I have to say - the older homes in Knollwood are so incredibly well built and most are bursting with character. SO many of them. That "character" just happens to date back into the mid to late 1980s for many of them. But with a little vision, time and some patience - those characteristics that make homes beautiful and unique can be completely updated to 2016 in a snap.
When I went to the showing for our new home in Quail Ridge South, I fell in love with the family room space. It was big enough for our family and current furniture, it had oodles of character, it was an open floor plan connecting with the kitchen. And bonus: it had an incredible view of the golf course! BUT, one incredible wall that had all the character was a sea of brown. Everywhere. Dark, drab brown.
As soon as we moved in, my sister and her family drove in from Illinois to help us with the house. And the VERY first project I said we were going to tackle was WHITE WASHING THE BRICK WALL. It was fun, it was easy and it made a HUGE impact. We are thrilled with the results!
Before moving in, we had new hardwood flooring installed on most of the first level. In the family room, I was envisioning hardwoods with a soft rug to create some texture for a casual & comfy space. I also envisioned a less formal, more rustic mantel, a TV hung above the fireplace, and darker wood shelving that would "pop" more with the newly painted brick.
For the brick wall, my sister first vacuumed the wall and then wiped it down with a vinegar/water mixture. I ended up mixing 50% white flat paint (just inexpensive stuff, nothing fancy) with 50% water and brushing 2 swipes on each brick, being careful not to paint or drip on the mortar. The mortar was gray, which I loved, so we were careful. Once I started in the lower right corner and realized how incredibly easy it was to paint, I passed the paintbrushes on to my 7 year old son and my 14 year old niece. They painted the lower portion while I did the high portion on a ladder. I think the entire wall took us about 2 hours or so. IT WAS FUN + EASY! We also changed the wall paint from a creamy yellow to SW Repose Gray and painted the trim with a fresh coat of SW ProClassic Paint in Pure White. The shelves and mantel are stained in Minwax Ebony. To see the plans we used to build our mantel, click here. Super easy + only $15.
The photo below on the left is what the room looked like a few years back. I think the owners before us removed the beams and drywalled over the wood paneling on the walls. The photo on the right is what it looked like when we purchased the home in May.
When I went to the showing for our new home in Quail Ridge South, I fell in love with the family room space. It was big enough for our family and current furniture, it had oodles of character, it was an open floor plan connecting with the kitchen. And bonus: it had an incredible view of the golf course! BUT, one incredible wall that had all the character was a sea of brown. Everywhere. Dark, drab brown.
As soon as we moved in, my sister and her family drove in from Illinois to help us with the house. And the VERY first project I said we were going to tackle was WHITE WASHING THE BRICK WALL. It was fun, it was easy and it made a HUGE impact. We are thrilled with the results!
Before moving in, we had new hardwood flooring installed on most of the first level. In the family room, I was envisioning hardwoods with a soft rug to create some texture for a casual & comfy space. I also envisioned a less formal, more rustic mantel, a TV hung above the fireplace, and darker wood shelving that would "pop" more with the newly painted brick.
For the brick wall, my sister first vacuumed the wall and then wiped it down with a vinegar/water mixture. I ended up mixing 50% white flat paint (just inexpensive stuff, nothing fancy) with 50% water and brushing 2 swipes on each brick, being careful not to paint or drip on the mortar. The mortar was gray, which I loved, so we were careful. Once I started in the lower right corner and realized how incredibly easy it was to paint, I passed the paintbrushes on to my 7 year old son and my 14 year old niece. They painted the lower portion while I did the high portion on a ladder. I think the entire wall took us about 2 hours or so. IT WAS FUN + EASY! We also changed the wall paint from a creamy yellow to SW Repose Gray and painted the trim with a fresh coat of SW ProClassic Paint in Pure White. The shelves and mantel are stained in Minwax Ebony. To see the plans we used to build our mantel, click here. Super easy + only $15.
The photo below on the left is what the room looked like a few years back. I think the owners before us removed the beams and drywalled over the wood paneling on the walls. The photo on the right is what it looked like when we purchased the home in May.
Let the white-washing begin...
Flooring: We ended up removing the railing that divided the eating area and family room and then installing traditional red oak hardwood flooring to match the existing flooring in the kitchen. I went with a stain mixture of 50% Jacobean and 50% Classic Gray. I didn't want to go dark with owning a light yellow lab who sheds ALL.THE.TIME. My husband gives me a hard time about the stain color because in the end, it is just a shade of brown hardwood flooring. Ha ha! In my mind though, I see hints of rustic gray here + there, which makes me a happy girl.
So if you're ever thinking about painting brick - don't be afraid. It will be well worth it!
RSS Feed
