Glidden Gripper – Country Design Home

Jul 15, 2014

Coastal Kitchen Cupboard DIY Makeover

Blogger’s note: NO REAL WOOD WAS HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS CUPBOARD**

This past weekend, I completed a few more projects while awaiting the granite guy’s countertop installation at mom’s house. I have been working on this piece in my kitchen for quite awhile, and am happy to finally have it done! This is the before:

a red cupboard (made of MDF) we purchased a few years back at Jordan’s Furniture Colossal Clearance Center in Avon, Mass (if you haven’t been there, it is so definitely worth the trip! Lots of great furniture at significantly discounted prices!) This piece fits nicely in the narrow passageway between our kitchen and dining room and holds a ton of stuff like paper towels, napkins and several pieces of kitchen equipment that just won’t fit anywhere else. The problem is, since it’s in the highest traffic point of our home, it had been scratched and worn-the finish was like a plastic veneer and scratched off quite easily (and I was tired of the dark red anyway…). Time for a fix, so this is the after: a pretty, light coastal cabinet with a top created from reclaimed window shutters!

Here is the how-I-did-it: Sanded everything down to rough up the shiny veneer plasticy surface, and sanded the edges to round them off a bit.

Nothing says “mass-produced” more than sharp, clean edges on furniture. Primed with my go-to primer: Glidden Gripper (you can find this at Home Depot in the paint dept)

The Americana Chalky paint I planned on using says it doesn’t need a primer, but the before color was so dark, and the new color was so light, I figured I had better just to be safe.

Before I painted the entire piece, I accented the frames around the door panel inserts with the Americana Chalky Paint Called Vintage. It is a soft blue/green color that ties in beautifully with the shutter slats on the top.

Then I applied some wallpaper wainscoting (LOVE this stuff too!) to the inside of the panels to give a more country feel to the piece. (For the DIY how-to on using the wallpaper, click here.

I then painted the entire cupboard, including the inside panels, with two coats of Americana Chalky paint in the color Everlasting-so soft and pretty white.

The more I used this paint, the more I love it. No brush strokes, so easy to apply and clean up. I then sanded the edges to give it a bit of character and contrast.

The final coat was the Americana Ultra Matte Varnish from DecoArt. No shine, protects the white paint from fingerprints.

For the star of this show, the top, I used some old shutter slats that Coach and I had picked up off the side of the road on a drive to Cape Cod. That was one of my very first blog posts, and also one of the first times we trash picked on the side of the road. What a score! The colors are all the original ones-so coastal pretty!!

I have been using parts of them for several projects, including some little hanging chalkboards which I decided to reclaim for this project. As I was arranging the slats on the top, my original plan was to flip the chalkboard ones over and use the reverse side. But then I thought, why not just leave them so I could write cute little sayings on the surface? Fun!

Once I had placed all of the slats, there were a few that hung over the edges, which I quickly remedied with a few jigsaw cuts.

Then sanded the edge smooth with my Black & Decker Mouse sander, which I also picked up at my local Home Depot. Honestly, I spend more time at Home Depot and Home Goods than I do at home!!

While I was sanding, I made sure that I sanded the top edge just a bit so that the cut pieces had the same worn edge as the rest. (this is the area that fits into the frame of the shutters when they are whole).

Once they were cut and sanded, I glued them into place with this strong sticky stuff-didn’t even require any nailing!!

The original knobs were a nice heavy iron, but I wanted something lighter so there wasn’t as much of a contrast. These mercury glass knobs I found at (where else) HomeGoods, but I couldn’t find handles for the doors that I really liked.

So, I grabbed a pair of stainless ones I kept from my old kitchen and painted them with the chalk paint. What, you say?! Painted knobs? But, of course! This week’s Tuesday DIY Tip: you can paint any hardware quickly and easily, especially with this chalk paint! You just paint it on, making sure you get in all the tiny holes and crevices, then wipe it off,

allow to dry and done. Wipe away as much or as little depending on the look you are going for.

