Faux finishes have evolved over the years and the techniques used today can create a myriad of end results that are truly beautiful and unique. Often, when homeowners think of faux finishing, they think of outdated techniques and styles from decades ago and cringe. But, there is actually a wide range of decorative painting styles and faux finishes that elegantly transform walls, furniture, and entire rooms. 

Transform Your Space with Faux Finishes: Endless Possibilities for Unique Beauty

Faux finishing techniques can mimic the look and even the feel of expensive materials such as marble, granite, or wood. By utilizing these techniques, you can add warmth, depth, texture, and a luxurious feel to any space. Faux finishes can achieve astonishing results when completed by experienced and knowledgeable professionals. If you are uncertain how to incorporate a faux finish, work with a professional that can not only offer advice but paint and finish color consultations as well.

Faux Finish Techniques

There are many different types of faux finishing techniques to produce many final results that will beautifully and seamlessly integrate with any home’s architectural and design aesthetic. Faux finish services encompass many types of things such as wood grain and custom millwork finishes, custom murals, Trompe L’oeil, stried and stippling, crackle finish, Venetian plaster, and more.

Discover the Art of Professional Faux Finishing: The Perfect Solution for Any Space

Whether you want a subtle statement wall with a uniquely interesting finish or you want to make a bold statement with a one-of-a-kind trompe l’oeil ceiling, the potential with faux finishing is endless. It is important to work with an experienced professional that uses only the highest quality materials and professional tools to ensure that the finished product looks and feels authentic and appealing. Faux finishing is an excellent way to elevate your home and put a uniquely personal touch on it while doing so.

Whether your home’s exterior paint was done years ago and looks worn out, you don’t like the color of your home’s exterior, or you are preparing to sell your home, one of the best ways to boost curb appeal is with fresh exterior paint. The exterior of your home is the first thing people see and it sets the tone for their experience at your home. New paint can transform your home, giving it the updated aesthetic that you prefer and making it more appealing to both visitors if you are staying in your home and potential buyers if you are looking to sell. 

Exterior paint can last many years but it will begin to show imperfections and fade over time. When this happens it makes your home look outdated and like you’ve neglected maintenance – neither of which is particularly appealing. Fresh exterior paint will make your home’s aesthetic appeal look more cohesive and modern, hiding your home’s minor imperfections and enhancing overall beauty.

In addition to enhancing your home’s curb appeal by hiding minor imperfections, fresh exterior paint can be used to highlight its best features. The right paint color can show off the unique architectural features of your home such as trim, shutters, front door, and more. Professional painters know how to utilize primary paint colors, as well as accent colors, to add dimension and depth that shows off your home’s unique features in the most positive and appealing way.

When a home looks good, well-maintained, modern, and stylish, it will look more expensive. Not only will new paint enhance the perceived value of your home but, if you are looking to sell your home, fresh paint will enhance the actual value of your home as well. Though some buyers want a fixer-upper, most people would prefer to pull up in front of a home and fall in love with the appearance so that they can simply move in and unpack their bags. With fresh paint, your home will have a competitive edge in the marketplace and be more valuable to potential buyers. Consult an experienced professional painter to learn more about how you can improve the aesthetic beauty of your home and enhance its curb appeal for years to come with fresh exterior paint.

Interior painting may seem simple – tarp the area, use masking tape, apply paint, and let it dry. Right? Wrong. For a professional-looking, long-lasting paint result, complete wall preparation and caulking must be completed. This is a step most homeowners skip because it is time-consuming and requires more painting skill, knowledge, and experience than most homeowners have. The problem is, without wall preparation prior to painting, your paint may end up blistering, flaking, or peeling. Hiring a professional interior painter will not only save you time and ease your labor, but a good one will completely prepare all of the walls and caulk where necessary to ensure a spectacular final result. 

What Is Involved with Wall Preparation Before Painting?

Applying new paint to damaged surfaces may look slightly better than before, but those flaws will often be more noticeable and your paint may not last as long as it would if proper preparation took place. Things like gouges, nail holes, or other wall surface imperfections must be repaired properly. This may be as simple as filling those nail holes and washing wall surfaces or more challenging like sanding and refinishing surfaces to ensure the paint adheres properly and looks great when it dries. 

Should You Caulk Before or After Painting?

High-quality professional wall preparation and caulking before painting should include the removal of old caulk and the application of new caulk prior to painting. Caulk helps conceal cracks or joints and prevents moisture from getting into areas it shouldn’t. Many people think it would just be easier to apply caulk after painting but it should be applied before to ensure your paint can be applied in clean, smooth lines for a more professional-looking end result. 

Don’t Compromise on Quality – Hire a Professional for Interior Painting

Although it is tempting to skip wall preparation and caulking before painting, it is not a good idea. Without such preparation, the signs of your lack of preparation will begin to show quickly and will only get worse over time. Hire a professional painter that knows what they are doing and prioritizes wall preparation and caulking as part of their interior painting services.

