Before we get to the color resources, it’s a good idea to read my guide on how to paint kitchen cabinets for a smooth finish (no paint sprayer needed). I’ve also covered everything you need to know about the best paint for kitchen cabinets in a full post.

Sherwin Williams tends to have big sales at different times of the year, sometimes as much as 40% off. If you purchase your cabinet paint during these sales or with a coupon, Sherwin Williams paint will cost the same as cheaper water-based alkyds available at home improvement stores.

Is Sherwin Williams Paint Oil-Based or Water-Based?

Sherwin Williams has both oil-based paints and water-based paints.

Oil-based paints (also referred to as alkyd paint) have optimum adhesion and leveling characteristics. However, this is at an environmental cost of high VOCs and difficult clean up and disposal.

Water-based acrylic alkyd paints are formulated to mimic the positive effects of oil-based paint offer the application and finish of an alkyd with the nonyellowing properties of an acrylic. With low VOC content, they meet environmental regulations too.

I’ve personally tested both of the water-based cabinet paints listed above and can recommend them both.

In fact, I tested them side by side with 7 other brands of water-based alkyd paints and Sherwin Williams Urethane Trim Enamel came out on top as the very best cabinet paint out of ALL of the paints.

ProClassic Acrylic-Alkyd still performed very well, but I found the Emerald to paint and level just a tad bit smoother with a brush and roller and it sprayed slightly better as well.

If you want to see how other popular brands like Advance, Behr, and In-Slix compared to the Sherwin Williams cabinet paints, you can find all the details in this post: water-based alkyd paint for cabinets.

Tips for Choosing the Best Cabinet Paint Color and Finish

A few things to consider when looking for the perfect cabinet paint color for your home:

• What is your personal preference; do you prefer classic white or do you want to add a pop of color?
• Take into consideration your wall color. You may love a specific color, but it may clash with your walls. It helps to use paint samples.
• Consider the best finish for your cabinets.

To test out different colors, I recommend painting a few pieces of 12″ x 12″ cardboard in a few colors or shades. Then, move the pieces around the room at different times of day to see the color in different lights.

You can also move the paint swatches to different areas, but it’s much harder to visualize when looking at these small swatches.

best sherwin williams white paint colors

Here are several of the best paint colors in shades of white and off-white by Sherwin Williams. These paint colors will stand the test of time:

• Alabaster
• Pure White
• Dover White
• High Reflective White

Sherwin Williams Pure White Built-In Desk

With second hand finds, see how 2 The Sunnyside created a custom built-in desk with shelves. Sherwin Williams Pure White is the perfect paint color to create a clean look in this room. The creamy white is a great way to add warmth and dimension to any space.

See the project

Sherwin Williams High Reflective White Kitchen Cabinets

Learn how to paint kitchen cabinets white with a brush & roller. Erin from The DIY Nuts shares a detailed tutorial on how to easily update your cabinets. The kitchen cabinet colors are painted with Sherwin Williams High Reflective White.

See the project

Sherwin Williams Alabaster White Paint Color

Get all the details about Sherwin Williams Alabaster White paint, see pictures of it in real life and learn why it is the perfect warm white paint color for any space!

See the project

Sherwin Williams Dover White Kitchen Cabinets

Sherwin Williams Dover White paint is a warm white and perfect for kitchen cabinets. It helps to lighten up your kitchen without overpowering it with a bright white.

See the project

Popular Sherwin Williams Gray Paint Colors

Gray is a timeless color and comes in many different shades.

Check out the latest inspiration with 4 of the most popular gray colors by Sherwin Williams:

• At Ease Soldier
• Repose Gray
• Cityscape
• Mindful Gray

DIY Bathroom Vanity Makeover in Sherwin Williams At Ease Soldier

Give a builder’s grade bathroom vanity a DIY makeover without breaking the bank. Sherwin Williams At Ease Soldier is the perfect light gray and a great color for cabinets. It's a warm neutral color and an excellent choice for any style of home.

See the project

Sherwin Williams Repose Gray on a Bathroom Vanity

Ready to transform your space? Learn how to paint cabinets like a pro with the gorgeous paint color Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams. These bathroom cabinets now have a timeless look that easily update any space.

See the project

Sherwin Williams Repose Gray Kitchen Renovation

Sherwin Williams Repose Gray is also a great color to use on kitchen cabinets. This lovely color combination with a waterfall island is simply stunning. Get the sneak peek behind the scenes details into this kitchen renovation!

See the project

Sherwin Williams Cityscape on Laminate Cabinets

Learn how to paint melamine or laminate cabinets without a paint sprayer. Sherwin Williams Cityscape is a darker color gray that pops against the white walls shown in this space. It has blue undertones that blends perfectly with either a modern or farmhouse style.

See the project

Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray Kitchen Cabinets

Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray is the perfect color for painted kitchen cabinets. It has warm undertones to add coziness and versatility to any space. This kitchen has a lot of natural light that shows the depth in the cabinets.

See the project

Sherwin Williams Blue Paint Colors

Enjoy these top 4 blue paint colors by Sherwin Williams.

• Watery
• Aqua Reservoir
• Waterloo
• Blustery Sky

Sherwin Williams Watery in a DIY Coastal Kitchen

Charleston Crafted went with a lovely coastal look for their kitchen makeover with the beautiful color Watery on the kitchen island cabinet doors. It looks so big, light and bright!