The finished cupboard now stands in the space under my incredible driftwood mirror I purchased at (where else) HomeGoods a few months back, along with some other coastal-inspired decor.

Which will all go so nicely in my coastal dream home (if I ever get a coast dream home…) In the meantime, have a dreamy Tuesday, everyone!! Susan

**PS: That disclaimer at the top of this article is for all the wood enthusiasts who think that no wood furniture should ever be painted…

Filed Under: Color Class, My Little Red House, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: #BobVilaNation, Americana Chalky Paint, Americana Chalky Paint Vintage, Americana Ultra-Matte Varnish, coastal inspired kitchen cupboard, DecoArt Americana Chalky Paint, DIY coastal insprired cupboard, Glidden Gripper, Home Depot, HomeGoods, shutter slats for kitchen cupboard top, transforming a cabinet with chalky paint

Apr 10, 2014

WoW! Wainscoting Wallpaper!

By countrydesignhome · 10 Comments

Coach and I recently purchased this country-style cupboard at auction for…wait for it…$10!!! It was pretty grimy and the front doors were missing, but I just fell in love with the detail in the top trim and base.

The color was a faded and chipped greenish-mustardy yellow with some sort of stenciling on it. So not country pretty, so time for a makeover. First step, clean it up! Second step, I had to remove the middle piece of wood where the now-MIA doors would have normally closed and latched. (If anyone knows what that piece is actually called, let me know : )

It was easy to pop out with a tap of a hammer, but there was a wood spindle at the base that needed removing, since I wasn’t planning on replacing the doors.

(This is the point when Bartlet the Frenchie was exiled into the hall closet, as he was none too pleased with the noise of the saw and kept trying to attack it!)

Easily done with a small saw, then I patched up the holes and was good to go. The first coat, my go-to primer, Glidden Gripper. It covers lots of sins : )

Amazing how one coat of primer can change the entire look of a piece! See how the detail pops with the clean, white paint!?

My finish paint choice? A lovely shade of creamy white called Snowfall White by Benjamin Moore in a matte finish.

If Linen White and White Dove were married and had painty children, this is the color they would be. Before I applied the top coat, I decided I wanted to add some sort of trim or wainscoting to the back panels to give the cupboard a bit more interest. I went searching through Lowes (well, first I scoured the basement workshop and the barn but came up empty handed there), where I perused all sorts of wood, metal and vinyl options. I wanted something simple and lightweight to install that would give a nice finished look. At Lowes I discovered this roll of faux paintable, pre-pasted wallpaper wainscoting by Allen & Roth. Score!

It looks like a regular roll of paper, but It had the feel of foam, so it is very lightweight and easy to cut with scissors. No dragging out my saw and sanding down edges, then gluing and nailing in place. Just measure, cut, dip and paste. Perfect.

Simple to cut, just measured it out, marked with a pencil and used scissors.

Dipped it in a warm bath in the sink for 30 seconds, then removed it and allowed it to sit for 3 minutes to allow the glue to really gel up.

This is some seriously sticky and gluey glue! The panels went on so easily over the primed surface, and since I had already premeasured and cut, no additional trimming was necessary. I just placed the paper into position and used a damp sponge to wipe it down and remove any excess glue.

According to the instructions, I waited 24 hours prior to painting, then I painted the entire piece with the Snowfall White.

And folks, this really does look like raised wood wainscoting!

This painted piece is so much better, BUT, I am not finished.

I need to decide on an accent glazing color, and I am open for suggestions. Red, lavender, gray, blue, brown, what color would you choose to enhance the beautiful trim and the wainscoting without changing the overall feel of the cupboard? I am loving the white, but it needs just a touch of something!

And this needs to be completed quickly, as Easter is fast approaching, so time is of the essence. Help! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, Color Class, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series · Tagged: Allen & Roth, Allen & Roth Faux Wainscoting, Allen & Roth Wainscoting Wallpaper, Benjamin Moore Linen White, Benjamin Moore Snowfall White, Benjamin Moore White Dove, country cupboard ideas, country cupboard painted, Glidden Gripper

Mar 25, 2014

Anchors Away Vintage Cabinet

By countrydesignhome · 2 Comments

Another DIY project for the summer porch (if it ever gets above freezing around here so we can actually use the porch). This is the before, one of those old tin wall cabinets that someone had painted an awful shade of mustard neon yellow.

