March 29, 2025 • 39 mins
This episode of the RepcoLite Home Improvement Show, sponsored by Benjamin Moore, kicks off with a humorous recount of Dan's recent air travel experience, highlighting the challenges and lessons learned at the security checkpoint. The episode transitions into practical home improvement tips, focusing on how to paint a ceiling like a pro and the importance of prep work. Dan also explores the expansive palette of neutral colors in interior design, offering tips on balancing warm and cool tones, integrating bold accents, and using textures to create inviting, sophisticated spaces. Tune in for expert advice and entertaining anecdotes!CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction and Weekly Recap01:13 Airport Security Fiasco04:44 Lessons from the Security Line07:48 Transition to Painting Tips10:21 Prepping for Ceiling Painting13:49 Choosing the Right Paint and Tools15:49 Rolling Techniques and Final Tips18:00 Permission to Be Imperfect18:12 How to Paint a Ceiling Like a Pro18:26 Hiring a Contractor for Your Painting Needs18:50 Decorating with Neutrals: An Introduction19:09 The Power and Versatility of Neutrals22:18 Defining Pure and Near Neutrals23:46 Exploring New Neutral Tones27:56 Tips and Tricks for Working with Neutrals30:10 Balancing Warm and Cool Tones32:28 Using Neutrals as a Blank Canvas34:27 Balancing Light and Dark Tones36:27 Adding Texture for Depth37:16 The Flexibility of Neutrals38:09 Conclusion and Final Tips
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Good morning everybody. How was your week? Did you have
a good one, a good week, a stellar week, a
record breaking week. Well, I did well. It was a
fine week. Actually, now that I think about it, this
past week was a fine week. I'm thinking about last week.
Last week was a big week for me. I flew
out to the Maryland area near Washington, d C. To
(00:23):
visit some friends. You're listening to the repcoll Light home
improvement show sponsored by Benjamin Moore, And yeah, that was
a big time for me. I went on a plane,
an airplane, I didn't need to say that, which is
something that I've done probably six total times in my life.
So I'm feeling feeling pretty pretty big about it. I'm
feeling special sporty about how I was able to do that.
(00:46):
Maybe I've done this eight times, I don't know. Basically,
what I'm talking about is that means four total round
trips at the most. So I'm not a big flyer.
But I did it. I nailed it. Just say I
did it. I did it. I did really well on
three quarters of all of this. You know, the different
legs of my flight. The very first experience was a
(01:12):
little rocky, and I guess I want to talk about that.
That's what I want to start the show with. I've
got good stuff planned. I'm not even going to tell
you what's coming. It's just all great. You're gonna want
to hang around with it or hang around for it.
I just want to get to all this good stuff
that I learned. And the first thing. First thing I
learned security people. They don't joke around. So don't try it. Okay,
(01:38):
don't try it. Don't even think about joking. You know.
When you get there, think about the saddest thing you
can possibly think of. Keep your mind focused on that.
Don't think about anything that might make you you know,
or might take you down a trail of humor. Don't
take you know, think of anything that's going to make
you smirk or smile. They frown on that. I think
(02:00):
sad thoughts, you know. For me, I arrived at the
little checkpoint, and I was nervous about this part because
you know, I knew I hadn't done a lot of
this before, and I am kind of socially inept, so
I wasn't sure how this whole experience was going to go.
But I had done a little bit of prep. I'd
talked to some people and they said, you got to
(02:20):
put your shoes in a big plastic tub. So I
was happy to know that much, and so first thing
I did chuck my shoes in that tub and look
around at everybody like I've done something to be applauded.
I was like a child most of this experience. So
if you can picture a small child looking for approval,
(02:40):
that's exactly what I look like. Put my shoes in
the crate the little tub, look around for approval, and
then I realized there's a lot more I had to
put in the tub. So I do all of that.
I put everything in the tub, and then I look
at the guy who's standing there, and I tried to smile,
you know, showing that I'm on this, but he just
stared at at me and he said, empty your pockets.
(03:03):
And then I laughed and I said I did. And
then first mistake, or first of many, maybe the fifteenth
of many, I don't even know. I didn't start enumerting
my mistakes. This is one of my mistakes. I proceeded
to pat myself down police style, you know, because I
thought that had some comedic effect. I thought it would
(03:23):
maybe lighten the situation. It did not lighten the situation.
And on top of it, I discovered I had my
phone in my pocket. So in my pat down, I
discovered I've got something. So I pulled it out and
I put it in a plastic tub and I said,
I'm clean. Now. You know, it's sort of seen on
cop shows. They pat him down and they say he's clean,
(03:46):
something like that. So I said that didn't again, no response,
no response. He just stared at me. He said, your belt.
Good grief. I should have taken my belt off and
put it in the box. That's what I should have done,
you know, just no jokes aside. I wasn't. I'm joking.
I was just nervously fumbling audibly. But instead of just
taking my belt off, I said, oh wow, you guys
(04:08):
need that too. You're taking no chances here, you know,
something like that again, cold stairs, cold stairs, don't do that,
don't engage, just do what they tell you to do.
People behind me were piling up. It was starting to
make me nervous. So anyway, I whipped off my belt
and of course, of course we wear belts for a reason,
(04:29):
it's not just fashion. I whip my belt off and
my pants start falling down. Not far down, you know,
not like, oh my goodness, what's gonna happen now, but
far enough, far enough for me to make a quick
move to jerk them back into place. And that brings
about my second lesson. Don't make any quick moves in
(04:49):
the security checkpoint line unless you want to see the
floor up close, smell the carpet. You don't want to
smell the carpet. It's not good. Fortunately they all realized
I wasn't dangerous, just stupid, so I got a pass
on that one. They just gave me the cold stairs. Finally,
the guy let me go and I go to the
next person and it's a lady. She meets me and says,
(05:11):
empty your pockets. How is this even happening? I just
emptied my pockets, But because I'm dumb and socially an apt,
I figured, you know, the last time humor didn't work,
but this time it's bound to. So I did you
know the whole I'm clean, officer, and proceeded to frisk
myself again, only to find I had a pocket full
(05:33):
of candy. So I pull all of the candy out
and I held it out to her like a little child.
Picture that I need you too. That's important. Picture it
a little child, Just like a little child. Picture a
two year old standing with his or her hand held
out to you, something in it that they shouldn't have.
You know, you got that look of guilt on their face.
You can picture it. See that small ridiculous form standing there,
(05:57):
shifting from foot to foot. Picture yourself looking down that
child from a height of over maybe four feet above
that child's hat, just looking down at that angle. Picture
all of that, and then make me that child that
is exactly what I look like. She was so tall
and I was so short, and nervous and shifty third lesson.
(06:18):
No matter what, don't get shifty. It ratchets up their
suspicion in a big way. So she stared at me
a long time, and finally I said, like a complete idiot,
I'm holding out this palmful handful of life savers doing
all of the things I said, looking nervous and shifting,
(06:40):
and I say, I have life savers. Cherry is my favorite,
but I like the green ones too. On top of
all of that, that idiotic statement that again child would make.
On top of all of that, my voice broke, like
I'm twelve, or when it is puberty hits. I don't know.
(07:01):
I'm still waiting, or maybe I'm in perpetual puberty. Anyway,
they let me through and I was better on the
return trip. But man, my goodness, what a rocky start.
Will I ever fly again? Hmm? I don't know. I
just wish I'd made a video of this experience so
I could prove how ridiculous I was to everybody. Anyway,
(07:25):
that's my story. That was my week last, not this pass,
but the week before, end of that week. And believe
it or not, there's a paint point in all of that.
And yes, it's a great big stretch. You know, it works,
but it's not like super smart. You know, I'm just
stretching here. But it was a fun story, so it's
all good. Right, I wanted to tell that story, and
(07:45):
now I've got a paint point that we'll get to.
And here it is. When you don't know how to
do something or you're not familiar, it's daunting. You make mistakes,
you get nervous, you don't enjoy any of it, and
you maybe even put the whole thing off and just
don't do it. But when you're familiar with how things work.
When you have even just a little bit of good info,
things aren't quite so bad. And I can't help you
(08:08):
with flying and dealing with security, but most people, most
normal people, most functioning adults, don't need that help, so
there's no real loss there. I can't help you with that,
but I can help you with a common but pretty
daunting paint project, painting the ceiling. I can give you
the info you need to feel confident and to move
through that without the nervous shuffling around from foot to foot.
(08:30):
We're going to get to that in the next segment.
So we're going to take a break. You stick around,
stay right there, think about me in the security line,
and then we'll come back and we'll talk about painting
your ceilings. That's all next. Stick around and we're back.
You're listening to the Repco Lite home improvement show sponsored
by Benjamin Moore, and I want to talk about painting ceilings.
(08:54):
You know, it's one of those parts of a room
repaint that a lot of us skip, not all of us,
but definitely you know a good number of us skip it.
And it makes sense. It feels harder. You know, you're
working overhead, you're worrying about drips, lap lines and whether
it's actually going to look good when you're done. You know,
it's just something we don't do a lot of, not
like painting a wall, so we end up skipping it.
