Design News

How to brighten up your laundry room

Article by Your Home and Garden

Brush up your painting skills and brighten your wash days

There’s no two ways about it, doing laundry is a chore so why not inject a sense of fun into it with a quick refresh? I painted a striped ceiling, used blackboard paint to make a blackboard, stencilled a word onto the wall, then added some waves to the shelves. Suddenly, the laundry isn’t such a bad place to be.

You will need:

• Sander or sandpaper (240 grit)
• Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer
• Painter’s tape
• Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom semi-gloss waterborne enamel in Resene Surf Crest, Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Half Forest Green, Resene FX Blackboard Paint in Resene Black, Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Half Resolution Blue and Resene Enamacryl in Resene Clockwork Orange
• Brushes/rollers
• MDF or other timber, around 10mm
• Jigsaw
• Hammer and nails
• Spray gun (optional)
• Resene EzyFill Quick

How to paint ceiling stripes:

1. Prepare the ceiling by sanding, then priming with Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer.

2. Use painter’s tape to create the stripes. I brought my stripes down the wall and finished them with a scalloped edge. A stencil was used to create the scallops (having a nice wet brush with a fast but steady hand helps to create a smooth circular edge).

3. Paint half the stripes in two coats of Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom semi-gloss waterborne enamel in Resene Surf Crest, allowing the paint to dry between coats. Apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Half Forest Green on the other stripes, allowing them to dry in between coats.

How to build wavy shelves:

This wavy shelf edging is a great way to dress up new or existing shelves. It could be added to things such as a bookshelf and the waves could face either up or down. Alternatively, you could cut them as scallops instead of waves.

1. To make a stencil, draw the desired pattern onto paper. I folded the paper over several times to make sure it was symmetrical. Once you are happy with the size of your pattern cut it out.

2. Use the stencil to draw the pattern onto the MDF. I used up leftover lengths I had, but plywood or anything you have at hand could be used. MDF is great because it is lightweight yet stiff.

3. Use a jigsaw to cut around the pattern.

4. Use a sander to clean up all the edges and any little mistakes you make.

5. Paint a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer on all the surfaces before attaching the edging to shelf.

6. Once dry, fix the pieces to the front face of the shelf using a nail gun or hammer and pin nails. Fill the nail holes using Resene EzyFill Quick. When the filler is dry, give the filled holes a light sand.

7. Finish with two coats of Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom semi-gloss waterborne enamel in Resene Surf Crest.

How to paint a lamp:

I used Resene Enamacryl in Resene Clockwork Orange to brighten this affordable wall lamp. It can be plugged into an existing wall socket and is a great way to add some extra lighting to a space without having to get an electrician in to add ceiling lights.

1. Tape up all the electrical parts and cords thoroughly with painter’s tape. Also tape any other details on the lamp that you don’t want to paint such as metal details.

2. This lamp is metal, so I gave it a light sand and cleaned all the dust off. Because this surface was already painted there was no need for priming, but if you are unsure ask your local Resene ColorShop team who can advise the best primer for you.

3. To create a streak-free finish, I used a paint spray gun for the topcoat. I applied three coats of Resene Enamacryl gloss waterborne enamel in Resene Clockwork Orange.

How to create a blackboard:

1. Draw the desired shape, use painter’s tape if desired. I used the stencil for the shelves to create the waves.

2. Paint at least two coats of Resene FX Blackboard Paint or, if you prefer, a coloured chalkboard use Resene FX Chalkboard Paint in your chosen colour.

How to create stencil writing:

1. Find the font and size you want, print letters out then cut them to create a stencil.

2. Draw the letters onto the wall in pencil. Ensure they are level by drawing a level line.

3. Paint in the letters. I used Resene SpaceCote Flat in Resene Half Resolution Blue. Once dry lightly sand with a 240-grit sandpaper for a more vintage look.