And this is the now: an Anchors Away Rolling Cabinet!

A pretty dramatic transformation, yes? Here is the how-I-did-it:

1. Attached wheels to the base of the cabinet so it can roll easily

2. Painted with Glidden Gripper primer. This stuff works on wood or metal. Painted a coat of Benjamin Moore Snowfall white over the primer.

3. For the sides, I decided to add a nautical stripe effect, so I taped the 2″ stripes over the white and painted with a custom (by me!) deep blue.

4. For the front doors, I painted two layers of blue paint, a solid base and then a dry-brushed topcoat to create more depth of color.

5. For the anchor stencil. I needed to look no further than my HomeGoods shopping bag!

I buy these all the time, and for 99 cents they can’t be beat. I usually use them for toting stuff around, but since the anchor was the perfect size, I figured why not? I’ve got plenty more where those came from! So I used the cut-out anchor for the stencil, affixing it to the cabinet with some temporary craft adhesive,

then sponging paint on with a regular sponge.

The roping I created from my PicMonkey Photo Editor. This anchor design is very similar to the one I used, so I’m sharing that in case you would like to create one of these too!

6. I printed the design on regular printer paper, then affixed a sheet of freezer paper to it with some spray adhesive, just to give it more strength. Cut out the stencil with an exacto knife.

7. Affixed the stencil to the cabinet with painter’s tape, dabbed the white with a piece of sponge until the white was deep against the dark blue.

For the twisted rope, I cut the pattern from the HomeGoods bag (it has two sides : )

and taped that to the cabinet.

Outlined with chalk, then took a small, tapered sponge piece

and followed along the lines, dabbing with the white paint to create the rope effect.

The great part about using chalk is that once the paint is dried, the chalk just wipes away with a damp sponge.

For the top, I used some light balsa wood pieces that I affixed with glue.

I wanted that beachy, weathered appearance, so I added some blues mixed with water just to give it an aged effect.

Then I glazed the top with a mixture of Martha Stewart Glaze and 2 paints, one white, one metallic silver to create that aged, driftwoody look I was going for.

With the glaze, you just paint it on, then wipe off what you don’t want

The original handles were 1950’s chrome, which would have been perfectly fine.

Instead, I used some brass grommets, one in each hole. I had do do a bit of drilling to make the holes larger, and then glued them into place.

Added some nautical roping to create the handles. Plus, it mimics the roping in the stenciled design. Perfect!

A bit of DIY FYI: when you are cutting twisted rope, tape the end before you cut, otherwise it will untwist!

For the inside, I just painted it to match, then decopaged the shelves with some pretty blue tile paper I picked up at Michaels-4 for $1!

Then I added a Martha Stewart Gloss finish just to waterproof the paper.

This cabinet is plenty big enough to hold cups, plates and glasses and an ice bucket for the porch.

The finished cabinet is perfect on our Nautical Summer porch, right at home with our white wicker seating and the Whale Coffee Table!

And. perhaps someday soon, we will be able to sit out on the porch and enjoy some much-anticipated warm weather! But for now, I hope you enjoyed my DIY Anchors Away Cabinet Project! Have a warm Wednesday, everyone! I know I will because I am headed to sunny California!!! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series, Views From My Back Porch · Tagged: Benjamin Moore Snowfall, bobvila, Glidden Gripper, HomeGoods, nautical cabinet, nautical painted cabinet, vintage anchor cabinet, vintage cabinet

Jan 30, 2014

Antiqued Mirror on the Wall

By countrydesignhome · 8 Comments

Who’s the fairest (and most rustic, vintage and gorgeous!) of them all? This mirror was another “throw-away” Coach found “somewhere”. I don’t ask anymore. It’s like a magic cupboard-I need something, I open up the barn door and voila! Instant DIY subject! Today’s project was this old, dirty, chipping and peeling dark brown mahogany mirror. Despite it’s sorry, drab exterior in dire need of some TLC, the actual structure itself was totally solid and quite heavy, I might add. I transformed it from this in a few simple, easy steps.

