You know the bedrooms or living room in your home need to be repainted, or maybe even the entire exterior of your house needs a fresh coat of paint.  The next step is to choose the right colors, but how?  Use our tips for testing paint colors to find the best color for your home!

1. Determine the general tone you desire. Do you want a bold or dark color, or a neutral?  Do you want to stick with generally the same tone that’s already on the wall, or start fresh with a vibrant new color?  If you have a general idea of the value, intensity, and hue you want before you head to the paint store, you’ll be less likely to be overwhelmed by the color selection.
2. Use an app. There are many apps that allow you to upload a picture of your house or room and then apply different colors to the image to get a general idea of what the area would look like in a certain color.  These apps can be very useful, especially if you’re going into the repainting project with no idea what color to choose.
3. Confer with a professional. All the best professional painting companies offer help with color selection.  If you’re not sure what color will look best on your home’s exterior or in a particular room, and you don’t want to hassle with an app, call on a good local painting contractor and get input from the pros who work with paint every single day!
4. Choose your top picks. Zero in on your favorite colors and pick up swatches from the paint supply store.  Or you may choose to order a small sample can of each of your top color options.
5. Put color on the walls. Tape the swatches up on the wall, or if you ordered samples, apply a small amount of each color to the walls.  It’s best to apply the swatch or paint sample to several areas in order to see what the paint looks like in daylight, shade, next to certain objects, etc.  You need to get an idea of how the color will behave in all settings and scenarios.
6. Get second (or third) opinions. Once the swatches or paint samples are up, call in family members and trusted friends to help make the decision.  If you need yet another opinion, you can call on a local professional painting service and trust the pros to offer sound advice.
7. Make your decision! Once you’ve gone through these steps, it’s time to make your final decision.  Choosing which colors to paint your living room, bedroom, kitchen, or exterior is a big decision, but don’t get hung up on it.  You may need to just find the color you love and get painting!

More and more Northeast Florida homeowners are choosing to call on professional painters when the time comes for a fresh coat of paint.  The Painting Craftsmen is the best painting company Jacksonville FL homeowners rely on for repainting the exterior, applying a fresh coat to the interior, refinishing cabinetry, and more.  Our technicians are highly trained and skilled painting contractors with a passion for doing high quality work and taking care of customers.  Our customers in Ortega, San Marco, Southside, Riverside, and along the Beaches love the work we do, and we know you will too!

Shiplap continues to be popular interior design trend, appearing in everything from farmhouse design to transitional homes.  So how do you paint shiplap siding?  Our pro tips can help!

1. Clean & Remove Dust – Prior to painting nearly any surface, you’ll lightly sand the surface in order to help the new coating adhere. In the case of preparing shiplap to be painted, you’ll want to be careful and take extra time to remove as much dust as possible from the grooves between the shiplap boards.  If you don’t clean the grooves, they’ll be trickier and more time consuming to evenly coat.
2. Prep Nail Holes – If nail holes are visible in the shiplap siding, remove any dust from around them and fill them with paintable caulk. When the caulk has dried, lightly sand the areas and wipe away the dust.  As you roll the paint, take note of the nail holes and be sure the areas are getting coated evenly.  If they aren’t you may need to re-caulk and re-sand them.  With shiplap siding, smoothness is the look you want!
3. Roller & Artist’s Brush – Use a roller to evenly coat the shiplap boards and use a small paintbrush, sometimes called an “artist’s brush” to paint inside the grooves between shiplap boards. When painting panels or shiplap, pay close attention to the grooves to be sure no area gets skipped.  Once you pass over the shiplap with your roller, use the small brush to make sure paint gets into every crack and crevice.

Different types of siding require different skills and even different types of material, and shiplap siding is no different.  Many homeowners in our area, including Ponte Vedra, Riverside, San Marco, Fleming Island, and the Beaches, choose to skip the hassle and call on a highly rated professional painting company for their interior painting projects.  The Painting Craftsmen is the best painting contractor Jacksonville FL residents trust with their homes, and it’s because of our commitment to quality, our attention to detail, and our devotion to our customers.  If you’re ready for a high quality paint job, call on The Painting Craftsmen!

Painting trim is detailed work and takes skill and precision to master.  Pro tips from an award-winning local painting company (us!) will help you achieve great results when painting the trim in your home!