(09:15):
But here's the thing. A freshly painted ceiling can absolutely
transform a room. You know, it lifts the space, It
makes everything feel cleaner and brighter, just better. And really,
let me toss the sin since I'm talking about that,
painting the ceiling can make it feel better, make that
whole room feel better. But not painting your ceiling. When
you do the walls, you know, you go around, you
repaint all those walls, and then you leave the ceiling.
(09:37):
Doing that can be a huge mistake. You know, I've
done it more than once. I've repainted the walls, love
the new color, and then step back to take a
look at it and really soak it in, you know,
to absorb the wonder of what I've created. And that's
when I realized suddenly how dingy the ceiling looks. You know,
I hadn't noticed it before because the old wall color
(09:57):
distracted me. But now that that's covered all and looks great,
now I realize the ceiling looks horrible too. And now
I've got to choose either I'm going to leave the
ceiling as is, or am I going to try to
paint it without messing up all the fresh, newly painted
walls that I just accomplished, you know, all of that
moral of the story. At least check your ceiling before
you decide to skip it. All Right, with that out
(10:19):
of the way, let's get into the process. And the
first thing is going to be prep work. It's always
prep work, won't won't wall paint projects. That's what they
start with, that's what they're built on. The prep work
is the foundation if you skimp on this. Even though
it stinks, and even though it's as much fun as
(10:39):
going through the security checkpoint at the airport, even though
it's really not a fun process, it's important. So you
got to start with the prep work, and you start
by cleaning the room. In this instance, move out as
much furniture as you can. The more stuff that you
get out of the way, the easier this whole process
is going to be. For the big pieces that you
can't move, slide to the center and then cover them
(11:02):
with a drop cloth or plastic or something. Next up,
protect the floors. Canvas drop claws are really great here.
They're durable, they're easy to walk on, they're reusable. Plastic
can work, but it is slippery. It's not so fun
to walk on. I hate working with drop cloth plastic
plastic drop cloths on the floor. I don't like it.
Maybe you can get by with it, but canvas is better,
(11:24):
more expensive, so you kind of got to weigh that out.
There are paper and plastic drop claus that you could do,
kind of a combination of the two. Plastic on one side,
paper on the other. The paper absorbs the paper, makes
it spread out a little nicer on the floor. Still,
don't particularly like working on those, so think about it.
You're going to have to just look into that and
(11:44):
find the best solution for you. Stop out at Repcolite.
We'll help you figure it out. If you're working on
hard surfaces, you know, wood floors or vinyl floors or tile,
ceramic whatever. If you've got that surface, consider using masking paper.
We sell three foot in four or for what rolls
at Repcolite. They work great and they're not going to
break the bank, So that would be another option again,
(12:07):
protect those floors. Next up, you've got a mask off,
you know, using masking tape. Whatever shouldn't get hit with paint.
So light, fixtures, fans, crown molding, all of those things.
Take the time to apply painters tape carefully. It's absolutely
worth it, all right. Next up, don't forget about lighting.
Make sure the room is well lit so that you
can see what you're doing. All right, Next thing, still
(12:28):
in prep work here again, Like I said, you gotta
love prep work. Ninety percent of the project is prep work,
you know, just tell yourself that every time. Ninety percent
is prep work. So next step in prep work is
cleaning the ceiling. You know, ceilings collect dust and cobwebs,
just to name a few things. So before you paint,
you definitely need to give them a quick cleaning. So
(12:49):
vacuum the ceiling. You know, if you've got a shop
back with a bristled face on that, you know, the
vacuum part of that, vacuum part of that, the vacuum head,
you know whatever. I'm a professional, I'll just mash words together.
Tell everybody gets my understanding, right, So vacuum it with
a shot back, swipe it with a broom real fast
or slow, I don't care. How quickly or not quickly
(13:11):
you do this. Wipe it down with a broom, you know,
hit it with your broom, or get a damp rag out,
whatever you want to do. Get the cobwebs, get the
dust off the ceiling. If you don't do that, you're
going to roll into them and you're gonna spread all
kinds of little goobies all over the place. Nobody wants that.
Wipe the ceilings down ahead of time. If you've got
stains up there, like water stains, you know, something that
(13:33):
could have been from a roof leak, make sure that
you prime them with a stain blocking primer. Just painting
over them isn't going to work. That those stains are
going to bleed right through. So stop into Repcholite, tell
us what you've got, and we'll help you select the
right primer to spot prime those situations or those spots.
All right. Step three, we're finally to the picking the
paint part of this. Most pros when they're choosing ceiling
(13:55):
paint are going to pick a flat paint. And it's
really for one main reason. Flat finishes height imperfections, and
they're ridiculously easy to work with compared to anything that's
got a sheen. One of our favorites to recommend is
Benjamin Moore's water Boor and ceiling paint. It's ultra flat
and it stays flat even when you tint it to
a color. And that's a big deal because most ceiling
(14:16):
paints pick up a little sheen when they're tinted. This
one doesn't. So it's much easier to work with than
it gives you a better result. If you're on a
tighter budget, we've got other options like Super High or
Final Touch. Both of those are Benjamin More products. They're
going to cover well, perform great. We've got some repcolite
ceiling paints as well. Get a good one. Even those
more inexpensive ones that i'm talking about right there are
(14:37):
still good ceiling paints. Get a good ceiling paint. Don't
skimp on it. If you go cheap, you're going to
feel it when you're part way through the job, and
that's when it really stinks. All right. Step four, let's
talk about the tools really quickly. Use three eighths inch
or half inch nap covers for smooth or lightly textured ceilings.
If you've got a heavier texture on that ceiling, you know,
popcorn knockdown something like that. A half inch napper roller cover,
(15:00):
maybe even up to a three quarter inch nap It depends, definitely,
talk to us about that to make sure that you
don't overdo it. But you don't want to underdo it either,
so make sure you get the right nap roller cover.
And seriously, you've got to use an extension pole on
your roller. It's a backsaver, it's a game changer. You're
going to fly, you know, speed wise, compared to using
(15:22):
a ladder. I've run into people doing that. Don't use
a ladder. Save the ladder for cutting in around the
edges with a brush, but not for the main ceiling.
Get that extension pole. Speaking of cutting in, you're going
to do that first, and you're going to paint a
two to three inch border along the ceiling where it
meets the walls. That way, when you roll, you don't
have to roll too close to the walls and risk
(15:43):
smearing paint where it doesn't belong. All right, So that's
the cutting in part. Now let's get to the rolling technique.
And there are a couple of schools of thought here. Now,
some painters work in four foot by four foot sections,
especially in large rooms, you really just have to work
quickly and keep a wet edge if you're going to
do this, and keeping a wet edge means that you're
rolling into the previous section while it's still wet. That
(16:05):
helps you avoid lap lines. So four by four foot sections,
that's one way to go. Another approach is to start
in one corner and roll in long straight lines across
the ceiling, just side to side, line to line. Work
your way around the room that way, overlapping each pass
slightly as you go, and again, keeping that wet edge
is key. That's going to give you that uniform look
(16:26):
without the start and stop lines showing up in the lighting.
Whatever method you use, you want to make sure that
you're rolling towards your light source like a big window.
That's going to minimize the chance of lapmarks showing up later.
If your room is long or awkwardly shaped, talk to
us at Repolite and will help you figure out which
method makes the most sense for you. All right, last
thing here. You don't need to sprint through the job,
(16:47):
but you can't drag your feet either. If the paint
starts drying before you finish blending it, in you're going
to see it, so keep a steady rhythm, don't overwork
the roller, and don't keep going back over dry areas.
Some pros even turn the heat down a few degrees
before painting. That can slow the dry time down just
enough to give you a little extra wiggle room. Now,
depending on the color you chose or just how everything
(17:07):
shook out, you might need a second coat. If you
do that, make sure that that first one is fully
dry before you roll back onto it. And then when
you're done, pull that tape off while the paint's still
a little bit wet. That's going to help you get
a good clean line and avoids tearing the fresh paint. Now,
that's pretty much it, but here are some last minute
tips you know to help you get the most out
of this project. First off, don't overload your roller. You know,
(17:29):
too much paint on that roller cover is going to
just mean drips, spatters, and roller marks. So dip your roller,
roll it around a few times in the tray to
distribute the paint evenly, and then move to your ceiling.
Second tip, when you're working on the ceiling, watch how
you're using that roller cover. You know, make sure that
you're keeping it flat against the ceiling and rolling in smooth,
consistent strokes. Now, if you do find yourself putting a
(17:51):
lot of pressure on the roller, you're doing it wrong.