See the project

Sherwin Williams Aqua Reservoir in Modern Kitchen Makeover

This kitchen remodel from Maggie Overby studios is finished in the soft and serene color from Sherwin Williams called Aqua Reservoir. The colors in this kitchen makeover is so bright and happy!

See the project

Sherwin Williams Silken Peacock on Kitchen Cabinets

Stop by to see the amazing before and after transformation. The wall removal and big teal island make such a dramatic difference! Silken Peacock looks incredible with white countertops!

See the project

Kitchen Cabinets in Sherwin Williams Snowbound and Waterloo

A gorgeous kitchen refresh with Sherwin Williams Snowbound on the main cabinets and Sherwin Williams Waterloo on the island. The blue with green undertones is the perfect contrast to the white cabinets.

See the project

Sherwin Williams Blustery Sky Kitchen Island Reveal

Duke Manor Farm shares her fabulous blue kitchen island reveal and some painting advice on what to use when you are repainting over your kitchen cabinets. The Blustery Sky paint choice is just perfect with the wood and white accents.

See the project

Top Sherwin Williams Black Paint Colors

For a dramatic look consider painting your cabinets with one of these beautiful black paint colors.

• Peppercorn
• Tricorn Black
• Iron Ore
• Caviar

Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black on a Bathroom Vanity

Use this step-by-step tutorial to learn how to repaint bathroom cabinets. Erin from The DIY Nuts used Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black paint to completely modernize this vanity cheaply.

See the project

Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black Dresser Makeover

Learn how to paint furniture with this easy tutorial. Get all of the supplies needed, and learn best practices for getting a flawless finish with a rich and dramatic Tricorn Black dresser makeover.

See the project

Sherwin Williams Peppercorn on a Kitchen Island

How to add a microwave and extend a kitchen island to double the size! This board and batten design includes a built-in wine rack finished with a dramatic dark gray paint in Peppercorn which brings out the warmer tones in this makeover.

See the project

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore Painted Kitchen Cabinets

Black is a great option for painting a kitchen island. Iron Ore brings a dark contrast to the island, without being completely black. The main cabinets are painted in Sherwin Williams Bright White.

See the project

Green Painted Kitchen Cabinets Sherwin Williams

If you follow me on social media, you probably know that green is one of my favorite colors! I’m excited to share these gorgeous green painted cabinets.

• Oakmoss
• Rock Garden
• Halcyon Green
• Green Onyx

Custom Farmhouse Kitchen in Sherwin Williams Oakmoss

This farmhouse is a custom build that features green kitchen cabinets in Oakmoss. This looks just incredible with brick flooring, interior limestone, and gorgeous wood tones.

See the project

Sherwin Williams Green Onyx and Ivory Lace

Green Onyx is the perfect shade with warm undertones that updates this kitchen and pairs well with the warm color of Ivory Lace on the upper cabinets. This post also has so many great tips on how to repaint kitchen cabinets that have been previously painted.

See the project

Sherwin Williams Halcyon Green Painted Cabinets

This post, Painted Kitchen Cabinets, is part two of It's hard to believe this is a budget-friendly kitchen makeover, but it is! The soft and serene color of Halcyon Green is nothing short of stunning. Get tips for how to prep cabinets as well.

See the project

Sherwin Williams Rock Garden

This modern kitchen makeover looks beautiful with dark green on the lower cabinets in Sherwin Williams color Rock Garden. This is the perfect shade to highlight earthy tones and ground the space.

See the project

There you have it-21 of the best paint colors from Sherwin Williams for cabinets. I hope this inspires you to give your cabinets an update if you have been on the fence about painting them.

The post 21 of the Most Popular Sherwin Williams Cabinet Paint Colors appeared first on Refresh Living.

Our house is bursting at the seams – with books.  I agree, this is a fabulous problem to have and a preferable item to be “bursting with”.  I can certainly think of A LOT of other things I wouldn’t want taking over my house.

It’s an awesome problem to have, but none the less, still a problem.

I’ve built a couple wall-mounted bookshelves to use in my kids’ rooms, but our nursery was still in desperate need of a place for those books to rest peacefully when not being read.

Now, I actually have an IKEA Kallax bench that I could turn back up to use as a bookshelf, but the problem is that this wall is behind two different doors. If I put any sort of bookshelf here, the doors won’t open up correctly.

In order to make the use of this awkward space behind two doors, I decided to build some book ledges that would extend out only a few inches from the wall.

The best part of this project was certainly how inexpensive it was.  I spent $15 on wood, and then used some stain, screws, and nails I already had around the house.

I certainly can’t complain about how difficult it was, either.  Honestly, the most time consuming part was staining all the pieces of wood! It’s definitely a great beginner DIY building project.

This post was originally published in 2017 and has been updated in 2024 with a more detailed tutorial.

Wood Needed to Make a Book Ledge

I used 1 x 4s, 1 x 3s, and 1 x 2s for my ledges.  I looked at a couple of different examples online, and I didn’t like the proportions on many that I saw.  These wood sizes created the perfect sized shelves for what I was looking for.

Here’s a little hardware store tip.  To save quite a bit more money, you can purchase furring strips instead of dimensional lumber for the 1 x 2s and 1 x 3s.  It usually takes a little digging in the piles to find straight pieces, but I always am able to find great pieces of wood for under $1.  You will need to buy dimensional lumber for the back piece, though.  

