Upgrading your home every now and then is a great way to keep your home décor up-to-date and modern. You don’t necessarily have to undertake expensive home improvement projects to make your home look more presentable or attractive. You can try numerous DIY home improvement ideas or hire a general contractor to take care of things for you. Below is a list of some general home improvement tips that are sure to help you modernize your home with the least possible investment.

Hang Curtains
One of the best ways to improve the appearance of your living space is by hanging curtains. Adding curtains to the windows will instantly give your home a finished, cozier, and a homier look and feel. There are innumerable ways of using curtains. You can either opt for full-length curtains or short curtains that only cover the windows. You can opt for single, solid-colored curtains, or funkier and more colorful, printed curtains. It all comes down to your preferences and what goes the best with your existing home décor. Hanging curtains will immediately add more appeal to your home’s décor.

Hanging curtains is one of the simplest and cheapest home improvement ideas. However, there are plenty of other ideas that you can try.

Get a Fresh Coat of Paint
Both exterior painting and interior painting of your home are important for improving the overall appearance of your home. Hiring professional painters every few years to get a fresh coat of paint is a great way to keep to your home looking neat and attractive. You may get the same color repainted or choose to get a new color every time if you wish.
If you live in North Carolina, looking for the best commercial and residential house painters in Raleigh and Wake Forest NC areas will ensure that your paint job goes a long way!

Change Fixtures
Another way you can improve the appearance of your home is by changing the fixtures. If you’re on a tight budget, you may not have enough resources to get a major home revamp. What you can do is replace old cabinet handles and kitchen and bathroom faucets with newer and modern designs. You can also replace your old lights with fancier ones. It will improve the aesthetics of your home and will help you achieve a more modern-looking home at a fraction of the cost.

Update Your Appliances
Another effective home improvement tip is to upgrade your appliances. Replace your old stove and oven and dishwasher, and get yourself a better looking, more energy-efficient model. Upgrade your laundry room with an energy-efficient washing machine. Newer models of appliances are not just energy-efficient, but are also pretty good-looking! It helps you save on costly home improvement and get a more modern home in a much smaller investment.

Work on the Flooring
You don’t necessarily have to get new flooring in order to make your living space look better. You can always get your existing floors polished, or you can add attractive rugs and carpets. Improving the way your floor looks can literally transform how your home looks!

Closing Word
Home improvement doesn’t always cost an arm and a leg. Following smart improvement tips can help you achieve the desired results with significantly lower investment.

If you want to start with getting your house painted and are looking for reliable paint contractors to undertake the job, you should give Creative Painting Systems a shot. Offering services in multiple locations, including Wake Forest, Youngsville, Rolesville, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Knightdale, it is probably the only company where the owner is at every job site. Whether you’re looking for commercial painters or residential painters, or power washing and pressure cleaning services, Creative Painting is your place to be!

Preparing your home for interior painting is much more demanding than exterior painting as you need to cover up items and move stuff around. To avoid unnecessary hassle when getting your home ready for a paint job, make sure you follow a structured plan. Here’s how you can do that.

Strip the Walls
Clear your walls and remove any and all paintings or wall art from them before the house painters arrive. Be sure to keep the removed items in a safe place outside of the work area. Consider wrapping them up in plastic sheets to keep them safe from dust and grime. If you do not intend to re-hang the wall art in the same place, remove the nail or be sure to ask your painter to remove it so that the hole will get patched up before painting. If you need help removing the items from the wall, we will be happy to do this for you.

Move the Ornaments and Showpieces
Ornaments and fragile decor can easily break if not handled gently. Therefore, make sure you remove all the collectibles and decoration pieces and store them someplace safe. Cover them in a cloth or paper to keep them free of stains and scratches. You should pack up all decorations when you have enough time on your hands so that you don’t rush. Trying to wrap everything up hastily can lead to unfortunate mishaps.

Furniture
Creative Painting Systems will move your furniture for you. We will move the furniture to the center of the room or in an area out of the way, and we will cover your furniture with plastic wrap and tape to protect your furniture from any dust or paint. If you have any fragile or antique furniture that you would rather handle yourself, you can do so prior to the arrival of the painters.