Don't try to squeeze every last inch of paint out
of the cover. Let it walk along the ceiling and
then refill it when nessa third and this is my
personal favorite, give yourself permission to be imperfect. Nobody's going
to be laying on the floor staring straight up at
your ceiling, so do your best work clean and don't
sweat the small stuff. All Right, there you go full
(18:12):
breakdown on how to paint a ceiling like a pro
or at least like a well prepared di wire. If
you've got more questions about ceiling painting, paint choices, roller naps,
or anything else paint related, swing by your local Repcolite
store and ask will help you out. And one other
thing to think about is maybe you heard all of
that and you're thinking, I don't want to paint my
own ceiling, or I've got other stuff in the house
(18:33):
that is going to need paint, and maybe I should
just hire somebody. If you're looking for somebody, go to
Repcolit dot com right on the homepage, right on that
main header. We've got to find a contractor. Tab click that.
Fill out the form and we'll get you three names
of contractors in your area who'll do a great job.
All right, let's take a break. When we come back,
we'll be talking about how to decorate with neutrals like
(18:53):
a pro. That's just a head stick around and we're back.
You're listening to the Repco Lite Home Improvement Show sponsored
by Benjamin Moore. And right now, let's talk about neutrals. Now,
neutrals in DIY design, you know, interior design, they often
(19:14):
get mixed reviews. You know, some people love them, absolutely,
absolutely love them. Some people think they don't like them.
And the reason some people think they don't like neutral
color schemes is because they have one single idea in
their mind, you know, a space bathed in beige or
an off white or a gray or something like that.
And while some may love that idea, you know, in
(19:36):
that description that I've given sounds like heaven on Earth
to them, other people find it a little bit boring
or flat, or you know, just something that's a real snoozer.
And really, when I think about it, I'm sure that
we've all been in spaces where the use of neutrals
it really is profoundly bland and boring. You know, the
(19:56):
space feels lifeless, soulless. You know, there's no personality there.
It can be warm, it can be cool, doesn't really
matter which way it leans. It's just utterly boring, you know,
so ridiculously safe that the room doesn't really feel like anything.
Maybe you've got a rumor space in your home like that,
for sure, you visited one. I'm absolutely positive we've all
(20:18):
been there. You know. Years back, I remember walking through
a bunch of parade of homehouses that all use the
same neutral gray color scheme on every single thing. It
was the color that year, and honestly it was the
color for quite a number of years. But when I
went and I saw it on all of those walls
in all of those homes, it was just way too much.
(20:42):
By the end, after visiting four or more houses, I
could not distinguish in my mind between any of them.
They all felt the same. They all seem the same, boring, flat, lifeless,
even though they were beautiful, expensive new homes. So that's
the power of neutral. It can take an expensive beautiful
home and make it bland and mundane. But we also
(21:05):
know that neutrals can really be used to create some
powerfully beautiful spaces. And that kind of sounds like cowboy talk,
doesn't it? That space has powerful beauty, ma'am just saying
powerful beauty, right, cowboy talk? Right. Neutrals have an incredible
superpower that provides you with a safe framework to work within.
(21:25):
You know, even if you're completely new to design, neutrals
can take some of the guesswork out of all the design,
all the things that you're pulling together. They take that
guesswork out. They can make it easy for you to
achieve results that look powerfully beautiful. You know, like the
cowboy guy says, So, how do you stay away from
bland and boring? How do you dabble with neutrals and
(21:47):
not go bland, not go boring, not go lifeless, not
go soulless, but instead end up with that you know,
powerful beauty that we were talking about. Well, to help
us get there, let's start by looking at the concept
of neutrals in general. We're going to explore they're expansive
and expanding palette. You know, what exactly constitutes the neutral.
(22:07):
We'll talk about that, and then we'll also dig into
some strategies to use so that you can use them
effectively in your homes and businesses. All right, First things first,
let's define things this way. A pure neutral. Let's talk
about pure neutrals. It's as basic as it gets, no
strong undertones, no hidden surprises. You know, we're talking white, black, gray, beige,
(22:29):
sometimes brown depends, but you know, those main colors. These
are the ones that just sit back and they kind
of let everything else do the talking. Right. They don't
lean warm, they don't lean cool. They're just there. Kind
of like me at a party, I'm just there, kind
of fading into the background. You know, yeah, just there.
(22:50):
That's really how I sum up my whole existence at parties.
He was just there, wasn't he? Now he's not anyway.
They're super versatile, they're super safe, and they're perfect when
you want to clean simple background that's not going to
clash with anything else. Right, those are pure neutrals, but
the neutral palette is usually expanded to include near neutrals
as well, and these are basically colors that have just
(23:12):
enough personality to stand out. You know, I'm not a
near neutral I'm a pure neutral at a party, you know.
Here here, I don't know what I am. I'm over
the top, amazing and exciting, But at a party, I'm
a pure neutral. Other people, some of my children are
near neutrals. You know, They've got just enough personality to
(23:33):
stand out, but not so much that they take over
the whole room. Right, It's just a hint of color.
Soft greens, dusty pinks, faded blues, you know, colors that
are toned down enough that they still work as neutrals.
Those are near neutrals. Now, as the years have gone by,
the neutral palette has continued to be expanded to include
earthy tones, muted hues, and desaturated versions of classic colors. Now,
(23:56):
these colors really add interest and depth to a space
while still functioning technically as neutrals in the sense that
they don't overwhelm it. Now here are some of the
most popular and versatile of the new neutrals. And I
know it's radio, and so doing colors on the radio,
you know, it's not for the faint of heart. It's
for the experts out there. I'm going to do my best,
(24:18):
So put your thinking caps on, your imagination glasses. Whatever,
you need, and we'll just go through some of these
new neutrals. Sage green, you know, a soft gray green
that feels grounded, feels organic. Sage almost acts kind of
like a chameleon. It appears really well with whites, with
warm wood tones, with deep blues, even with blush tones,
(24:40):
it can work kind of brings nature indoors while maintaining
a calming, neutral feel. So that's a sage green, all right,
still considered. You know, one of the newer neutrals a
blush pink. Another one kind of a dusty pink. It
can read as neutral, you know, when you used thoughtfully.
You've got to be a little careful with this one.
It does add warmth and softness to a room. It
(25:00):
works especially well with natural wood with charcoal tones, really
good with charcoal tones, with olive greens, deep navies, So
sage green, blush pink, navy blue. We talk about that
on the show all the time. You know, a deep blue,
particularly navy or midnight blue, can function as a dark neutral.
You know, it grounds a space in a very similar
way that you know a black or espresso brown wood.
(25:22):
It offers richness without being stark, and it's often used
on cabinetry, accent walls, upholstery, things like that. Charcoal grays,
you know, they're darker than typical grays, but they're softer
than blacks. So you're going to get this sophisticated alternative
for modern or industrial type interiors. These colors are going
to offer some depth, you know, apperium with warm and
cool accents. That works well, and they'll highlight texture beautifully.
(25:46):
So that's charcoal grays. Terra cotta and clay tones. You know,
these are muted versions of rust. They're going to function
as earth tone neutrals, you know, especially when they're used
in textured materials like plaster, ceramic or matte paint finishes.
These hues bring a soft sun baked that sounds really
nice this time of year, doesn't it? Sun baked warmth.
(26:06):
I'd sure love to be sun baked. I'm hung up
on that word. I wish I hadn't written it into
my notes sun baked. I'm sure some of you are
getting ready to go to Florida and you're gonna be
sun baked. I'm not, but I could paint my space
in terra cotta and clay tones and they will bring
a sun baked warmth to my interior without shouting for attention.
(26:29):
And that's nice because normally I'm shouting about stuff while
in my interior, and I don't need my colors doing
that for me. So terra cotta and clay tones, dusty blue,
muted teals, oyster or mushroom colors, soft olive or moss colors,
all of these are newer neutrals, newer neutral tones that
can be used. All right, So when you think about
(26:50):
that and you realize how big the umbrella is for
neutral colors, you really then start to see the power
that they possess to help you create not just a
calm and inviting space like we think of, because I
guarantee when I said neutrals at the beginning, everybody's picturing
you know, a room that looks like a washed out
shopping bag. You know, the paper ones, not the plastic ones,
(27:12):
but that tone that canvasy tone. That's what we picture
a room bathed in that. Well, Neutrals really expand the
palette is very large and includes a lot of different tones,
And when you think about that, you see all the
power they bring, not just to create that calm, you know,
really inviting space, which they will do, but also a
space that's filled with depth, warmth, and even sophistication. And
(27:36):
even in a home like mine, I could use these
things to create some sort some level of sophistication. Basically,
you can use them to create space that's got powerful beauty,
right like the Cowboy talked about earlier. All right, how
do you do that? You know, we just covered all
the neutral tones. How do you actually use them to
pull that off in your own design? Well, let's get
(27:57):
practical and dig into some tips and tricks to working
with new so you can achieve the results that you want.
That's coming up after break. Stick around, and we are back.
You're listening to the Repcolite Home improvement Show sponsored by
Benjamin Moore, and the last segment we talked about neutrals
(28:18):
and the power that they possess. But in order to
really unlock that amazing power, you know, like the infinity stones.
To unlock that power, you need to know a few
tips and tricks. But I'm going to warn you right
off the bat. These are not rocket science, and that
shouldn't surprise anybody out there. Of course, they're not rocket science.