When purchasing this type of wood, the most inexpensive pieces (called standard boards) also have the most knots.  I like to call this character, and usually buy those standard boards.  Again, just dig through the pile to find straight pieces without massive knots or holes. If you want wood without knots, you’ll need to grab select lumber or higher.

After cutting the pieces down to the length of your bookshelf, you can stain or paint them now, or wait until they are assembled to do so. In my case I stained all the board first using Varthane Golden Oak colored stain.

Attach Boards Together to Make the Book Ledge

To attach the boards together, you can use screws drilled through the back and recessed (so no one will see them) or you can drill pocket holes on the bottom to attach the back. To secure the front of the book shelf, you can use finish nails.

When attaching all the board together, you’ll want to make sure to use wood glue before screwing or nailing anything together.

In this tutorial, you’ll see in the images that I used the pocket hole method with my Kreg Jig, but I’ve also built picture frame ledges by screwing through the back which you can see in this project where I used the shelf to create the look of a headboard.

First, add wood glue to the bottom inch of the 1×4 board. Attach the 1×3 piece to it using pocket holes and screws or screws drilled through the back of the 1×4.

Then, apply wood to the front of the 1×3 board and attach the 1×2 board across the front using pin nails.

How to Easily Install Book Ledges

To install the ledges, use a stud finder to find and mark the studs with painter’s tape.  

Hold up each shelf at the place you would like to install it on the wall. Then, place a piece of painter’s tape on the shelf at the same place as where the painter’s tape is on the wall.

Drill a pilot hole into the back board of the ledges at the places marked with tape.  Drilling pilot holes ensures the wood doesn’t split when screwed into.

To install the ledges, screw through the pilot hole in each board and then into the wall and stud.  You can use a small level to help with level install here, or just eyeball it!

The screws are visible when none of the books are on the shelves, but they’re never seen when items are actually on the shelves.

I’m so pleased with how they turned out!  They fit all of our little board books perfectly and take up virtually no room in a space that was practically unusable anyway.

I think everyone should install book ledges behind their doors, don’t you?

I have plans to make large picture frame shelves for my living room using this same method. I can’t get over how cheap it is to build these wood shelf ledges and the difference they make to a blank wall!

The post DIY Book Ledges – Easy and Inexpensive Organization appeared first on Refresh Living.

This technique applies concrete over the top of your existing counter to give it the look of a full concrete slab. It holds up very well without chipping or scratching if it’s applied correctly. You can give your bathroom a completely new look with these DIY concrete countertops.

This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated with details on the tutorials and notes on how well it held up after eight years of use.

Our main bathroom needed help.  It was one of the only rooms I hadn’t touched since moving into our house ten years ago, besides giving it a new coat of paint.

To save money, I knew I needed to keep our vanity and top, but I hated the dark black, glossy surface. It’s not granite, quartz, laminate, or solid surface.  I actually don’t know what it is, except ugly and cheap looking.

Using Feather Finish concrete allows you to apply a thin coat of concrete over your existing surface. Once it dries, it’s as hard as, well, concrete, and can be painted or finished to any color. There are two brands I’ve used and both worked well: Ardex Feather Finish and Henry Feather Finish.

How to Apply Concrete on Top of Countertop

Start by sanding the surface with 60-100 grit sandpaper.  This scuffs up the surface so the concrete has something to grip to. If you have an electric sander I’d recommend using it to make the job go much faster, but you can also get the job done by hand sanding.

Mix up a small batch of the concrete according to the directions on the package (2 parts dry concrete to 1 part water). It’s helpful to mix up smaller batches so the concrete doesn’t start drying in the bucket before you’re ready to apply it. 

I found that mixing up batches in smaller amounts with 2 cups concrete to 1 cup water to be the perfect amount to apply before the concrete starting to set a bit.

To apply the concrete, spread the layer on thin.  Even if it seems like it’s not covering every part of the counter, that’s okay, as you’ll be adding 2 more layers after this one.  

After the first layer dries, sand it down by hand with 120 grit sandpaper.  There’s no need to get it super smooth here, just sand down the larger ridges and bumps. If you use an electric sander, you might sand right down to the countertop because this first layer is so thin.

You’ll continue this process two more times, sanding between layers. After the second and third layer, you can use an orbital sander.  

Here are a couple of the tricks I learned while applying it:

• If you’ve ever done drywall patching, the motion will feel very similar.  It also reminded me of putting icing on a cake.
• I found my cheap plastic tools to work much better than my metal drywall tools.
• My hands and fingers were probably my best tool, and it was pretty fun to get messy in the process.
• My countertop has a curved back corner, so I found that running my finger in that groove (just like when you’re applying caulk) gave me a rounded “corner” and I didn’t need to mess with tools in that area.
• I hand sanded after the first layer, since it was so thin, and then used my orbital sander after the second and third layer.
• I would not recommend applying concrete inside a sink (like I did). I explain this more later in the post here: Do concrete countertops hold up?

In the bottom of the sink were the drain sits in, I made sure to keep that concrete layer very thin and smooth.  I wanted to be sure the drain fit in properly and there were no ridges.  (When everything dries, be sure to use plumber’s putty when installing the drain, so it creates a water-tight seal.)  We’ve had no problem with our drain leaking or any sort of other issues, and we’ve been using it for the past four months.