1. Supplies – First, there are a few supplies you need on hand for any great paint job, including trim painting: sandpaper or sanding blocks (100- or 120-grit), putty and knife, painter’s tape, dropcloths, paint brushes, paint try and/or pail, and of course the paint itself (high quality interior latex paint).
2. Clean – You’ll need to clean the surface of the trim or else your hard work will be in vain and the paint won’t apply correctly. Use a dry cloth to wipe away spider webs and dust.  Follow with a damp cloth to clean away grime buildup.
3. Sand & Make Repairs – After cleaning, go over the trim with your sanding block or sandpaper. The purpose of this is primarily to dull down any shine, but it’s also good to smooth down any imperfections.  If you see nail holes, dents, or cracks, fill them with the putty and smooth them over as you go.
4. Painters’ Tape – Painter’s tape plays a key role in achieving crisp, clean lines in your paint job. Take the time to apply long strips of painter’s tape, usually at least several feet long, and press the tape firmly onto the wall next to the trim you’ll be painting.  Be sure to press hard so the tape adheres firmly and evenly to prevent trim paint from seeping onto the walls.
5. Coatings – If you’re painting bare, unpainted wood trim, you’ll need to first apply at least one coat of high-quality interior primer. Let the first coat dry, and if you still see bare wood, apply a second coat.  Once primer coats have dried, finish with a smooth coating of high quality interior latex paint.  You can pull up the painter’s tape while the paint is still wet.

Once you’ve applied your final topcoat, just stand back and admire your good work!  It’s amazing what a difference a great trim painting job can make to the look of the room, and thought it’s careful, time-consuming work, it’s well worth it when you see those crisp, clean lines and bright white trim!

Great local painting companies can take care of the interior painting for you, too, including all trim work.  There are many good Jacksonville FL painting companies, but The Painting Craftsmen is the best choice for high quality work that will last.  Our expert interior painters are known for their eye for detail and precision as well as efficiency, and we’re the trusted painting contractor to homeowners throughout Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Vedra, Riverside Avondale, San Marco, and Mandarin.  We specialize in high quality coatings and great customer service, so if you’d like the job done right, call on The Painting Craftsmen!

As a team of artisan painters working exclusively for residential clients, we’ve seen an amazing range of interior design styles here in Jacksonville, FL. Some homeowners have a very specific design style with every detail figured out. Others prefer a blend of two or more compatible interior design styles while some are still exploring and experimenting to find the best style of interior design for their home.

Elements of Interior Design

When you change interior design, you’re not just changing a few curtains or getting a new rug- you’re changing it into a different space entirely. How the entire picture looks, how you use and live in the space, and even the way each room makes you feel, are all ways that interior design impacts your home. While styles of interior design can look and feel dramatically different, they all incorporate and balance the same basic elements.

It’s April and Florida residents are getting ready to enjoy the summer months, soaking in the sun, tanning by the pool, or relaxing outdoors in the evening with friends.  More and more people are opting to stay home during their summer vacation for convenience and affordability.  Sprucing up the home may be necessary for you to feel like you are on vacation in the comfort of your own home.

Home improvement projects not only make you feel like you are in a brand new home, but add a lot of extra value. The kitchen and bathroom are two rooms where that value goes the farthest. Quality appliances, spaciousness and aesthetic appeal in these two rooms can make all the difference. If you are looking to renovate, there are a few ways where you can save. Before going out to purchase kitchen cabinets or replacing your bathroom cabinets, consider an alternative.  Why replace when you can refinish?

The color on the walls you picked two years ago probably doesn’t have the same appeal now as it did back then. Fall in love with your home all over again this spring by making changes and updates to the look and feel of your home. You may be surprised just how much a simple color change can brighten up your house, especially after this year’s dull and seemingly never ending rainy winter.  At The Painting Craftsmen, we are dedicated to excellent craftsmanship and technique so we can help transform your home into something new that you never expected.

Design trends change every year and sometimes it’s difficult to judge what the new styles will be. However for 2014, designs for wallpaper aren’t the only thing that’s changing. There will also be a shift in what to wallpaper, as some individuals seem to be adding flair to not only their light fixtures and sliding doors but their furniture as well! So, if you want to know what the most in demand patterns, colors, and styles will be for this year, check out the rest of this article to avoid using last year’s dated trends. Your friends and family will be impressed with the cool new look and you’ll be happier in a home that feels refreshed.