(28:39):
I am giving them to you. These are low hanging fruit.
I assure you low hanging fruit. And if you've ever
seen me, you know I'm talking the lowest hanging fruit.
And yeah, that's a hYP joke. I can take it
because I made it. Anybody else i'd get belligerent, but
I can make fun of myself. Can roll with that anyway.
(29:01):
Let's not to say that all these ideas, you know,
because I got way off track there with the short joke,
I was making a joke that these are low hanging fruit.
But that's not to say that's how the transition should
have worked. That's not to say that these ideas won't work.
In fact, everything that I'm going to spell out is
going to help you achieve high end professional results, no
(29:21):
matter what your design skill set is. All right, that's
the power of neutrals. They provide you with a great
framework to work within while still offering you a ton
of variation and freedom so that you can bebop and scat.
You know, with your colors, you know, you've got a
ton of variety, a ton of things you can do.
But within this neutral framework you can do all those
(29:43):
crazy things and still stay on the tracks. So you've
got the template, You've got the framework, but you've got
pretty much limitless variety, so that what you create in
your space is uniquely you. So let's get to some
of these tips and tricks to help you get the
most out of an neutral color scheme. And first off,
let's talk about one of the most important parts of
(30:04):
working with neutral color schemes, and honestly, it's one of
the things that people miss a fair amount. You've got
to balance the warm and the cool tones. See warm
neutrals things like beige, tan, grayish, you know, with a
yellow or red undertone. These colors bring coziness and comfort.
Cool neutrals like gray with a blue undertone, or those
crisp whites, you know, they feel clean and calm and
(30:27):
a little more modern, but they are a little cooler.
And it's easy to build a color scheme around one
or the other, warm or cool. But the real trick
to taking your neutral color scheme to a more professional
level is to mix the color temperatures intentionally, you know,
to keep a balance. For example, if the neutrals that
you've picked for the walls and the ceilings in your space,
and therefore by definition, you know, since you're doing the
(30:49):
walls and the ceiling most of the space, the bulk
of the space. If those colors feel cool, then you're
going to want to balance them by bringing in some
warmer tones. So think wood tones, think clay colored acts, sense,
you know, anything like that to heat things up. Those
warm tones are going to balance out the cool tones
a little bit. If you've got the flip side, you know,
the reverse of that. If everything feels too golden and heavy,
(31:12):
you know, too warm, you want to balance that with
cooler accents. You know, maybe a charcoal or a soft
blue gray, maybe a muted sage. Now you bring these
balancing colors and tones in in the form of throw pillows,
in furniture, in the frames around your artwork, in the
artwork itself, you know, in draperies and fabrics and so on.
You know, all these different accessories, all these different components
(31:34):
of the room bring the balancing tones in. Succeeding with
neutrals really is all about balance, you know. Think of
it as tuning the color temperature of your room like
you would a thermostat, a little warmer here, a little
cooler there, until it feels right. You know, That's what
you're doing. And when you nail that balance, that's when
the neutrals really shine, they don't just sit in the background.
(31:54):
They're not just boring. They're not just leaning against the
wall at the party. You know, they're bringing the whole
room together at that point. All right, So that's the
first tip. Balance the tones and the temperatures. All right,
Moving on, Let's talk about another tip, another trick. It's
not really either of those, I guess it's more like
a superpower. Let's talk about a superpower that neutrals have.
(32:16):
Neutral color schemes can handle big stuff. They're strong, they've
got broad shoulders, they can handle bigger accents, bolder accents,
you name it. You have no idea what I'm talking about,
I'll try to get there. We often talk about neutral
color schemes on your walls as a blank canvas. Well,
take that idea, that concept and take it literally. You know,
(32:38):
the neutral tone on your walls gives your space a calm,
settled and controlled feel, and because of that, you can
feel free to stretch a little bit with accessories, artwork,
or whatever. The neutral space that you've created, all of
that neutral space that can take it, it can take
that stretching. So an oversized piece of art, for example,
or a lot of pieces of art. You know, a
(32:59):
gall works beautifully on a neutral backdrop, or maybe in
your situation it's something different. Maybe you want this chunky
coffee table or a massive woven wall hanging. You know,
things that might look chaotic in a bold color scheme
are going to feel right when they're surrounded by neutrals.
You know, the neutrals point at the piece and they
let it be the focus that it was meant to be.
(33:19):
Neutral colors they're absolutely happy, absolutely thrilled if they could
be said to have emotions. They're absolutely thrilled to take
a back seat and let the spotlight shine on something else.
Neutral colors are like ringo, right ringo. They provide a
good beat that doesn't distract from the pall and the
john pieces in your room. So go ahead, make a statement,
(33:41):
stretch and push a little bit. You'll find it's really
easy when you do this to infuse your space with
your personality, which is what we're really after. When we're
designing and working on a space in our home, we're
trying to infuse it with our personality, something that makes
us feel at home and that reflects us. It's really
easy to do that and make your home uniquely yours
(34:02):
when you've got this neutral, blank canvas to work on,
and if it doesn't happen, if the things that you
brought in, these big statement pieces that you brought in,
if you get tired of them after a while or whatever,
they can be easily replaced. You know, yeah, you've got
this big piece and there's expense there, but it's not
like you're repainting an entire space or anything like that.
(34:22):
You can just swap out the pieces and bring another
statement piece onto that blank, neutral canvas and you're good
to go. Now. Another tip that I've got is similar
to our balance tip that we started with, but rather
than balancing warm and cool, we're actually balancing light and dark.
And keeping that balance is critical for pulling together a
room design that feels professional and correctly weighted. So if
(34:42):
your room, for example, again trying to do this on
radio without pictures. Again, it's not the work for the uninitiated.
If your room's feeling too light in aira, it's all
light tones, won't anchor it with some dark accents and
you can go straight to black if you want black
ads edge. It adds poly black credenza for example, or
(35:02):
coffee table or something like that. It's going to bring
elegance and weight to an otherwise washed out or maybe
maybe washed out but too light of a space, and
it can completely change the look and feel of that room.
So black works really well. Charcoal, it's another color that
you can use, has a similar effect as black, but
it's of course, you know, being charcoal a little bit
less dramatic. Navy blues they work here, and even browns
(35:26):
can add some old school, you know, library leather chair
type depth to a room that's all washed out in white.
And don't forget about the power of plants, artwork, wallpaper
and other ways to bring in that heavier, weightier, darker
tone if the space is just too light or leaning
too light, and if you're already swimming in dark colors,
if you've gone that route with dark neutrals and stuff
(35:48):
like that will bring in the light accents. Warm metallics
can actually be you know, a neutral warm metallics like
an unpolished brass, creamy whites or light wood tones. Things
like that can really lighten things up. So keep the
balance again, whether it's with temperatures the warm and the cool,
or it's with light and dark. Keep those balances. That's
(36:09):
what really makes these things work. Don't go too far
one way or the other. Now, a fourth tip to
think about is this, if your color palette is feeling
boring or flat, but you don't really want to go nuts,
you know, and bring in a lot of accent tones.
Maybe that's not you, but you know you're seeing it
all and it's just feeling boring and flat. Don't want
to go crazy. Remember that textures can really work in
(36:29):
your favor here. And texture is going to add depth
and it's going to make the space feel finished instead
of flat. It's the difference between intentionally being minimal and
kind of giving this idea that I, you know, just
moved in yesterday something like that. So try mixing opposites
hard textures with soft So think wood furniture and some
(36:51):
kind of chunky knit blanket, something like that, smooth with
rough a leather couch meets a jute rug. You know,
that's an idea there, Matt with a little bit of shine,
natural stone next to brush metal. You know. The different
textures will do a lot. Wool rugs, fabric curtains, weathered wood,
stone tabletops, all of them add a ton of character,
even if you're not really branching out or changing the
(37:12):
color tones from the neutrals that are on the walls.
You know, all in all, when we're talking about neutrals,
the best thing about them is that they really give
you this solid base for almost anything. You know, any
style and any color that you want to work with.
You know, it's fun to throw color on your walls.
I get that, and to jump into the deep end
of the design world, but it's also a little bit
(37:32):
risky and it certainly could be a pain if it
doesn't work out. You know, many of us have been there.
That mid range yellow we thought we were buying that
turned out to have face of the sun intensity when
it was on your walls. We've all been there. We've
got to live with it, or we've got to, you know,
sell the house and move on. Neutrals, on the other hand,
may seem boring, but they give you that perfect blank
canvas for you to really stretch and get creative. And
(37:54):
what's really cool with them is that you can shift
the mood of your room with just a few swaps.
You know, add rust color pillows in the fall, cool
grays or sagegreens, in spring and suddenly the living room
looks like you, you know, completely flipped it over, when
really all you did was switch out a couple of accessories.
All right, that's all the time we've got. We're gonna
have to wrap this one up. If you want to
find it again, of course, you can find it online
(38:16):
at repco light dot com. Just head over there, click
the on the radio tab on the homepage and you
can listen to all kinds of old episodes. Make sure
you subscribe to the podcast. And also if you are
looking for a contractor maybe some of the stuff we
talked about got your wheels spin in, but you're just
not ready to jump in and do the work yourself.