After the final layer dries, I would highly recommend using a power sander to get to a smooth finish.  It will take you FOREVER to hand sand the whole thing.  It still took quite a while to sand it with my orbital sander, and I even left some of the groove and ridges because I liked the look.  

When sanding along the edges, be careful with a power sander – it can easily take off the concrete down to the old counter on the corners or edges.

After the concrete has cured (the box will state the exact cure time), it can be finished. There are a couple of options here including sealing it for a natural concrete look or painting it. I decided to try out a method I’ve never seen used before, to blend sealing with “painting” in one.

Using Grout Colorant to “paint” Concrete Countertops

Grout colorant is designed to penetrate grout and change the color of it. This is exactly what I wanted for my concrete countertops – something that would penetrate the surface and lighten it up.

I decided to try out grout colorant to “paint” my concrete counter, and it worked, SO well! Here are the steps I took and how it turned out.

Grout colorant it sold at any home improvement store and comes in multiple colors that are typical grout colors (whites, creams, beiges, grays, black).

To apply the grout colorant, work in small sections and squeeze some of the colorant onto the surface. Then, use a toothbrush to swirl it in and across the surface evenly. Grout colorant does start to dry and tack up quite quickly, so be sure to work in small sections so it doesn’t dry in place.

I ended up using two coats of the grout colorant.  The images above show how it looked after just one coat.  I almost left it as is because I loved all the imperfections of the surface and the variations in color.  I’m sure I still would have loved it, but in the end I’m glad I ended up adding the second coat.

Here’s how it covered after the second coat.  There were a few places that I ended up adding a little more colorant too in a third application, but in the end, I still left some of the concrete color showing through.  If you wanted a pure white counter top, you could probably keep applying coats and get to that place, but I can’t make any guarantees because I haven’t tried it myself.

To give it a marble look, I used a bottle of dark gray grout colorant and mixed it with some white grout colorant to get varying shades of gray.

I lightly pulled a feather across the surface.  In some places, I flipped the feather over and in other places I pushed back just a bit so the line thickened out.

At this point, the lines were looking a little harsh to me, so I took a paint brush and lightly pulled it across the wet grout colorant.  Then, I dipped a thicker brush in the white, dabbed off most of it, and ran it across the gray lines in the opposite direction.  This smoothed and softened everything out perfectly.

Because grout colorant has a water resistant property to it, I didn’t seal it for the countertop surface. (I did seal the bowl, but in hindsight, I wouldn’t recommend using concrete on the inside of sink bowl to start with. I explain more on this below.)

The grout colorant does a great job at repelling water droplets and can be cleaned up easily. It essential sealed up the concrete and gave it color all in one step. It gives a smooth, silky texture that held up very, very well on the top of my countertop.

The concrete underneath gives it a rustic, imperfect look, which I absolutely love.  You can see little grooves and notches when you look close.

How Long Does a Skim Coat Concrete Countertop Hold Up?

We used this concrete coated vanity top for five years, and it got a lot of use. This is our main bathroom, and it’s basically the only sink the family uses. In those five years, there were no scratched, dents, chips of the concrete or fading of the grout colorant on the surface of the countertop.

Unfortunately, the concrete did not hold up as well inside the bowl of the sink and I would not recommend using a skim coat concrete layer inside your sink bowl.

After less than a year, I noticed the concrete near the drain outlet starting to break away. The water was penetrating and degrading the adhesion to the original surface. My best guess is that it just couldn’t stand up to the constant water pooling near the drain outlet.

(Note: When I applied the concrete, I removed the drain completely in order to apply the concrete underneath the fixture. I then applied plumber’s putty underneath to hopefully keep it sealed, but it just didn’t end up working long term. I also don’t think it would work to apply the concrete without removing the drain either, so I would just recommend not to use this skim coat concrete technique in a sink bowl.)

This bathroom makeover on a budget ended up lasting us eight years! Although the inside of the sink bowl did not, the rest of the DIY concrete countertop did hold up very well until I was ready to completely remodel it.

I completely gutted the space and gave it an entirely new look – all with DIY power! You can see that full modern bathroom reveal here.

The post Installing DIY Concrete Countertops with a Feather Finish appeared first on Refresh Living.

It’s easy to make a DIY raised garden bed by starting with a old piece of furniture. This version uses IKEA bins that work perfect for short rooted plants like salad greens, but you could also cut holes to fit larger pots for deep rooted flowers or vegetables.

This post was originally published in 2017 and was updated in 2024.

My brother and sister-in-law offered me this solid wood sofa table. I almost passed on it because I didn’t really want to refinish it as a sofa table, plus I had no room in my overcrowded garage.

After seeing the height of it, and seeing some waist height raised garden beds at the home improvement store, I realized I could make this into a little raised planter. 

How to Add Planting Containers

I started with two IKEA bins that I stole from my kids’ basement storage racks. Now, these bins are quite shallow, so only certain vegetables, like salad greens, would grow well in them.

You could also use galvanized bins, which tend to be deeper, or even clay or plastic flower pots, to grow other vegetables or flowers.

Drill holes into the bottom of the container so the soil can properly drain.

Trace the bottom of the bins on the top of the table. This will give the smallest perimeter of the bin so the lip will sit over the edge and hold the bin in place.

If you use flower pots or galvanized tubs, trace the bottom of the bin and then flip the bin over and lightly trace (in pencil) the top of the bin. When cutting the holes in the next step, be sure to cut between these lines so the bin can sit in the hole without falling through.

