My IKEA Hacks

I may have mentioned here before how much a fan I am of “the” IKEA… I may have mentioned it a lot.An IKEA-related site I stumbled upon recently has really become a favorite of mine. Jules runs the fantabulous IKEA hacker site - a blog featuring cleverly “hacked” items from IKEA. We exchanged emails recently, and I told her that I have a few hacks planned - because I do - but then I realized later that I have already hacked! Sure, these don’t compare to some of the ingenious ideas that you can find over at IKEA hacker, but they are hacks nonetheless.
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Under the Sea: A (Budget) Baby/Toddler Room Makeover

We recently turned my son Kaleb’s room into a world of aquatic goodness. Poor Kaleb spent his first six months or so in what was previously my home office. We finally moved the boxes, desk, and computers out to give him his own space. But he was left with shoddy red walls (leftover from a very inexperienced paint job from when we first bought our home six years ago,) and a room that didn’t fit him or his personality.

While the Zanzibar decor we originally bought for his nursery was certainly cute, it began to feel unfitting and a little too “babyish” for a spunky toddler who thinks he’s one-going-on-four.

So with both toddlers at their grandparents’ for the weekend (thanks, Mom and Dad!), we embarked on an adventure that resulted in quite a transformation.
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Ralph Lauren River Rock Paint Notes

The Fix Chicks have received lots of mail about Ralph Lauren River Rock paint. In fact, that’s the ONLY Ralph Lauren paint we get email about, even though we feature a room done using their Suede textured paint. See the original article and additional comments here.

We’d like to thank Eric, who wrote in about a River Rock paint application solution that he and his wife, Erin, came up with.

Dear Fix Chicks:

My wife and I found your website after we destroyed our kitchen walls with Ralph Lauren River Rock, we had roller marks all over. Feeling confident with your hints I went over the walls again, still with no luck of having a finish we could both live with. So as a last resort we purchased a Wagner Power Painter and went over the walls yet again touching up the walls we were unhappy with. A third coat turned out great. The living room was next, we were kind of shy about doing the living room, but having invested in 3 gallons of Sandstone we hated not to use it. After the Power Painters’ second coat our living room looks great.

How we did it is we took workable sections and sprayed from left to right trying to coat the wall evenly without streaking and blending the next section. Try to maintain the same distance as you go. It still looked kind of streaky so the second coat we went from top to bottom, bottom to top to blend in the streaks. The first coat was dry by the time I was ready to start the second coat. Both coats took about 3 hours, but the prep time of masking off the room took about 2 hours. Take your time masking off the room and drop cloth the entire room; the paint and sand fleck will be everywhere. For safety wear a painting mask with plenty of ventilation. The living room was a breeze compared to the kitchen and worth the purchase of the paint.

Thanks for sharing Eric! Your shiny, happy Fix Chicks mug is on the way!

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Salt and Pepper: Flavorful Decorating

It’s funny the little things that stick with you. As an art major in college, I was exposed to many ideas and techniques - and a wealth of information. I studied everything from the history of impressionist painting to the “easy” task of properly centering a piece of clay on a pottery wheel (something I never mastered, sadly.)

But the most important thing I learned in college was this: listen to everything your instructor says, because you never know when they’ll float tiny pearls of true wisdom your way. Such was the case with a certain teacher of mine, and many years later, I still heed her advice on many aspects of design. My favorite quip of hers? “Design is bland without a little flavor - always add salt and pepper to taste.”

Nothing promotes interest and provides contrast like a little “salt and pepper.” Black, white and combinations thereof can really add a visual punch to any room. I’m not implying that an entire room should be black (although I’ll be posting pics and an article soon on my new BLACK rec room)…or white. Simply use the two to flavor your decorating, the same way you would use them in the kitchen to spice up your mashed potatoes… a dash can make all the difference between dull and delicious.