If you are, we're here to help. But if you're not,
(38:38):
and you're looking to hire somebody, we can really help
you out and help you find some quick names, some
good names, really quickly. That's how I should say it.
Just head to rep cooal light dot com and then
click the find a contractor tab on the homepage, fill
out the quick form, send it to us, and we'll
get you three names. All right, whatever you do today
makes your paints a part of it. And if you
do have a paint project coming up. Remember it's easier
(39:00):
than you think. Just stop out at any repcolite and
let us help. Have a great weekend everybody, and I'll
see you next week. I'm Dan Hansen. Thanks for listening.
Good morning everybody. How was your week? Did you have
a good one, a good week, a stellar week, a
record breaking week. Well, I did well. It was a
fine week. Actually, now that I think about it, this
past week was a fine week. I'm thinking about last week.
Last week was a big week for me. I flew
out to the Maryland area near Washington, d C. To
(00:23):
visit some friends. You're listening to the repcoll Light home
improvement show sponsored by Benjamin Moore, And yeah, that was
a big time for me. I went on a plane,
an airplane, I didn't need to say that, which is
something that I've done probably six total times in my life.
So I'm feeling feeling pretty pretty big about it. I'm
feeling special sporty about how I was able to do that.
(00:46):
Maybe I've done this eight times, I don't know. Basically,
what I'm talking about is that means four total round
trips at the most. So I'm not a big flyer.
But I did it. I nailed it. Just say I
did it. I did it. I did really well on
three quarters of all of this. You know, the different
legs of my flight. The very first experience was a
(01:12):
little rocky, and I guess I want to talk about that.
That's what I want to start the show with. I've
got good stuff planned. I'm not even going to tell
you what's coming. It's just all great. You're gonna want
to hang around with it or hang around for it.
I just want to get to all this good stuff
that I learned. And the first thing. First thing I
learned security people. They don't joke around. So don't try it. Okay,
(01:38):
don't try it. Don't even think about joking. You know.
When you get there, think about the saddest thing you
can possibly think of. Keep your mind focused on that.
Don't think about anything that might make you you know,
or might take you down a trail of humor. Don't
take you know, think of anything that's going to make
you smirk or smile. They frown on that. I think
(02:00):
sad thoughts, you know. For me, I arrived at the
little checkpoint, and I was nervous about this part because
you know, I knew I hadn't done a lot of
this before, and I am kind of socially inept, so
I wasn't sure how this whole experience was going to go.
But I had done a little bit of prep. I'd
talked to some people and they said, you got to
(02:20):
put your shoes in a big plastic tub. So I
was happy to know that much, and so first thing
I did chuck my shoes in that tub and look
around at everybody like I've done something to be applauded.
I was like a child most of this experience. So
if you can picture a small child looking for approval,
(02:40):
that's exactly what I look like. Put my shoes in
the crate the little tub, look around for approval, and
then I realized there's a lot more I had to
put in the tub. So I do all of that.
I put everything in the tub, and then I look
at the guy who's standing there, and I tried to smile,
you know, showing that I'm on this, but he just
stared at at me and he said, empty your pockets.
(03:03):
And then I laughed and I said I did. And
then first mistake, or first of many, maybe the fifteenth
of many, I don't even know. I didn't start enumerting
my mistakes. This is one of my mistakes. I proceeded
to pat myself down police style, you know, because I
thought that had some comedic effect. I thought it would
(03:23):
maybe lighten the situation. It did not lighten the situation.
And on top of it, I discovered I had my
phone in my pocket. So in my pat down, I
discovered I've got something. So I pulled it out and
I put it in a plastic tub and I said,
I'm clean. Now. You know, it's sort of seen on
cop shows. They pat him down and they say he's clean,
(03:46):
something like that. So I said that didn't again, no response,
no response. He just stared at me. He said, your belt.
Good grief. I should have taken my belt off and
put it in the box. That's what I should have done,
you know, just no jokes aside. I wasn't. I'm joking.
I was just nervously fumbling audibly. But instead of just
taking my belt off, I said, oh wow, you guys
(04:08):
need that too. You're taking no chances here, you know,
something like that again, cold stairs, cold stairs, don't do that,
don't engage, just do what they tell you to do.
People behind me were piling up. It was starting to
make me nervous. So anyway, I whipped off my belt
and of course, of course we wear belts for a reason,
(04:29):
it's not just fashion. I whip my belt off and
my pants start falling down. Not far down, you know,
not like, oh my goodness, what's gonna happen now, but
far enough, far enough for me to make a quick
move to jerk them back into place. And that brings
about my second lesson. Don't make any quick moves in
(04:49):
the security checkpoint line unless you want to see the
floor up close, smell the carpet. You don't want to
smell the carpet. It's not good. Fortunately they all realized
I wasn't dangerous, just stupid, so I got a pass
on that one. They just gave me the cold stairs. Finally,
the guy let me go and I go to the
next person and it's a lady. She meets me and says,
(05:11):
empty your pockets. How is this even happening? I just
emptied my pockets, But because I'm dumb and socially an apt,
I figured, you know, the last time humor didn't work,
but this time it's bound to. So I did you
know the whole I'm clean, officer, and proceeded to frisk
myself again, only to find I had a pocket full
(05:33):
of candy. So I pull all of the candy out
and I held it out to her like a little child.
Picture that I need you too. That's important. Picture it
a little child, Just like a little child. Picture a
two year old standing with his or her hand held
out to you, something in it that they shouldn't have.
You know, you got that look of guilt on their face.
You can picture it. See that small ridiculous form standing there,
(05:57):
shifting from foot to foot. Picture yourself looking down that
child from a height of over maybe four feet above
that child's hat, just looking down at that angle. Picture
all of that, and then make me that child that
is exactly what I look like. She was so tall
and I was so short, and nervous and shifty third lesson.
(06:18):
No matter what, don't get shifty. It ratchets up their
suspicion in a big way. So she stared at me
a long time, and finally I said, like a complete idiot,
I'm holding out this palmful handful of life savers doing
all of the things I said, looking nervous and shifting,
(06:40):
and I say, I have life savers. Cherry is my favorite,
but I like the green ones too. On top of
all of that, that idiotic statement that again child would make.
On top of all of that, my voice broke, like
I'm twelve, or when it is puberty hits. I don't know.
(07:01):
I'm still waiting, or maybe I'm in perpetual puberty. Anyway,
they let me through and I was better on the
return trip. But man, my goodness, what a rocky start.
Will I ever fly again? Hmm? I don't know. I
just wish I'd made a video of this experience so
I could prove how ridiculous I was to everybody. Anyway,
(07:25):
that's my story. That was my week last, not this pass,
but the week before, end of that week. And believe
it or not, there's a paint point in all of that.
And yes, it's a great big stretch. You know, it works,
but it's not like super smart. You know, I'm just
stretching here. But it was a fun story, so it's
all good. Right, I wanted to tell that story, and
(07:45):
now I've got a paint point that we'll get to.
And here it is. When you don't know how to
do something or you're not familiar, it's daunting. You make mistakes,
you get nervous, you don't enjoy any of it, and
you maybe even put the whole thing off and just
don't do it. But when you're familiar with how things work.
When you have even just a little bit of good info,
things aren't quite so bad. And I can't help you
(08:08):
with flying and dealing with security, but most people, most
normal people, most functioning adults, don't need that help, so
there's no real loss there. I can't help you with that,
but I can help you with a common but pretty
daunting paint project, painting the ceiling. I can give you
the info you need to feel confident and to move
through that without the nervous shuffling around from foot to foot.
(08:30):
We're going to get to that in the next segment.
So we're going to take a break. You stick around,
stay right there, think about me in the security line,
and then we'll come back and we'll talk about painting
your ceilings. That's all next. Stick around and we're back.
You're listening to the Repco Lite home improvement show sponsored
by Benjamin Moore, and I want to talk about painting ceilings.
(08:54):
You know, it's one of those parts of a room
repaint that a lot of us skip, not all of us,
but definitely you know a good number of us skip it.
And it makes sense. It feels harder. You know, you're
working overhead, you're worrying about drips, lap lines and whether
it's actually going to look good when you're done. You know,
it's just something we don't do a lot of, not
like painting a wall, so we end up skipping it.
(09:15):
But here's the thing. A freshly painted ceiling can absolutely
transform a room. You know, it lifts the space, It
makes everything feel cleaner and brighter, just better. And really,
let me toss the sin since I'm talking about that,
painting the ceiling can make it feel better, make that
whole room feel better. But not painting your ceiling. When
you do the walls, you know, you go around, you
repaint all those walls, and then you leave the ceiling.