Use a circular saw (for straight cuts) or a jigsaw (for curved cuts) to cut holes in the top of the table. 

This table had a small drawer, but since the bins were going to be lower than the drawer, I had to remove the drawer. I just sawed off the drawer pieces from the front, and then wood glued and nailed the front plate in place from both the top and the bottom.

How to Paint Outdoor Wood Furniture

In order for wood furniture to withstand the elements of being outside, it’s important to use a paint that is made for exterior use and to properly prepare the piece for painting.

First, sand the wood with 220 grit sandpaper. This scuffs up the surface and helps the paint adhere. For adding sticking power, use an exterior grade wood primer.

I did not use primer on this table and the paint held well for about two years. (I stupidly left the table out for one entire winter, and after that the paint started peeling. If I had brought it inside, the paint would have lasted longer.)

Either way, if you want your paint to adhere very well, I’d suggest taking the extra step to prime it first, before painting. Or, you can use a chalk paint (which sticks very well) and then seal it with an exterior grade clear coat.

I used DecoArt Outdoor Living paint which is rated as an exterior paint. You can also use any exterior house paint from the hardware store as well for the paint color.

My two oldest love to paint, so they helped me paint all parts of the table (including the underside to help it withstand any water). I applied three coats to help with durability.

The table sits under a small roof overhang, so it does get wet, but it’s still somewhat sheltered. The paint stayed in tact for the first and second year, but then when I forgot to pull it inside over the winter and it sat in the snow, the paint started chipping and the edges of the cut part of the table started taking in water.

If I were to do it again, I would primed and I would have applied Flex Seal or water penetrating sealer along the interior cut edges of the table to help it last longer.

The bunnies left these greens alone, so I’m guessing the table was high enough off the ground to keep them away.

Want to make sure you don’t forget about this idea?  Pin it for later!  (Many thanks!)

Do you like to refinish furniture?  Check out my post about the best kind of paint for furniture.

Here are a few other gardening DIY projects:

• 

  Reuse an Old Table as a Raised Garden Planter

• 

  Attach a Fence to a Raised Garden Bed – Easy DIY

• 

  How to Build Raised Garden Beds

• 

  Best Raised Bed Soil – DIY Blend!

• 

  DIY Indoor Greenhouse Cabinet

• 

  DIY Raised Garden Bed – Easy Build!

The post Reuse an Old Table as a Raised Garden Planter appeared first on Refresh Living.

Gallery walls are a great way to curate the photos, painting and items that make you smile all in one focal area on a wall. But, with so many items to be hung up, there are plenty of opportunities for mess ups (and extra holes) when trying to lay out the items.

I started using this process to plan and install my gallery walls and it’s saved me so much time and frustration when it’s time to hang everything up on the wall. I now use it every time I hang more than one item on a wall at a time, and it works well, every time!

This post was originally published in 2017 and has been updated in 2024 with a step by step tutorial and additional images.

How to Design a Gallery Wall

After collecting all your items, the steps in this section will help you to visualize the arrangement of items without needing to hang them on the wall yet.

Scroll through the photos to see the step by step process on how to arrange a gallery wall. Or, read the steps below the photos.

1. First, measure the area of your wall space and mark if off on the floor. Arrange the frames on the floor space in the way you’d like them to hang on the wall. This is a great way to visualize how all the items will look together. Feel free to move things around now to get the perfect layout!
2. Take a picture and use this as your guide for laying out the frames on the wall.
3. Then, trace each frame and object onto a piece of wrapping paper or kraft paper.
4. Mark an “X” on the piece of paper where the hanging bracket(s) are located.

How to Hang a Gallery Wall

The goal when hanging a gallery wall is to only make the number of holes needed for the number of frames you have to hang up. The planning we did in the prior steps will help us from having to rearrange and move things around because they were hung in the wrong spot.

Scroll through the photos or read the steps for an easy way to hang a gallery wall right, the first time!

1. Tape the pieces of wrapping paper on to the wall, using the photo you took of the frame layout on the floor as a guide. You can use a level here to make a straight top line, or simply measure off of the height of the ceiling.
2. Use firm pressure on a ball paint pen to mark the center of each “X”. The indentation and mark will penetrate through the paper, leaving the point where you can install hangers.
3. Remove the paper from one frame and use a small nail, command hook, or other hanging bracket to install it at the dot you marked. You can hang the frame right at this point to keep the visual going as you hang each one.
4. Continue remove one paper at a time, installing the bracket, and then hanging the frame or object.

I’ve used this process on a few different gallery walls over the years, and it has worked well, every time!

DIY Gallery Wall Inspiration

To make a gallery wall, you don’t necessarily need to go out and buy matching sets of frames. There are so many different options for how a gallery wall can come together, and they don’t have to cost much at all.

I love reusing old frames or shopping the thrift store for unique frames to use in my gallery walls. If you want a cohesive look, simply paint second hand frames all in the same color and they’ll look like they came together!

These frames were all found at thrift stores and spray painted gold to match together. Laying the frames out in a perfect rectangle I taped on the floor made it possible to get the spacing correct between the different sizes.

This wall was part of my budget friendly living room makeover filled with second hand vintage finds. All the frames are different, but I love the way they look together.