Black provides stark contrast to pretty much every other color. If you’re into pastels, don’t be afraid to mingle them with black - some of the coolest color combinations I’ve seen involved black with lighter shades of green, yellow - even pink! If you’re like me and prefer strong, vivid colors (candy apple red, bright orange, etc.), black is a natural choice for a secondary color. No matter the “base” color preferences, bet on black to add contrast and excitement to your room. Picture frames (buy them black or just paint your old ones), lamp bases, rugs and pillows are a fast way to integrate black into an existing color scheme.

White offers contrast with darker colors, but it can also be used to subdue, lighten and brighten areas of your home. It is an excellent choice for trim and moldings, window treatments and accessories.

Using black and white together, you can create a focal point, devise patterns and make things “pop”, or stand out. It can also make for a good diversion tactic, grabbing your visitors’ attention so they notice it more than something in your room that you don’t like - a stinky old, avacado green couch that needs replacing maybe? (Cover that thing, or throw it out already!)

If you’ve had the pale blue and mauve country motif decor for 15 years, don’t go out and buy all new black, contemporary furniture and fixtures - you may find that a bit too drastic. Use your imagination and draw from the designs and styles of others…just add or change what YOU are comfortable with. Get a feel for what you like and what you want to accomplish in the grand scheme of things. Then accessorize or paint gradually, introducing bits of black or white as you go.

Your home, like your food, is a matter of taste. Salt and pepper will add flavor, but the recipe is ultimately up to you. Someone pass the potatoes, please?

~Monica

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My name is NOT Ralph

Next time you’re bored, go to Google and type in “ralph lauren paint.” Yep, we’re usually near the top under that topic. Why? Because we wrote a couple of articles about the RL Paints we used successfully, and we keep a message board specifically devoted to that paint and the topics and problems associated with it. The odd thing is the number of folks who seem to think that we, the Fix Chicks, ARE Ralph Lauren. Truth be told, I have no idea if there even IS a real Ralph Lauren. Have you ever seen him? I haven’t. And besides, I think he was supposed to be a clothing designer. How his name got stuck on a can of paint, I don’t know.

Guys and gals, let’s put this in perspective - first of all it’s only paint. If you don’t like it, paint over it. It’s not PLAIN paint - it requires technique and patience to apply, but it’s not real texure. If you think you got ripped off, talk to the paint store where you bought the paint - perhaps they’ll be willing to exchange it for regular paint. If you’re really PO’d about it, call the customer service number on the paint can and ask for Ralph… I dare ya.

My Walls are Suede

Ralph Lauren Paint… maybe the scariest paint on the planet. It’s some pretty kewl paint but jeeze, it cost’s a fortune compared to “normal” paint. However, if you want a wall that gets attention, Ralph Lauren textures are fantastic.

Hint #1 - BUY LOTS OF IT!
This stuff does NOT go a long way. If you get poor coverage with your expensive paint, it’s gonna look like $35 per gallon doo-doo. Figure your wall space and round UP. Remember, length times height gives you the square footage of a wall - if you have 9 foot ceilings, be sure to figure your coverage using that measurement and not the store’s estimate of a standard room, which has an 8 foot ceiling.

Hint #2 - PRIME YOUR WALLS
Waste primer, not paint, especially if you’re painting new construction. While you’re at the paint store, tell them you want a few gallons of cheap primer tinted to match the Ralph Lauren paint you’re using. This will keep you from wasting that expensive stuff on walls that simply suck up the first coat of whatever you put up.

Hint #3 - BUY THE Ralph Lauren ROLLERS
While it may sound like a ploy for more money, the fact is that you won’t get the finish you want if you don’t splurge on the accessories that are recommended. Not all the RL paints require them but there are special rollers that you have to use to get certain looks - if you are trying to match a photo in an ad or picture at the store, be sure to ask if the kind of paint you’re getting requires a special roller.

Hint #4 - FINISH THE WALL BEFORE YOU DECIDE IF YOU LIKE IT OR NOT
These finishes really do look quite different when they’re dry. If you’re going for the River Rock or Suede look, you have to complete the process almost down to the last brush stroke before you see the desired result

Hint #5 - HAVE FUN!
It’s only paint… if you screw up, paint it over. If you hate it, paint it over. If you like it, send photos!

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