The kitchen is the heart of the home. Whether you love to cook or you are a microwave pro, the kitchen is a gathering place where much of our daily home life takes place. And, beyond its everyday functionality, it is a place to entertain and host people in your home. Needless to say, you should love your kitchen. If your kitchen is outdated or just not your style, you may be considering a remodel. But, not everyone has the budget for brand new cabinets – and a lot of the time, it is not necessary to buy new cabinets in order to transform your kitchen. Having your kitchen cabinets professionally painted will give your kitchen a completely new look and feel. 

3 Reasons to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets:

• Painted Kitchen Cabinets Look Brand New
  • When professionals paint kitchen cabinets, they will look brand new. You may have seen someone DIY paint their cabinets and the result was…less than spectacular. But, professionals have the experience and knowledge to properly prepare your cabinets for painting and use the highest quality materials and methods to paint your cabinets so that they look great for many years to come. 
• Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets Saves You Money
  • Hiring professionals to expertly paint your cabinets is far less expensive than new cabinets. Installing new cabinets requires the demolition of your old cabinets, the purchase of new cabinets, and the assembly and/or installation of new cabinets – the cost for materials and labor can be quite high, even with prefabricated cabinets but painting will save you a lot of money because demolition and installation are unnecessary.
• Painting Your Kitchen Cabinets Saves Time
  • When you purchase new cabinets, they are often not immediately in stock, you usually have to order them, and receiving them may take weeks or even months. Additionally, the demolition of your old cabinets, assembly, and installation of your new cabinets is very time-consuming. Your home will be under construction and your kitchen may be unusable for a long period of time. When you opt for kitchen cabinet painting, professionals work very quickly to prepare and paint your cabinets so that there is minimal kitchen downtime and you can enjoy your new kitchen sooner.

You make a statement about your personality and design sense when you choose colors for your home. Unless you’re just moving into your home, you’re likely choosing colors room by room as you have time to update them. How do you choose your colors? While there are as many colors to choose from as there are people, there are actually some tips and tricks you should use to create a cohesive color scheme throughout your home that will make it feel most comfortable and welcoming.

1. Evaluate Your Space

If professional painters were to come into your home, the first thing they would do would be to look at the layout of your space. Look from the kitchen into the living room, then into the hallway, and into a bathroom or bedroom. You can likely see at least one other room from where you stand. While it’s possible to have a unique color scheme in each room, choosing a color that can create a flow through your home makes your space appear more planned and organized.

2. Choose a Base Color

The big question is: what color do you want for your base? This will depend primarily on personal preference. If you like bold, bright colors, then you won’t mind having the painters incorporate cerulean blue into each room, while someone who prefers more natural or muted tones will likely choose something in the gray family as their base color.

3. Pull in Pops of Color

Now you can begin to accessorize. Choose two to three other colors that complement your base color. Consider how your flooring, baseboards, doors, and ceilings contribute to the color scheme of your home. Select rugs and furniture that align with your design vision, and use accents like wall art, pillows, and throws to incorporate a bright pop of color.

Creating a cohesive color scheme for your home doesn’t have to be difficult, but painters from The ABL Group can come to your home and guide you through the color selection process.

It’s a scientific fact that color affects mood. When painters are advising clients about applying paints to their walls and ceilings, they are considering many things. Besides the most salient aspect – color – there are lots of other things that affect nuance and tone, such as how different colors and shades mingle and reflect each other, the kind of surfaces that are being painted and the desired finish.

Painters Consider Surfaces

Whether you’re talking painted walls, ceilings, trim or even floor, the surface that absorbs the paint has something to say about the finished product. For this reason, there are different types of paint that work best on different surfaces.

Latex paint is the most popular type of paint for wood and drywall. You’ll generally treat drywall with an acrylic latex primer before applying two coats of latex paint. Oil-based paints are more effective in high-traffic areas of a home, such as hallways and playrooms for children. They’re also good choices for bathrooms and kitchens, cabinets and other types of furniture because the glossy finish makes surfaces stain-resistant and the paint can be wiped down for easy cleaning.

Painters Consider the Desired Finish

There are several types of paint finishes, each with its own unique personality. Flat and matte paint finishes are non-glossy and good for low-traffic areas of the house. An eggshell finish turns white drywall into a space where light bounces around the room. Glossy paints are good for areas that get a lot of wear and tear, like kitchens or bathrooms, since they’re easy to clean.

Painters Consider the Intended Use of the Room

Great painters will tell you that the mood of a room is in large part dictated by the colors of the walls and ceiling. After all, when you walk into a room, you become literally surrounded by it. It should inspire the feelings that you want in your home. Contact The ABL Group today with any questions that you might have about applying the perfect paints to your walls to cull out your vision.

Don’t keep the same old paint color on your walls for a decade or more. Interior painters make switching wall colors easy. A new shade transforms the look of a room for an air of spaciousness you can feel. Small bathrooms open up and living rooms can feel enormous. Here’s how to choose a new interior wall color.

Interior Painters Can Add Natural Light

The key to an open-feeling room and a sense of calm is an abundance of natural light. Windows, especially higher up on walls, help accomplish this goal. However, you can increase the amount of natural light in your living space without adding windows.