This gallery wall in my girls’ shared bedroom was made with thrift store frames all painted in white and filled with wrapping paper inserts. It gives the look of wallpaper without the cost!

I printed vintage clip art images on to dictionary pages and made rectangular gallery wall for my daughter’s vintage classroom nursery.

And this was the gallery wall that started it all! It’s no longer in our home (because there’s a staircase now right in front of this wall), but the “small houses” quote is still on the wall to the left leading up the stairs, and the cross is on the wall to the right! Here’s how I made that wood cross from an old cedar fence picket.

I hope this post was helpful to you in making your own gallery wall. No fancy tools or tricks required – just a roll of wrapping paper!

The post How to Make a Gallery Wall (Easy DIY Tutorial) appeared first on Refresh Living.

I love Hobby Lobby, but I find myself getting irritated by the cheap wood signs they sell that are all knock offs of original designs created by artists and creators.

Instead of buying a sign that everyone else has in their home, I prefer to make my own original DIY wood signs that are unique to my family and home.

This post has information on how to build a wood sign that can be perfectly painted with a design, lettering, or a quote, even if you have awful handwriting or minimal artistic abilities!

These signs have a base of white or black with contrasting lettering and a small wood frame around the perimeter.

How to Make a Wood Sign with a Wood Frame

There are two options for making your own signs with quotes. You can use a base of 1/4″ plywood or a base of 1/2″ plywood. The base is the wood you will paint your background color (usually white or black).

1/4″ Plywood Base

This plywood is thinner, which makes it the cheaper and lighter option. It’s easy to find small (or large) pieces) at all home improvement stores.

Because it’s so thin, you’ll need to add a few pieces of wood on the back for reinforcement and so the wood frame has something to attach to. You can’t nail into 1/4″ well and will stability.

1/2″ Plywood Base

This plywood is thicker, which makes it more expensive and heavier. It’s easy to find at all home improvement stores.

Because it is thicker, there’s no need to add any extra wood to the back. The frame pieces can be nailed directly into the plywood.

I prefer to use 1/2″ plywood when making smaller signs, because it’s easier (one less step) and the weight isn’t a factor.

When making large signs, I use 1/4″ plywood. This helps cut down on extra cost and weight that’s just not necessary.

Supplies Needed to Make Wood Framed Lettered Sign

1/4″ Plywood Base

• 1/4″ sanded plywood, cut down to the size you’d like to make your sign
• 1″ x 2″ boards – 2 pieces, cut to the longer side of your plywood panel (these reinforcement boards for the back, so they can be cheap pine – no one will see them once it’s hung up)

1/2″ Plywood Base

• 1/2″ cabinet grade plywood, cut down to the size you’d like to make your sign

Additional Supplies:

• 1 x 2″ wood boards (for the frame of the sign)
• 1″ and 1.5″ trim nails
• hammer (or you can use an air nailer, if you have it)
• stain and/or paint
• paint pen (here are my favorite ones for making signs)
• computer and printer

Make the Base Panel of the Sign

You’ll start by making the base of your sign.  

Cut the Plywood

If you don’t have table saw, circular saw or jigsaw at home, employees at some home improvement stores will cut down pieces of plywood to the exact size you’d like, or they also sell smaller pieces (I’ve seen 24″ x 24″ or 48″ x 24″).

Home improvement stores sell both 1/4″ and 1/2″ plywood.  Recently, I’ve noticed that craft stores are carrying 1/4″ plywood panels as well (however, I have not seen 1/2″ panels sold at craft stores).

1/4″ Plywood Sign:  In order to be able to nail the wood frame into the panel, you’ll need to add a little extra to the back. Cut down two 1×2″ boards to the same length as the longer side of the plywood.  

Apply glue to the 1×2″ boards and nail (with 1″ nails) them to the back of the panel, by nailing through the front of the plywood panel.  You can use wood filler to fill in the holes on the front of the sign, if you’d like.

1/2″ Plywood Sign:  Because 1/2″ plywood is thicker, you don’t need to nail the 1×2 frame boards to the back.  All you need to do is cut your piece of 1/2″ plywood to the size of your sign.

Paint the Base of the Sign

Paint the smooth side of the piece of plywood with your base color. Most of the time I see signs with a white background and black lettering or a black background with white lettering, but this a custom sign, so you get to pick your colors!

If you want to paint your sign white, I’d recommend priming it first with a stain blocking primer, so the knots from the wood don’t eventually bleed through.

Design, Print and Paint Lettering for the Sign

You can use a pre-made design or design your own lettering using a free graphic design program like Canva or Picmonkey.

Then, you can transfer the printed image to your wood using this technique on how to transfer letters to wood. The post also has directions on how to enlarge lettering for a large wood sign!

After transferring the design, paint over the outline using paint pen or acrylic paint and a brush.

Attach the Wood Frame

After the paint or stain dries and you paint on the lettering, you can attach the wood frame.

You can use any kind of wood for this step. I find pine boards to work well as an inexpensive option. Oak wood is very pretty for frames as well, but does cost more. Or, save money and rip down an old cedar deck or fence board or other 1″ thick left over scrap piece of wood for a more rustic look.

First, decide on the corner joints of your sign. You can create mitered corners at 45 degree angles or simply overlap the corners. (Both options are very easy, but the overlapping frame corners is easiest because it requires straight cuts.)

You can stain the boards, add a coat of clear coat, or leave the wood raw depending on the look you want to create.

