enhance the grain and texture you’ll want to use a semi-transparent stain. This will emphasize the natural design of your fence. Plus, you can add tinting colors to the stain without sacrificing the texture of the fence or deck itself.

Alternatively, you can improve the appearance of your fence and deck with an opaque stain. This increases the color and covers the wood grain more significantly because of its higher concentration of additives. Up-close, you’ll still be able to see the texture of your fence or deck, but from further away, people will be more likely to notice the color you chose as part of your stain.

When You Might Prefer Painting

If you think it’s time for a more significant change, painting can be a more ideal solution. This is especially true if your fence or deck is very old or if it’s been finished multiple times previously. A single coat of exterior paint can make them look new again.

When choosing a paint color, consider white, gray, or other neutral colors as these tend to pair with the rest of your home the easiest. However, you can always go with a typical brown or similar color that enhances the overall appearance of your home’s exterior.

Oil-Based vs. Water-Based Coatings

When you’ve decided which route you’d want to take, you’ll have to determine whether an oil-based material or a water-based material is right for you. Take note of the differences below:

Oil-Based – these products are known for penetrating exterior materials easily, such as distressed wood. While this matches perfectly with wooden exteriors, oil-based products require more re-applications in a given time period. They are also affected by UV rays and will penetrate the wood permanently. Water-Based – Water-based products are great for standing the test of time because the ingredients are more durable under extreme weather conditions. Cracking and peeling is less likely to occur, especially if the exterior has already been painted. Keep in mind that if a surface has already been painted or stained with an oil-based product, a water-based product will better adhere to the surface.

Want more advice on improving the exterior appearance of your home? You’re guaranteed to get it when you contact your painting company in Flower Mound!

How To Apply Glass Paint For Best Results

If you’re not a professional painter – and most people aren’t – you might wonder how you can get the best results when applying glass paint to a surface. Glass paint is a versatile medium and you can apply it in a number of ways. Here are a few tips to help you get the best results from your glass paint project.

Tips to Apply Glass Paint You can apply glass paint using the same techniques you use to apply ordinary paint to a surface, but some painting techniques yield better results.

Spraying to apply glass paint A high-volume, low-pressure (HVLP) paint sprayer is the applicator of choice for glass paint projects. These devices allow you to spray paint evenly and quickly, and help prevent overspray. Because these tools are so effective at applying paint, they actually reduce the amount of paint you use by up to 40%. HVLP paint sprayers have a built in compressor that applies even pressure to the liquid paint, and offers a transfer efficiency of about 90%.

Usually, HVLP paint sprayers have adjustable spray patterns, so you can paint using vertical, horizontal or circular motions to achieve the desired coverage effect. In addition to spraying paint, a HVLP sprayer can apply lacquer, varnish and stain, so it can quickly become a go-to tool for the do-it-yourself decorator. As an added benefit, HVLP sprayers apply paint very evenly, so they tend to reduce the drying time required. You can find HVLP paint sprayers in hardware and home improvement stores.

Rolling to apply glass paint If you don’t have a HVLP paint sprayer or are looking for a different effect, you can apply glass paint with a paint roller. Take some time to choose the correct roller, though! You want to look for a solvent-resistant mohair roller. You can choose any nap, however you’ll get better results with even, thin coatings of paint. Thicker nap on a roller will absorb more paint. You’ll extend your drying time and you’ll use more paint with each coating. Mohair rollers are available in home improvement and hardware stores, but be sure to choose the right materials. The most inexpensive paint rollers are synthetic, and they will not produce the same high quality results that mohair rollers will.

Brushing to apply glass paint If you need a lot of control over your glass paint application, you can use a good quality, solvent resistant mohair paintbrush. Brushes come in a variety of widths, but as with paint rollers, you’ll get better results with even, thin coatings of paint. If you have a large surface to cover, a roller will give you more even application than a brush will. Mohair brushes are available in home improvement and hardware stores. Like paint rollers, the most inexpensive paint brushes are synthetic, and they will not produce the same high quality results that mohair brushes will.