Last time we left off at Cara’s house, we’d just installed the picture frame moulding beneath the chair rail in her dining room.
The next step in the process was to caulk all the edges and corners of our new moulding in order to make it look as permanent and professional as possible.
Stephen and I have done our fair share of caulking in the past, so I decided it was time to pass on some caulk wisdom to Cara. Here were my tips:
- Cut the hole in your tube of caulk small so that you don’t waste more caulk and make a bigger mess than necessary.
- Keep a roll of paper towels handy so that you can clean your hands right away after you smooth the bead of caulk with your fingers.
- Remember caulk can’t be sanded so it’s important to get that bead as smooth as possible while it’s wet (and as thin as possible over the texture of the walls so you don’t see a texture difference after it’s painted).
- Fill nail holes with sand-able filler (like wood filler) not caulk for the smoothest, most professional finish.
I think she could tell caulking is one of my least favorite things to do (it takes forevvvver) because I handed off that caulk gun as soon as I’d finished one side of one square. Cara was joking that, with 15 squares to caulk, it would take her about 15 weeks to get it all done.
The thing about caulking is that it takes time but it makes a huge difference in the feel and quality of a trim job in person. It is DEFINITELY worth the time and effort!
On the other hand, a new paint color takes very little time at all, so to balance the monotony of caulking, we decided it was time to slap some green paint on those walls and make an impact!
I believe the paint color we ended up with was Valspar’s Denver Grass. I’ll double check that next time I’m over there, though.
Let’s just say everybody had an opinion about this color when Cara texted a little preview to her family and friends. She was tired of living in a beige box, though, and she’s a girl who knows what she wants. She forged ahead with this fun green even though others thought it was too bright, and I’m happy to say she was right on target – once the whole room was painted, the green was awesome!
Want to see? Here’s the new paint color in all its glory!
We’ll have to finish the edging and do a second coat to completely cover all the beige, but the first coat made a huge difference.
Of course there will be lots of cleanup and new furniture and accessories to buy before the dining room will be done, but we’re super excited with how this makeover is going so far!
What do you think of the new paint color? Are you a fan of neutral walls or statement colors like this one? Anybody else feel our caulking pain?
P.S. Cara told me my caulk post better be really dirty or she’d be disappointed. I think I should have had her write this post!
P.P.S. We’re still at 0% testosterone in this room. Whoop!
P.P.S. Don’t forget the peacock feather giveaway ends at midnight tonight. There’s still time to put your name in the hat if you haven’t already. 🙂