(09:37):
Doing that can be a huge mistake. You know, I've
done it more than once. I've repainted the walls, love
the new color, and then step back to take a
look at it and really soak it in, you know,
to absorb the wonder of what I've created. And that's
when I realized suddenly how dingy the ceiling looks. You know,
I hadn't noticed it before because the old wall color
(09:57):
distracted me. But now that that's covered all and looks great,
now I realize the ceiling looks horrible too. And now
I've got to choose either I'm going to leave the
ceiling as is, or am I going to try to
paint it without messing up all the fresh, newly painted
walls that I just accomplished, you know, all of that
moral of the story. At least check your ceiling before
you decide to skip it. All Right, with that out
(10:19):
of the way, let's get into the process. And the
first thing is going to be prep work. It's always
prep work, won't won't wall paint projects. That's what they
start with, that's what they're built on. The prep work
is the foundation if you skimp on this. Even though
it stinks, and even though it's as much fun as
(10:39):
going through the security checkpoint at the airport, even though
it's really not a fun process, it's important. So you
got to start with the prep work, and you start
by cleaning the room. In this instance, move out as
much furniture as you can. The more stuff that you
get out of the way, the easier this whole process
is going to be. For the big pieces that you
can't move, slide to the center and then cover them
(11:02):
with a drop cloth or plastic or something. Next up,
protect the floors. Canvas drop claws are really great here.
They're durable, they're easy to walk on, they're reusable. Plastic
can work, but it is slippery. It's not so fun
to walk on. I hate working with drop cloth plastic
plastic drop cloths on the floor. I don't like it.
Maybe you can get by with it, but canvas is better,
(11:24):
more expensive, so you kind of got to weigh that out.
There are paper and plastic drop claus that you could do,
kind of a combination of the two. Plastic on one side,
paper on the other. The paper absorbs the paper, makes
it spread out a little nicer on the floor. Still,
don't particularly like working on those, so think about it.
You're going to have to just look into that and
(11:44):
find the best solution for you. Stop out at Repcolite.
We'll help you figure it out. If you're working on
hard surfaces, you know, wood floors or vinyl floors or tile,
ceramic whatever. If you've got that surface, consider using masking paper.
We sell three foot in four or for what rolls
at Repcolite. They work great and they're not going to
break the bank, So that would be another option again,
(12:07):
protect those floors. Next up, you've got a mask off,
you know, using masking tape. Whatever shouldn't get hit with paint.
So light, fixtures, fans, crown molding, all of those things.
Take the time to apply painters tape carefully. It's absolutely
worth it, all right. Next up, don't forget about lighting.
Make sure the room is well lit so that you
can see what you're doing. All right, Next thing, still
(12:28):
in prep work here again, Like I said, you gotta
love prep work. Ninety percent of the project is prep work,
you know, just tell yourself that every time. Ninety percent
is prep work. So next step in prep work is
cleaning the ceiling. You know, ceilings collect dust and cobwebs,
just to name a few things. So before you paint,
you definitely need to give them a quick cleaning. So
(12:49):
vacuum the ceiling. You know, if you've got a shop
back with a bristled face on that, you know, the
vacuum part of that, vacuum part of that, the vacuum head,
you know whatever. I'm a professional, I'll just mash words together.
Tell everybody gets my understanding, right, So vacuum it with
a shot back, swipe it with a broom real fast
or slow, I don't care. How quickly or not quickly
(13:11):
you do this. Wipe it down with a broom, you know,
hit it with your broom, or get a damp rag out,
whatever you want to do. Get the cobwebs, get the
dust off the ceiling. If you don't do that, you're
going to roll into them and you're gonna spread all
kinds of little goobies all over the place. Nobody wants that.
Wipe the ceilings down ahead of time. If you've got
stains up there, like water stains, you know, something that
(13:33):
could have been from a roof leak, make sure that
you prime them with a stain blocking primer. Just painting
over them isn't going to work. That those stains are
going to bleed right through. So stop into Repcholite, tell
us what you've got, and we'll help you select the
right primer to spot prime those situations or those spots.
All right. Step three, we're finally to the picking the
paint part of this. Most pros when they're choosing ceiling
(13:55):
paint are going to pick a flat paint. And it's
really for one main reason. Flat finishes height imperfections, and
they're ridiculously easy to work with compared to anything that's
got a sheen. One of our favorites to recommend is
Benjamin Moore's water Boor and ceiling paint. It's ultra flat
and it stays flat even when you tint it to
a color. And that's a big deal because most ceiling
(14:16):
paints pick up a little sheen when they're tinted. This
one doesn't. So it's much easier to work with than
it gives you a better result. If you're on a
tighter budget, we've got other options like Super High or
Final Touch. Both of those are Benjamin More products. They're
going to cover well, perform great. We've got some repcolite
ceiling paints as well. Get a good one. Even those
more inexpensive ones that i'm talking about right there are
(14:37):
still good ceiling paints. Get a good ceiling paint. Don't
skimp on it. If you go cheap, you're going to
feel it when you're part way through the job, and
that's when it really stinks. All right. Step four, let's
talk about the tools really quickly. Use three eighths inch
or half inch nap covers for smooth or lightly textured ceilings.
If you've got a heavier texture on that ceiling, you know,
popcorn knockdown something like that. A half inch napper roller cover,
(15:00):
maybe even up to a three quarter inch nap It depends, definitely,
talk to us about that to make sure that you
don't overdo it. But you don't want to underdo it either,
so make sure you get the right nap roller cover.
And seriously, you've got to use an extension pole on
your roller. It's a backsaver, it's a game changer. You're
going to fly, you know, speed wise, compared to using
(15:22):
a ladder. I've run into people doing that. Don't use
a ladder. Save the ladder for cutting in around the
edges with a brush, but not for the main ceiling.
Get that extension pole. Speaking of cutting in, you're going
to do that first, and you're going to paint a
two to three inch border along the ceiling where it
meets the walls. That way, when you roll, you don't
have to roll too close to the walls and risk
(15:43):
smearing paint where it doesn't belong. All right, So that's
the cutting in part. Now let's get to the rolling technique.
And there are a couple of schools of thought here. Now,
some painters work in four foot by four foot sections,
especially in large rooms, you really just have to work
quickly and keep a wet edge if you're going to
do this, and keeping a wet edge means that you're
rolling into the previous section while it's still wet. That
(16:05):
helps you avoid lap lines. So four by four foot sections,
that's one way to go. Another approach is to start
in one corner and roll in long straight lines across
the ceiling, just side to side, line to line. Work
your way around the room that way, overlapping each pass
slightly as you go, and again, keeping that wet edge
is key. That's going to give you that uniform look
(16:26):
without the start and stop lines showing up in the lighting.
Whatever method you use, you want to make sure that
you're rolling towards your light source like a big window.
That's going to minimize the chance of lapmarks showing up later.
If your room is long or awkwardly shaped, talk to
us at Repolite and will help you figure out which
method makes the most sense for you. All right, last
thing here. You don't need to sprint through the job,
(16:47):
but you can't drag your feet either. If the paint
starts drying before you finish blending it, in you're going
to see it, so keep a steady rhythm, don't overwork
the roller, and don't keep going back over dry areas.
Some pros even turn the heat down a few degrees
before painting. That can slow the dry time down just
enough to give you a little extra wiggle room. Now,
depending on the color you chose or just how everything
(17:07):
shook out, you might need a second coat. If you
do that, make sure that that first one is fully
dry before you roll back onto it. And then when
you're done, pull that tape off while the paint's still
a little bit wet. That's going to help you get
a good clean line and avoids tearing the fresh paint. Now,
that's pretty much it, but here are some last minute
tips you know to help you get the most out
of this project. First off, don't overload your roller. You know,
(17:29):
too much paint on that roller cover is going to
just mean drips, spatters, and roller marks. So dip your roller,
roll it around a few times in the tray to
distribute the paint evenly, and then move to your ceiling.
Second tip, when you're working on the ceiling, watch how
you're using that roller cover. You know, make sure that
you're keeping it flat against the ceiling and rolling in smooth,
consistent strokes. Now, if you do find yourself putting a
(17:51):
lot of pressure on the roller, you're doing it wrong.
Don't try to squeeze every last inch of paint out
of the cover. Let it walk along the ceiling and
then refill it when nessa third and this is my
personal favorite, give yourself permission to be imperfect. Nobody's going
to be laying on the floor staring straight up at
your ceiling, so do your best work clean and don't
sweat the small stuff. All Right, there you go full
(18:12):
breakdown on how to paint a ceiling like a pro
or at least like a well prepared di wire. If
you've got more questions about ceiling painting, paint choices, roller naps,
or anything else paint related, swing by your local Repcolite
store and ask will help you out. And one other
thing to think about is maybe you heard all of
that and you're thinking, I don't want to paint my
own ceiling, or I've got other stuff in the house
(18:33):
that is going to need paint, and maybe I should
just hire somebody. If you're looking for somebody, go to
Repcolit dot com right on the homepage, right on that
main header. We've got to find a contractor. Tab click that.
Fill out the form and we'll get you three names
of contractors in your area who'll do a great job.
All right, let's take a break. When we come back,
we'll be talking about how to decorate with neutrals like
(18:53):
a pro. That's just a head stick around and we're back.