Prepare your Walls
Most residential painters in areas such as Wake Forest, Raleigh, Rolesville, Youngsville, Knightdale, in North Carolina, offer these preparation services. However, some may not. So you must talk to your painters about it at the time of hiring. And if they do not offer the said service, then be sure you do it yourself before the painters arrive.

Make your life easy by preparing your home before getting your house painted. If you want to know more about painting in homes, then reach out to us today at Creative painting. We are the best residential house painters in Raleigh and Wake Forest, NC. Don’t take our word for it, check the testimonials on our website and see for yourself.

When it comes to beautifying your surfaces and adding to their protection against the elements, stain and paint are the two most popular and widely available choices. Both have their similarities in that they are both composed of pigments and as well as perform the same function. However, when assessing which of either you should apply to your surface, it is useful to know the difference between them as well as the distinct benefits and drawbacks each entails.

Stain
A stain is a finish that provides a transparent to solid look to the applied surface, allowing you to preserve the more natural look of it. A semi-transparent satin will show the grain of the wood, while a solid color stain will be opaque and you will not see the wood through it, but you will see the profile of the wood.

Stains are used for surfaces such as wood siding, cedar siding, wood fences, decorative wooden molding, and decking. Stains are meant to penetrate, seal, and cure on the wood without using a primer.
While stains are primarily used for wooden surfaces, certain products can extend to other materials as well such as concrete. In terms of viscosity, stains usually tend to be thinner than paint, making it more absorbent.

Pros

• Natural look
• Usually requires only one coat
• You will not need to prime the wood surface
• Can get it in any color

Cons

• Provides no choice in sheen 
• Quite absorbent so more of it required on some surfaces
• Stain cannot be used on composite materials unless using a gel stain on a fiberglass door

Paint
Paint is the better choice when the surface is a non-porous material such as fiber cement board or a composite surface, or any other previously painted or sealed surface. Paint can go on drywall, trim or any type of siding with the exception of cedar siding.

Because you have to factor in not just the price of paint but also of surface preservatives and primer, paint tends to be more expensive. . However, choosing to paint also grants you far greater choices, in both sheen, color, and even specialization for exterior painting or interior painting.

A painted surface is always opaque, completely hiding the natural look of it but you, in turn, benefit from a more uniform and more refined finish. On average, paint tends to be also more durable, less vulnerable to being stripped away from pressure cleaning, and typically lasting nearly 10 years longer than stain before requiring re-application providing you use a good quality paint, and the proper preparation and application is applied.

Pros

• More variety
• More durable
• More uniform finish

Cons

• Artificial look, no natural grain
• Costs more
• Can be harder to apply and the process takes longer when painting a bare wood surface (needs priming).

Creative Painting Systems is top-rated commercial and residential painters proudly serving clients from most parts of North Carolina including Wake Forest, Raleigh, Rolesville, Youngsville, and Knightdale. We take client satisfaction seriously and go above and beyond in providing a quality service; the owner is at every job site. For an estimate or any other query, call 919-435-6023.

Over time, dust and dirt can accumulate on your walls, making their paint look dull and unwelcoming. If you have children, perhaps fingerprints or crayons might get on your walls. Here are some tips to clean your painted walls to ensure your home or office surfaces retain their pristine look. In addition, it can help reduce costs by lessening the need for applying new paint. Here are some practical tips on how to maintain a paint job.

1. Know your Interior Paint Finish
Not all wall finishes are equal. Some are more resistant to the effects of moisture and abrasion while others can be highly vulnerable. Depending on your paint finish will determine the best method to clean your walls.

Semi-gloss or gloss paints are very cleanable. It is important to use the right cleaning tool for the right sort of paint. Care should be taken on what cleaners are being used when cleaning your walls. Certain detergents and cleaners can contain solvents that are highly corrosive to paint. Rather than a spotless surface, you could end up removing paint. It is best to clean your walls using warm water, a sponge and a mild cleaner, such as a dish detergent mixed in the water. Make sure your sponge is damp and not wet, and wipe away your stains. After you clean the stain, be sure to rinse the area and dry the wall before you move on to another area.