Brighter colors of paint reflect light back around the room, while dark colors absorb and stow away light. Light walls, along with light textiles and furniture, can turn a cramped space into an oasis.

Color Theory Affects Your Feelings

Did you know that the wall color in a room affects your psychology? Choosing a relaxing color and hiring interior painters helps you unwind and feel less cramped in a room. Color psychology is the science of how different interior colors affect inhabitants. Here are a few colors and their effects:

• Blue is calming. It’s great for kitchens, bedrooms and living spaces.
• White is open, invigorating and relaxing at once, but it can look bland without accent colors.
• Soft greens and browns are restorative.
• Red is energetic and sensual, but it can be overwhelming in large amounts.
• Yellow and orange are perfect accent colors, but both can induce anxiety as main colors.

When choosing a new paint color for a room, consider the mood you want to evoke and let psychology handle the rest.

Professional Interior Painters Make a Difference

Painting a room yourself is a tedious and labor-intensive project. At The Ablaze Design Group, our professional painters, designers and remodelers have the experience to bring a vision to life quickly and easily. Contact us to begin your home’s color transformation.

One of the responsibilities of owning a home is managing repairs and upkeep. When it comes to big jobs like painting, a task like that is often pushed to the side and forgotten. Eventually, you’ll need to hire some exterior painters or beg friends and family to help you get it done.

3 Reasons To Hire Exterior Painters to Paint Your House

Before you put off your outside maintenance for too long, here are three reasons why you should hire exterior painters to paint your house.

1. Increases the Value of Your Home

If you’re trying to sell your house, a fresh coat of paint can do wonders. Not only does it add curb appeal, but it can increase the overall value of your home. Plus, a Zillow analysis found that when some homeowners painted their front doors black or charcoal gray, it increased their purchase price by as much as $6,000.

2. Gives Your House a Fresh Look

Even if you’re not selling your home, you may just want a fresh new look. Keep in mind that painting the exterior of your house is a big job and can become overwhelming. If you lack the time, tools or help you need to complete it, you should hire professional exterior painters such as The Ablaze Design Group to do it for you.

3. Protects Your House From the Elements

Keeping your home painted isn’t just for looks; it also protects it from the elements. Damage from the rain, sun or hot and cold weather can lead to cracked and peeling paint. To avoid this, it’s best to hire a contractor to do the work for you. They have the knowledge and experience to repaint your home with quality paint that will protect it for years to come.

Hire Exterior Painters Today

When painting your home, it’s a wise investment to hire exterior painters for your project. They have everything they need to give your home a fresh new look while saving you time and energy. If you need a professional to help you with an upcoming project, contact us today for a free estimate.

At the beginning of a kitchen renovation, things can start off great and then turn sour quickly. When unforeseen problems come up, they can strain your budget and cause more issues down the road. To help you avoid this, here are three things you should consider before renovating your kitchen.

1. Kitchen Renovation Costs

It’s common for a renovation to go over budget due to problems that arise after work begins. As you plan your budget, factor in additional costs that you may need to cover if something goes wrong.

2. Kitchen Renovation Appliances

Can your kitchen floor support that new stove and refrigerator you plan to get? This could be a concern for you if you live in an older home with a floor that needs to be reinforced to hold your new appliances. At The Ablaze Design Group, we help clients plan ahead for remodeling issues like these.

3. Kitchen Renovation Layout

If you plan on changing the layout of your kitchen, consider whether your new look would require the rewiring of your electrical system or the moving of a plumbing line. These are also situations that can add to the cost of your project.

Kitchen Renovation Help

Updating your kitchen will be expensive and time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be a headache. Before your project begins, take time to consider these three things and make sure you have enough money in your budget to cover them.

Need help getting started with your kitchen renovation? Contact us here at The Ablaze Design Group to schedule a consultation.

Are you on the fence about painting the inside of your home? It may seem like a giant undertaking, but it can be a breeze with the help of professional interior painters. To help make your decision easier, here are three reasons why you should move forward with interior painting.

1. Hiring Interior Painters Can Help You Increase Your Home’s Value

A fresh coat of paint adds value to your home. Whether your home’s interior colors are outdated, your walls are scuffed, or your baseboards look a little worse for wear, new interior paint can make buyers more willing to pay a higher price.

2. Painting Can Enhance Your Home’s Vibe

Updating your home’s interior paint can also add value to your life. By choosing colors that are comfortable, soothing, or even invigorating, you can completely renew your space and outlook.

3. A Fresh Coat of Paint Can Improve Your Home’s Cleanliness and Air Quality

Walls with exposed plaster can send harmful dust into the air you breathe. Professional interior painters use quality paint with little to no VOCs, wrapping your interior in a clean look that leaves you feeling great.

Let Our Interior Painters Refresh Your Home’s Interior!

If you’re ready to transform your space with the quality work of our professional interior painters, we’re so excited to work with you! Give The Ablaze Design Group a call today at (847) 579-1600 or send us a quick message online. Our friendly team can answer your questions and schedule a free consultation. Let’s get started!