You're listening to the Repco Lite Home Improvement Show sponsored
by Benjamin Moore. And right now, let's talk about neutrals. Now,
neutrals in DIY design, you know, interior design, they often
(19:14):
get mixed reviews. You know, some people love them, absolutely,
absolutely love them. Some people think they don't like them.
And the reason some people think they don't like neutral
color schemes is because they have one single idea in
their mind, you know, a space bathed in beige or
an off white or a gray or something like that.
And while some may love that idea, you know, in
(19:36):
that description that I've given sounds like heaven on Earth
to them, other people find it a little bit boring
or flat, or you know, just something that's a real snoozer.
And really, when I think about it, I'm sure that
we've all been in spaces where the use of neutrals
it really is profoundly bland and boring. You know, the
(19:56):
space feels lifeless, soulless. You know, there's no personality there.
It can be warm, it can be cool, doesn't really
matter which way it leans. It's just utterly boring, you know,
so ridiculously safe that the room doesn't really feel like anything.
Maybe you've got a rumor space in your home like that,
for sure, you visited one. I'm absolutely positive we've all
(20:18):
been there. You know. Years back, I remember walking through
a bunch of parade of homehouses that all use the
same neutral gray color scheme on every single thing. It
was the color that year, and honestly it was the
color for quite a number of years. But when I
went and I saw it on all of those walls
in all of those homes, it was just way too much.
(20:42):
By the end, after visiting four or more houses, I
could not distinguish in my mind between any of them.
They all felt the same. They all seem the same, boring, flat, lifeless,
even though they were beautiful, expensive new homes. So that's
the power of neutral. It can take an expensive beautiful
home and make it bland and mundane. But we also
(21:05):
know that neutrals can really be used to create some
powerfully beautiful spaces. And that kind of sounds like cowboy talk,
doesn't it? That space has powerful beauty, ma'am just saying
powerful beauty, right, cowboy talk? Right. Neutrals have an incredible
superpower that provides you with a safe framework to work within.
(21:25):
You know, even if you're completely new to design, neutrals
can take some of the guesswork out of all the design,
all the things that you're pulling together. They take that
guesswork out. They can make it easy for you to
achieve results that look powerfully beautiful. You know, like the
cowboy guy says, So, how do you stay away from
bland and boring? How do you dabble with neutrals and
(21:47):
not go bland, not go boring, not go lifeless, not
go soulless, but instead end up with that you know,
powerful beauty that we were talking about. Well, to help
us get there, let's start by looking at the concept
of neutrals in general. We're going to explore they're expansive
and expanding palette. You know, what exactly constitutes the neutral.
(22:07):
We'll talk about that, and then we'll also dig into
some strategies to use so that you can use them
effectively in your homes and businesses. All right, First things first,
let's define things this way. A pure neutral. Let's talk
about pure neutrals. It's as basic as it gets, no
strong undertones, no hidden surprises. You know, we're talking white, black, gray, beige,
(22:29):
sometimes brown depends, but you know, those main colors. These
are the ones that just sit back and they kind
of let everything else do the talking. Right. They don't
lean warm, they don't lean cool. They're just there. Kind
of like me at a party, I'm just there, kind
of fading into the background. You know, yeah, just there.
(22:50):
That's really how I sum up my whole existence at parties.
He was just there, wasn't he? Now he's not anyway.
They're super versatile, they're super safe, and they're perfect when
you want to clean simple background that's not going to
clash with anything else. Right, those are pure neutrals, but
the neutral palette is usually expanded to include near neutrals
as well, and these are basically colors that have just
(23:12):
enough personality to stand out. You know, I'm not a
near neutral I'm a pure neutral at a party, you know.
Here here, I don't know what I am. I'm over
the top, amazing and exciting, But at a party, I'm
a pure neutral. Other people, some of my children are
near neutrals. You know, They've got just enough personality to
(23:33):
stand out, but not so much that they take over
the whole room. Right, It's just a hint of color.
Soft greens, dusty pinks, faded blues, you know, colors that
are toned down enough that they still work as neutrals.
Those are near neutrals. Now, as the years have gone by,
the neutral palette has continued to be expanded to include
earthy tones, muted hues, and desaturated versions of classic colors. Now,
(23:56):
these colors really add interest and depth to a space
while still functioning technically as neutrals in the sense that
they don't overwhelm it. Now here are some of the
most popular and versatile of the new neutrals. And I
know it's radio, and so doing colors on the radio,
you know, it's not for the faint of heart. It's
for the experts out there. I'm going to do my best,
(24:18):
So put your thinking caps on, your imagination glasses. Whatever,
you need, and we'll just go through some of these
new neutrals. Sage green, you know, a soft gray green
that feels grounded, feels organic. Sage almost acts kind of
like a chameleon. It appears really well with whites, with
warm wood tones, with deep blues, even with blush tones,
(24:40):
it can work kind of brings nature indoors while maintaining
a calming, neutral feel. So that's a sage green, all right,
still considered. You know, one of the newer neutrals a
blush pink. Another one kind of a dusty pink. It
can read as neutral, you know, when you used thoughtfully.
You've got to be a little careful with this one.
It does add warmth and softness to a room. It
(25:00):
works especially well with natural wood with charcoal tones, really
good with charcoal tones, with olive greens, deep navies, So
sage green, blush pink, navy blue. We talk about that
on the show all the time. You know, a deep blue,
particularly navy or midnight blue, can function as a dark neutral.
You know, it grounds a space in a very similar
way that you know a black or espresso brown wood.
(25:22):
It offers richness without being stark, and it's often used
on cabinetry, accent walls, upholstery, things like that. Charcoal grays,
you know, they're darker than typical grays, but they're softer
than blacks. So you're going to get this sophisticated alternative
for modern or industrial type interiors. These colors are going
to offer some depth, you know, apperium with warm and
cool accents. That works well, and they'll highlight texture beautifully.
(25:46):
So that's charcoal grays. Terra cotta and clay tones. You know,
these are muted versions of rust. They're going to function
as earth tone neutrals, you know, especially when they're used
in textured materials like plaster, ceramic or matte paint finishes.
These hues bring a soft sun baked that sounds really
nice this time of year, doesn't it? Sun baked warmth.
(26:06):
I'd sure love to be sun baked. I'm hung up
on that word. I wish I hadn't written it into
my notes sun baked. I'm sure some of you are
getting ready to go to Florida and you're gonna be
sun baked. I'm not, but I could paint my space
in terra cotta and clay tones and they will bring
a sun baked warmth to my interior without shouting for attention.
(26:29):
And that's nice because normally I'm shouting about stuff while
in my interior, and I don't need my colors doing
that for me. So terra cotta and clay tones, dusty blue,
muted teals, oyster or mushroom colors, soft olive or moss colors,
all of these are newer neutrals, newer neutral tones that
can be used. All right, So when you think about
(26:50):
that and you realize how big the umbrella is for
neutral colors, you really then start to see the power
that they possess to help you create not just a
calm and inviting space like we think of, because I
guarantee when I said neutrals at the beginning, everybody's picturing
you know, a room that looks like a washed out
shopping bag. You know, the paper ones, not the plastic ones,
(27:12):
but that tone that canvasy tone. That's what we picture
a room bathed in that. Well, Neutrals really expand the
palette is very large and includes a lot of different tones,
And when you think about that, you see all the
power they bring, not just to create that calm, you know,
really inviting space, which they will do, but also a
space that's filled with depth, warmth, and even sophistication. And
(27:36):
even in a home like mine, I could use these
things to create some sort some level of sophistication. Basically,
you can use them to create space that's got powerful beauty,
right like the Cowboy talked about earlier. All right, how
do you do that? You know, we just covered all
the neutral tones. How do you actually use them to
pull that off in your own design? Well, let's get
(27:57):
practical and dig into some tips and tricks to working
with new so you can achieve the results that you want.
That's coming up after break. Stick around, and we are back.
You're listening to the Repcolite Home improvement Show sponsored by
Benjamin Moore, and the last segment we talked about neutrals
(28:18):
and the power that they possess. But in order to
really unlock that amazing power, you know, like the infinity stones.
To unlock that power, you need to know a few
tips and tricks. But I'm going to warn you right
off the bat. These are not rocket science, and that
shouldn't surprise anybody out there. Of course, they're not rocket science.
(28:39):
I am giving them to you. These are low hanging fruit.
I assure you low hanging fruit. And if you've ever
seen me, you know I'm talking the lowest hanging fruit.
And yeah, that's a hYP joke. I can take it
because I made it. Anybody else i'd get belligerent, but
I can make fun of myself. Can roll with that anyway.
(29:01):
Let's not to say that all these ideas, you know,
because I got way off track there with the short joke,
I was making a joke that these are low hanging fruit.
But that's not to say that's how the transition should
have worked. That's not to say that these ideas won't work.
In fact, everything that I'm going to spell out is
going to help you achieve high end professional results, no
(29:21):
matter what your design skill set is. All right, that's
the power of neutrals. They provide you with a great
framework to work within while still offering you a ton
of variation and freedom so that you can bebop and scat.