Here is the How-I-Did-It: 1. Cleaned the mirror and frame thoroughly with heavy duty cleanser. The mirror is not in perfect condition, but that’s fine by me. Adds to the charm, and it stills reflects the light, which is most important. Lightly sanded the frame just to remove any loose particles of old varnish.

2. Primed with Gripper by Glidden. LOVE this stuff. Seals in stains, odors, evens the color and preps the wood to accept the topcoat.

3. Painted with one coat of Glidden Antique Beige

that I added my “chalk-like-paint” mixture to. It is a nice, soft, matte finish that accepts glazes and waxes very well. That recipe here:

4. Added the unfinished medallion to the top for detail.

I purchased this one at Michaels for a couple of bucks. Just glued it on with Gorilla Glue . You have to brush it on, then weight it down

and wait until it’s dry to ensure a good solid bond. Then I painted it with the same Glidden top coat and allowed to dry.

5. Lightly sanded the whole mirror frame and detail to expose some of the dark wood beneath.

6. Painted on this Antique Wax in Scrub Pine from General Finishes. I like this one because you don’t have to work it in with a rag. You literally paint it on!

Brushed it on with a foam brush, then wiped off with a rag, leaving the dark wax in places to enhance all of the crevices and lines and detail.

It leaves some color, but it also adds a nice matte finish to the entire piece. Allowed to dry.

7. Scraped off the excess paint and stain insdie the frame of the mirror. Cleaned the mirror.

8. Here is the finished closeup of my antiqued mirror. I love it, but what do you think? Should I have left it alone or did I give this piece some love? (BTW, if anyone knows the trick to photographing mirrors without me being in the shot, I would love to hear it!!!)

This is a very simple DIY project, it just takes some time and a little patience to allow each layer to dry before adding the next. If you are thinking of trying this process, test it out on a sample piece of wood before taking on a big, detailed mirror or frame. But remember, it’s supposed to look old and messy, so perfection is not an option! Sometimes a little messy is a good thing… Hope you have a reflective Thursday, everyone! Susan

Filed Under: Auctions, Fleas & Fabulous Finds, My Little Red House, The 3 R's Recycle, Re-Furbish, Re-Love, The Barn Workshop-DIY Series · Tagged: Antiqued Painted Mirror, bobvila, Country Design Antique Mirror, General Finishes Wax, Glidden Antique Beige Paint, Glidden Gripper, Michaels Crafts, Painted Mirror

Dec 18, 2012

The Glidden Project

By countrydesignhome · Leave a Comment

Back in October, I spied this insert from Glidden Paints inside the Halloween issue of Country Living Magazine The brilliant autumn-inspired colors in the ad caught my eye, as did their interactive website, so I blogged about it. Well, the good people at Glidden saw my blog (yay!) and asked if I would be interested in doing a room makeover using their paint brand. They would send me the paints of my choice, I would paint it myself and then write about the experience. Now, those of you who read my blog know that I am a one-paint kind of decorista. Over the years I have tried just about every paint brand, only to keep returning to my personal favorite. But, since I had been contemplating a facelift for our family room anyway, it seemed like the perfect time to sieze an amazing opportunity to try something new and write a blog for the whole world to see (well, maybe not the whole world, but at least my blogging world).

Here’s the story: The last time we re-painted the family room, I had decided to add an accent color to the fireplace wall.

At the time, it worked to enhance the fireplace and mantel that were viewable from the kitchen, which was the same color. However, last fall we converted our adjacent deck to a screened-in porch, which we LOVE, but any natural light we had streaming into the picture window was

greatly diminished, making the room darker and less appealing. Along with that, I had changed the sofa slipcover from this light toile print

to a brick red solid, creating a cavernous feel.