If your wall has flat, matte or eggshell paint, this paint is more vulnerable. The best thing to do is to first try gently rubbing the stain with a damp sponge. Wet your sponge with warm water and wring it out and gently rub the stain to see if this will work. If this doesn’t work, get yourself a magic eraser sponge, and most marks on the wall will come off like magic! Lightly rinse the wall down with a damp sponge and dry with a towel when done.

2. Power Wash the Exterior of your home yearly
Dirt, Mildew and Algae spores can accumulate on your siding and can cause damage to your paint. This can leave your siding vulnerable to the elements and cause damage to your siding, which can be costly to repair. Yearly cleaning of the exterior of your home can keep your paint finish looking new, last longer, and preserve your siding. Hire a recommended knowledgeable company who can do a gentle wash on your home while removing the dirt, mildew and algae spores.

3. Have a Regular Cleaning Schedule
The best way to prevent your paint job from becoming ruined is to clean it regularly, depending on the factors (e.g. whether it is indoors or outdoors, the weather, how often the paint gets touched, etc.). You should clean your interior walls regularly when you see it’s needed, and your home exterior surfaces should be cleaned every 12-18 months. In areas where pollen falls, it is best to wash your home exterior after the pollen is done falling, which is usually in May, or after. Your paint contractor may be best able to guide you on how often your paint job needs cleaning.

4. Address Cracks and Other Paint Issues Early
Cracks, peelings, and other paint issues should be remedied as soon as you take note of them. If left unaddressed, such issues can grow in size and greatly damage your paint job. They can also make your painted surfaces more exposed to the effects of moisture and other harmful elements.

Creative Painting Services is recognized as the best commercial and residential house painters in Raleigh and Wake Forest NC areas. Exterior or interior, commercial or residential, painting or cleaning, our extraordinary team of painters are more than up for the task and provide you with results that go beyond your expectations. To get a free quote on our services, feel free to call us on 919-435-6023 or contact us here.

According to most experts, homeowners should consider painting their houses every five to ten years. However, the number can vary, depending on the walls’ condition, locality, weather conditions, and the previous paint job.
The question is, why should you consider repainting your home? Well, read this blog post to find that out.

Reasons to Repaint Your House

1. Helps Increase Its Value
   This is increasingly important if you’re planning to sell your house. To ensure your property is sold at the best value, you may want to consider investing a little more into your house than you may already have. One of the best ways to increase your house’s worth, repaint it. Doing so will make your house appear new and fresh.
2. Elevate the Ambience
   Old painted exterior walls can give your house a gloomy, dreary look. Select paint colors that give out the feelings of warmth and affection in your house.
3. Removes Ugly Marks and Stains
   Over time, house interior walls tend to get dirty. They get stubborn stains from water, crayons, permanent markers, ink, and whatnot. You may also fail to remove these stains and marks off the walls. However, one way to turn your walls clean is by repainting them. Make sure you hire the best house painters for an effective paint job!
4. To Change the Look of Your House
   When remodeling or renovating your house, painting your walls anew is a crucial step. The choice of your paint color will largely depend on your room interior design idea. For example, if you want your room to be bold and upbeat, painting walls in bright colors such as pink or orange will help achieve your aim.

If you are currently a resident of Wake Forest, Raleigh, Rolesville, Youngsville, Knightdale, of North Carolina and are looking for painting contractors, consider the professionals at Creative Painting Systems.

If you feel that your room lacks a sense of excitement, a dose of unique colors, or a tinge of drama, accent walls are the perfect way to breathe new life into your room.

Accent walls are believed to be one of the easiest and most effective ways to create an absolutely standout living space. They help revamp and dress up your living space just enough to take it from dull and boring to exciting and colorful!

As tempted as you might be to create accent walls in your home, you should know that it can go horribly wrong if it’s in the wrong place or is sporting the wrong color.