You know, with your colors, you know, you've got a
ton of variety, a ton of things you can do.
But within this neutral framework you can do all those
(29:43):
crazy things and still stay on the tracks. So you've
got the template, You've got the framework, but you've got
pretty much limitless variety, so that what you create in
your space is uniquely you. So let's get to some
of these tips and tricks to help you get the
most out of an neutral color scheme. And first off,
let's talk about one of the most important parts of
(30:04):
working with neutral color schemes, and honestly, it's one of
the things that people miss a fair amount. You've got
to balance the warm and the cool tones. See warm
neutrals things like beige, tan, grayish, you know, with a
yellow or red undertone. These colors bring coziness and comfort.
Cool neutrals like gray with a blue undertone, or those
crisp whites, you know, they feel clean and calm and
(30:27):
a little more modern, but they are a little cooler.
And it's easy to build a color scheme around one
or the other, warm or cool. But the real trick
to taking your neutral color scheme to a more professional
level is to mix the color temperatures intentionally, you know,
to keep a balance. For example, if the neutrals that
you've picked for the walls and the ceilings in your space,
and therefore by definition, you know, since you're doing the
(30:49):
walls and the ceiling most of the space, the bulk
of the space. If those colors feel cool, then you're
going to want to balance them by bringing in some
warmer tones. So think wood tones, think clay colored acts, sense,
you know, anything like that to heat things up. Those
warm tones are going to balance out the cool tones
a little bit. If you've got the flip side, you know,
the reverse of that. If everything feels too golden and heavy,
(31:12):
you know, too warm, you want to balance that with
cooler accents. You know, maybe a charcoal or a soft
blue gray, maybe a muted sage. Now you bring these
balancing colors and tones in in the form of throw pillows,
in furniture, in the frames around your artwork, in the
artwork itself, you know, in draperies and fabrics and so on.
You know, all these different accessories, all these different components
(31:34):
of the room bring the balancing tones in. Succeeding with
neutrals really is all about balance, you know. Think of
it as tuning the color temperature of your room like
you would a thermostat, a little warmer here, a little
cooler there, until it feels right. You know, That's what
you're doing. And when you nail that balance, that's when
the neutrals really shine, they don't just sit in the background.
(31:54):
They're not just boring. They're not just leaning against the
wall at the party. You know, they're bringing the whole
room together at that point. All right, So that's the
first tip. Balance the tones and the temperatures. All right,
Moving on, Let's talk about another tip, another trick. It's
not really either of those, I guess it's more like
a superpower. Let's talk about a superpower that neutrals have.
(32:16):
Neutral color schemes can handle big stuff. They're strong, they've
got broad shoulders, they can handle bigger accents, bolder accents,
you name it. You have no idea what I'm talking about,
I'll try to get there. We often talk about neutral
color schemes on your walls as a blank canvas. Well,
take that idea, that concept and take it literally. You know,
(32:38):
the neutral tone on your walls gives your space a calm,
settled and controlled feel, and because of that, you can
feel free to stretch a little bit with accessories, artwork,
or whatever. The neutral space that you've created, all of
that neutral space that can take it, it can take
that stretching. So an oversized piece of art, for example,
or a lot of pieces of art. You know, a
(32:59):
gall works beautifully on a neutral backdrop, or maybe in
your situation it's something different. Maybe you want this chunky
coffee table or a massive woven wall hanging. You know,
things that might look chaotic in a bold color scheme
are going to feel right when they're surrounded by neutrals.
You know, the neutrals point at the piece and they
let it be the focus that it was meant to be.
(33:19):
Neutral colors they're absolutely happy, absolutely thrilled if they could
be said to have emotions. They're absolutely thrilled to take
a back seat and let the spotlight shine on something else.
Neutral colors are like ringo, right ringo. They provide a
good beat that doesn't distract from the pall and the
john pieces in your room. So go ahead, make a statement,
(33:41):
stretch and push a little bit. You'll find it's really
easy when you do this to infuse your space with
your personality, which is what we're really after. When we're
designing and working on a space in our home, we're
trying to infuse it with our personality, something that makes
us feel at home and that reflects us. It's really
easy to do that and make your home uniquely yours
(34:02):
when you've got this neutral, blank canvas to work on,
and if it doesn't happen, if the things that you
brought in, these big statement pieces that you brought in,
if you get tired of them after a while or whatever,
they can be easily replaced. You know, yeah, you've got
this big piece and there's expense there, but it's not
like you're repainting an entire space or anything like that.
(34:22):
You can just swap out the pieces and bring another
statement piece onto that blank, neutral canvas and you're good
to go. Now. Another tip that I've got is similar
to our balance tip that we started with, but rather
than balancing warm and cool, we're actually balancing light and dark.
And keeping that balance is critical for pulling together a
room design that feels professional and correctly weighted. So if
(34:42):
your room, for example, again trying to do this on
radio without pictures. Again, it's not the work for the uninitiated.
If your room's feeling too light in aira, it's all
light tones, won't anchor it with some dark accents and
you can go straight to black if you want black
ads edge. It adds poly black credenza for example, or
(35:02):
coffee table or something like that. It's going to bring
elegance and weight to an otherwise washed out or maybe
maybe washed out but too light of a space, and
it can completely change the look and feel of that room.
So black works really well. Charcoal, it's another color that
you can use, has a similar effect as black, but
it's of course, you know, being charcoal a little bit
less dramatic. Navy blues they work here, and even browns
(35:26):
can add some old school, you know, library leather chair
type depth to a room that's all washed out in white.
And don't forget about the power of plants, artwork, wallpaper
and other ways to bring in that heavier, weightier, darker
tone if the space is just too light or leaning
too light, and if you're already swimming in dark colors,
if you've gone that route with dark neutrals and stuff
(35:48):
like that will bring in the light accents. Warm metallics
can actually be you know, a neutral warm metallics like
an unpolished brass, creamy whites or light wood tones. Things
like that can really lighten things up. So keep the
balance again, whether it's with temperatures the warm and the cool,
or it's with light and dark. Keep those balances. That's
(36:09):
what really makes these things work. Don't go too far
one way or the other. Now, a fourth tip to
think about is this, if your color palette is feeling
boring or flat, but you don't really want to go nuts,
you know, and bring in a lot of accent tones.
Maybe that's not you, but you know you're seeing it
all and it's just feeling boring and flat. Don't want
to go crazy. Remember that textures can really work in
(36:29):
your favor here. And texture is going to add depth
and it's going to make the space feel finished instead
of flat. It's the difference between intentionally being minimal and
kind of giving this idea that I, you know, just
moved in yesterday something like that. So try mixing opposites
hard textures with soft So think wood furniture and some
(36:51):
kind of chunky knit blanket, something like that, smooth with
rough a leather couch meets a jute rug. You know,
that's an idea there, Matt with a little bit of shine,
natural stone next to brush metal. You know. The different
textures will do a lot. Wool rugs, fabric curtains, weathered wood,
stone tabletops, all of them add a ton of character,
even if you're not really branching out or changing the
(37:12):
color tones from the neutrals that are on the walls.
You know, all in all, when we're talking about neutrals,
the best thing about them is that they really give
you this solid base for almost anything. You know, any
style and any color that you want to work with.
You know, it's fun to throw color on your walls.
I get that, and to jump into the deep end
of the design world, but it's also a little bit
(37:32):
risky and it certainly could be a pain if it
doesn't work out. You know, many of us have been there.
That mid range yellow we thought we were buying that
turned out to have face of the sun intensity when
it was on your walls. We've all been there. We've
got to live with it, or we've got to, you know,
sell the house and move on. Neutrals, on the other hand,
may seem boring, but they give you that perfect blank
canvas for you to really stretch and get creative. And
(37:54):
what's really cool with them is that you can shift
the mood of your room with just a few swaps.
You know, add rust color pillows in the fall, cool
grays or sagegreens, in spring and suddenly the living room
looks like you, you know, completely flipped it over, when
really all you did was switch out a couple of accessories.
All right, that's all the time we've got. We're gonna
have to wrap this one up. If you want to
find it again, of course, you can find it online
(38:16):
at repco light dot com. Just head over there, click
the on the radio tab on the homepage and you
can listen to all kinds of old episodes. Make sure
you subscribe to the podcast. And also if you are
looking for a contractor maybe some of the stuff we
talked about got your wheels spin in, but you're just
not ready to jump in and do the work yourself.
If you are, we're here to help. But if you're not,
(38:38):
and you're looking to hire somebody, we can really help
you out and help you find some quick names, some
good names, really quickly. That's how I should say it.
Just head to rep cooal light dot com and then
click the find a contractor tab on the homepage, fill
out the quick form, send it to us, and we'll
get you three names. All right, whatever you do today
makes your paints a part of it. And if you
do have a paint project coming up. Remember it's easier
(39:00):
than you think. Just stop out at any repcolite and
let us help. Have a great weekend everybody, and I'll
see you next week. I'm Dan Hansen. Thanks for listening.
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Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.