Of course, that was not my intent. The original blue slipcover that came with the sofa we bought back in 2005 was too flowery for this more “countrified” space, and the red slipcover I purchased online looked a lot brighter on my computer screen than in person. Bright, cheerful color is my thing…dark and gloomy, not so much. And several of the decorating elements in the room- like this hand-carved whale-also creamy white, just faded into the walls, which were the same color as the trim.

Time for a change. The new colors I chose were Antique Beige

for the walls, because I needed a color just a shade or two darker than the trim but still bright and light, and this one has just a hint of pink, and Steel Blue for the accents to match the rugs and curtains that I was planning to keep.

I kept the trim, fireplace and bookcases the same creamy white semi-gloss. But before I could paint the wall, I had to do a wee bit of patching since I had made some pretty big screw holes while hanging a mirror awhile back.

A hole this big cannot just be filled with putty, you actually need to use some of this mesh tape to bridge it, and give it something to grab onto.

Once the putty was dry and sanded, I used this Glidden Primer called Gripper . (I had given this a High Five For Friday awhile ago-see Primed for Success...)

It has a school-glue consistency, covers everything and seals in stains and dark colors, yet it is water-based for easy cleanup.

I was able to paint all of these shelves that were stained and polyurethaned over 25 years ago-without even sanding them!

Amazing stuff. Next up was two coats of the eggshell finish Antique Beige Glidden. Having stated above that I have been using the same paint brand for years, I have to tell you that I was very happily surprised by how great this paint is! I typically judge my paint by the several factors listed below; in each case, the Glidden paint passed with flying colors!

1.Drippiness: Minimal dripping and splattering, both from the brush and the rollers (foam and low nap), even from up high on the ladder.

2.Sagging: No sagging at all (that’s when you roll or brush the paint on, then look back a minute or two later and find that the paint is literally sagging from the wall, which you then have to go and redo before it sets).

3.Ease of Use: The paint rolled and brushed on smoothly and quickly, covered beautifully, cleaned up easily with soap and water.

4.Overall Depth of Color. The color is deep and even and the eggshell finish has just enough glow so the light from the window is refracted- exactly what I needed to brighten up the room!

Coach walked in after I was done (yup, the interior painting is my thing, he sticks to the outdoors), and said “wow, this looks really amazing!”, which, if you know coach, is a lot for him to say… Sooo, this is the before:

But you will have to come back tomorrow for the after : ) Happy last minute shopping everyone!!! Susan

Filed Under: Color Class, I've Been Featured On..., My Little Red House · Tagged: country design, Glidden Gripper, Glidden paint, repainting, repainting a family room

Nov 9, 2012

Primed for Success

By countrydesignhome · 3 Comments

OK, so back to the Hall of Shame Project…we are getting closer. Time to paint the balusters that have been covered with the drippings from the Minwax Antique Refinisher I used a while back to strip the railings. I don’t know about all of you, but I HATE prep work. The stripping, sanding, tack cloth wiping.. and the prospect of prepping all of those white poles was daunting.

Then I remembered a product that my design instructor had mentioned: Gripper, By Glidden, this week’s High Five for Friday!

It is an interior/exterior primer, sealer, all-purpose stain killer and bonder for walls, woods, masonry, glass and previously painted metals. If you have a surface to prime, they’ve got it covered. And you don’t even have to sand!!! Just so long as it’s clean and dirt/oil free, you are good to go. OK, I am soooo in. Upon opening the can, I discovered that it is essentially odorless (although it does have all of those “harmful if inhaled warnings”), and the consistency of white school glue.

It glides on easily and smoothly, and leaves a nice, even coat. It even covered all of those brown drip marks on the first try!!

This is DIY magic in a can : ) So if any of you are attempting to complete a major renovation in the next week leading up to Thanksgiving (I know, who is dumb enough to do that?!?) then get to your local big box store and grab some Gripper! And while you’re at it, could you find me someone who will install carpeting in time for Turkey Day? TGIF everyone!! Susan