Attach the Wood Frame to Sign

Once the frame pieces have dried, it’s time to attach them to your back panel.

1/4″ Plywood Base

Use wood glue and 1.5″ nails to attach the longer frame boards into the reinforcement board you added to the back. Add a nail every 2 inches or along those two sides.

For the shorter sides, you will only be able to nail into the top and bottom of that frame piece (because that’s the only place where the reinforcement board will be).

1/2″ Plywood Base

If you use 1/2″ plywood for your sign base, just nail the frame right into the side of the plywood on all sides.

After it’s all put together, it’s ready to hang on the wall! Use saw tooth picture hangers or d-ring hangers as hanging brackets attached to the back of the frame.  This kit contains both d-ring hangers and sawtooth hangers!

I LOVE using this easy DIY framing technique on handmade signs, but it can also be used to frame canvas artwork as well! Scroll to see a few projects where I’ve used it –>

The post How to Make a DIY Wood Sign with Perfect Lettering appeared first on Refresh Living.

Have you ever tried to freehand draw a specific font or design you loved? Does it ever turn out the way you’d like? I’ve tried many times, and my attempts never came close, so I gave up trying and instead use these tricks on how to transfer letters to wood.

The result is a painted DIY wood sign (or any other surface) with beautiful handwriting that perfectly matches the font or design I started with.

In this post you’ll find a step by step tutorial on how to transfer printed text so it can be painted. Plus, I’ll share details on how to enlarge a design to transfer to a large surface for painting.

Once you know this trick, you can make your own custom wood signs with perfect lettering!

Design the Lettering (or find a design)

You may have a pre-made design that you are looking to transfer, or you can also create your own sign lettering by using a free graphic design program like Canva or Picmonkey.

Once you have your design or lettering ready, print it out (if it’s already the correct size) or follow the directions below to enlarge the graphics for a larger project.

(If you don’t need to change the size of your design, skip ahead to the next section on how to transfer letters to paint.

Enlarge the Lettering/Design (if needed)

If the object you are transferring to is smaller than a sheet of paper, you can print your jpeg image onto a standard 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper.  However, if you are making a large sign, you will need to enlarge the image and print it on multiple pages.

I’ve found the easiest way to enlarge a jpeg image across multiple pages is to use the Windows program called Paint.

1. Open your image in Paint by clicking File -> Open
2. Click File -> Print -> Page Setup
3. Select portrait or landscape, depending on the orientation of your surface
4. Measure the size of your piece to be painted and figure out how many pages you’ll need across the top and how many pages you’ll need down the side
5. Enter those numbers in the Fit to box and click OK
6. Click on File -> Print to print the image

Alternately, you can also adjust the percentage to match the size you need.

1. Click the Adjust to toggle button
2. Type in a percentage to expand your image
3. Use the preview image on the left side of the screen as a guide for how large it will be.
4. To see a full preview of how the image will print across the pages, click OK. Then, go to go into File -> Print -> Print Preview.
5. Click on File -> Print to print the image

After printing, you’ll need to trim the edges on half of the sides so the letters match up across the pages.  A little bit of tape between the pages holds it together to start transferring the graphic to your sign.

Transfer the Printed Graphic

There are four different ways to transfer printed images and fonts on to another surface. For wood signs, my favorite method is the chalk transfer method, but any of these other DIY transfer techniques will also work.

1. Use the side of a piece of chalk and rub it over the back side of the printed paper.
   • If you’ll be transferring the design to wood, white chalk works best.
   • If you’ll be transferring the design to anything white, use yellow or colored chalk.
2. Flip the paper over (printed side up) and lay it on your piece of wood (or other surface). Use a dull pencil to trace over the lettering with pressure (this is transferring the chalk to the surface).
3. Lift the paper after you’ve traced the design and you’ll find a chalk outline of the image.
4. Paint over that chalk with a paint pen or a small brush and paint.

I find it’s much easier to paint clean, neat lettering using a paint pen. I almost always use a paint pen and have different widths to fill in different sizes of letters and patterns.

For very large, block letters to fill in, I outline the letter in paint pen, and then use acrylic paint to fill it in. (Just be sure to use a gloss paint, because most often paint pens have a glossy sheen.)

I’ve used this technique countless times and it works beautifully every time! Scroll –> to see the projects and click to view the full tutorial.

To create a wood sign, you can paint on leftover scrap wood or reclaimed wood, or make a DIY sign with a wood frame using plywood. I have a full tutorial on how to make a wood sign with lettering.

I hope this tutorial on how to transfer lettering to wood was helpful! There are so many custom upcycled projects waiting to be created with this technique. Let me know what projects you use it on!

The post How to Transfer and Paint Letters on Wood appeared first on Refresh Living.

The creative uses of wood fretwork are endless! They can be installed on an entire accent wall, on a section of the wall as a feature element, or up on the ceiling. There are many different patterns and sizes which all create varying looks when used throughout a space.

Plus, you can choose between different wood species and then stain them to a color of your choice. Or, fretwork panels are also available in paint grade material for easy painting.

I used these panels to create ceiling fretwork in my DIY bathroom remodel, but the installation process is the same for installing on walls as well.

In this post, I’ll share the steps on how to add this decorative DIY element to your own home!

This post contains affiliate links. Please feel free to read my full disclosure policy.

What is Wood Fretwork?

Fretwork is a type of design that interconnects intricate details in a geometric pattern. Wood Fretwork panels are made out of a variety of different species of wood or even PVC. Most wood panels are laser cut from 1/4″ or 3/8″ thick plywood with stainable thin wood veneer on both sides.

Decorative fretwork panels can be installed in both large and small areas to add a dramatic feature to any project. I’ve seen them used above mantels, on feature walls and in smaller art pieces as well.

After seeing how cool they look in a room, I decided to try using them on my ceiling. If you’re planning to update a ceiling in your room in a unique way, this post combines 24 other creative ways to design a ceiling.

Follow the simple installation tutorial below to add these wood panels to a wall or ceiling in your home!

Materials Needed

• Wood fretwork panels (I used large Hampton panels in Red Oak, but Birch is a more budget friendly wood grade option)
• painter’s tape
• 2 inch brad nails and nail gun
• circular saw, rotary tool with wood blade, jigsaw or table saw
• Loctite Construction Adhesive

Steps to Install Fretwork Panels

Installing wooden fretwork in your home is a very “DIYable” project that can easily be completed in a few steps.

1. Plan layout of the panels

First, measure the width and length of your wall or ceiling. Then, measure the length and width of your fretwork panels (most will have the same width and length because the pattern is repeatable). Use this measurement to plan out the best layout for your space.

You don’t necessarily need to center any of the panels (because the pattern repeats). Instead, try to plan out the best placement for your end cuts to fall. (For example, if I can plan for the cuts to fall halfway through some of the panels, I can reuse the other half somewhere else.)

Because I am such a visual person, I actually taped off the dimensions of my bathroom ceiling on my living room floor. Then, I configured the panels to determine the best layout. I measured the placement of one of the panels near the center of the design from the edges of the panel to the walls.

Then, I went back into my bathroom and measured the distances from each wall to the placement of that panel and marked it with some pencil marks.

2. Stain, seal or paint the panels

Most of the time, it’s best to finish the fretwork pieces before installing them. You can stain the wood fretwork to add color and/or seal them for protection. Do this before installing them to avoid getting stain or sealer on your walls or ceiling.

The only time you wouldn’t need to finish the panels first would be if you are painting the panels the same color as the wall or ceiling. In this case, you can you a sprayer (or brush, but it will take a lot longer) after the panels are attached.

In my bathroom, I used four coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal on the front, back and sides of every panel. This step was, by far, the most time consuming step in the project. However, I wanted to make sure to protect every part of the panel from the moisture exposure of a bathroom with a shower.

(Arm-R-Seal is my favorite water-resistant sealer that doesn’t add much sheen. I use it on tabletops because it penetrates the pores of the wood creating a very resistant finish without the added shine that other water repelling sealers would create.)

Update: This wood ceiling in our bathroom has been installed for a year and half. Being that this is our main bathroom, it’s used for at least 4 showers a day. So far, we’ve had absolutely no moisture issues on the wood whatsoever.

3. Find and mark studs or joists

Use a stud finder to locate the studs in the wall or the joists in the ceiling. Mark the studs with painter’s tape in a few sections along the length of the stud.

I prefer to use painter’s tape as opposed to a chalk line or pencil mark because fretwork panels do not cover the entire ceiling. Therefore, some of those lines will still be showing after install and they’ll need to be cleaned up.

Removing little pieces of painter’s tape is WAY easier!

4. Install wood fretwork on ceiling or walls

Install one of the panels near the center of the wall or ceiling first. Just make sure to install it level with each of the walls (if installing on the ceiling) or level with the floors and walls (if installing on the wall).

The reason I used this method instead of installing straight off one wall is because my ceilings/walls are just not straight. I actually tried to do it this way and ran into a problem.

After installing a couple of panels, they were not lining up flush with each other and the wall. This resulted in gaps between some of the panels that kept getting worse (because I was installing of an un-square wall).

Once I installed one of the middle panels first and then worked my way out, my panels installed much cleaner and more evenly. Then, I measured my cuts when I got to the last piece to install next against the wall. Lesson learned – at least for this particular room!

Use a brad nailer with 2 inch nails to attach the panels to the ceiling into the marked studs or joists.

There will be some places where the panels will only fall into one stud. In these areas, use a dab of Loctite adhesive on the corners that don’t hit a stud. You can use painter’s tape to hold the panel in place until the adhesive sets.

I tried to use this adhesive as little as possible to avoid trouble removing the panels later. Just try to make sure you put a couple of nails in all the places that fall on studs to keep the panel secure.

5. Make cuts as needed

The panels will need to be cut at the end of the wall or ceiling, as well as around and outlets, light fixtures or fans.

For long straight cuts (like along the wall), I found my table saw to work the best. You could also clamp the wood to a piece of scrap plywood or foam board and use a circular saw to make straight cuts.

For smaller cuts (around the vent fan and light hole), I used my small rotary tool with cutting blade attached. Be sure to clamp the wood to the surface right by the place you need to cut so the panel doesn’t move around.

If you like the idea of using wood to add interest to a room, this post shows how I used beadboard from an antique milk barn on the ceiling in a different bathroom, and how to install faux shiplap paneling on the wall.

If you end up using these fretwork panels on your next DIY project, let me know in the comments or send me a photo on social media or through email! I’d love to see how it can be used in other spaces.

The post How to Install Decorative Wood Fretwork Panels appeared first on Refresh Living.