Be it interior painting for your study room or exterior painting for your patio, there are many things that can affect the final look of accent walls. You certainly don’t just want to slap a bold, bright color on any random wall because that would simply ruin the overall feel of the space.

Follow these tips for creating the best-looking accent walls that will truly transform your living space.

Choose the Right Color
This is a no-brainer; the right color is of the utmost importance when choosing to create a feature wall in your home. Many homeowners are often tempted to go big, bright, and bold; however, that can simply overwhelm the space if it’s small and crowded. The key here is to choose a color that gives the space an overall cohesive look and feel. For example, you could play with those colors that already exist in the space. Perhaps, use a color from the curtains, pillows, and the furniture or simply go a few shades darker than the color of the other walls.

Select the Right Focal Point
An accent wall in the wrong place is simply inartistic and feels weird to the eyes. You should create the right focal point by selecting the right accent walls because it naturally draws attention to that particular area. If space already has a focal point, such as a built-in bookcase or a fireplace, this shouldn’t be a problem. If not, the best wall to accentuate is usually the one that’s farthest and shortest in terms of width.

Solid Walls Are the Ideal Choice
An accentuated wall looks and works best when it is solid. What this means is that it should be without any windows or doors. Choosing a clear wall as a feature wall enhances the entire space without anything getting in the way. For instance, if your accent wall has large windows or doors in the middle, it will end up distracting the look rather than enhancing it.

Make Sure Adjacent Walls Aren’t Providing Any ‘Competition’
An accent wall can go really wrong if any adjacent wall in the space is already too bold, loud, or draws attention to it. For example, if a wall in your bedroom has striking patterned décor or a dramatic artwork, creating an accent wall next to it will only create confusion and weird clashing of colors. Perhaps, you could seek help and assistance from house painters or residential painters in order to create the best accent walls.

If you happen to reside in Raleigh, Wakefield, Wake Forest, Youngsville, or other surrounding communities, contact the painting pros at the Creative Painting Systems. We provide you the best commercial and residential house painters in Raleigh and Wake Forest NC areas who will create the most beautiful accent walls in your home.

Choosing the right paint color for your walls can really help complement the overall looks of your home interior and make it look fresher. To help you decide which ones to choose for your home, here are 4 tips for selecting the right paint colors.

1. Browse the Internet for Ideas
The internet is a great place to pick up inspiration when trying to select the color palette for your interiors. Sites like Pinterest and Tumblr are a great place to get ideas on what colors and styles will work best for you and improve the ambiance of your rooms.

2. Stick to Neutrals
Unless you want to make your walls the main attraction of your interiors, it is better to always stick with neutral palettes. This ensures that your walls and other items in your room, such as your furniture, aren’t competing against each other in terms of attention, but rather complementing each other.
However, in some scenarios, bold colors can work terrifically well, such as in bathrooms where there are not too many items competing for attention. In such a space, the intensity of everything else besides the wall will tend to be neutral.

3. Buy and Use Testers
Testers will only cost you a few bucks but are extremely useful in helping you decide which colors will work best for your rooms. Use the testers to paint a large enough area in your room to assess how the light hits it at different times of the day and assess whether it is the right choice or not.
Using testers will save you from the costly mistake of spending a large sum on the wrong color. Additionally, the leftover can be employed to do touch-ups and other small-scale painting projects.

4. Choose the Right Sheen
Just as important as color is choosing the right finish or sheen for your paint. While there are different types of finish available, the three most common are matte, egg-shell enamel, and gloss enamel.
Matte finish has no shine to it, but is also the most difficult to clean. Use it for low traffic areas such as ceilings and adult bedrooms. Egg-shell enamel has a medium sheen to it and is relatively easy to clean. This makes it an excellent choice for interior places such as living rooms and kid’s bedrooms. Gloss enamel features an also glass-like sheen and is super easy to clean. This finish is ideal for your bathrooms, kitchen, and railings.

Understand the Color Dynamics
Different color combinations will have different effects on the ambiance of your interior. Colors close to each other, e.g. green and yellow, will allow one color to stand out more while colors opposite each other, e.g. red and blue, will nicely play off each other. Cool colors such as blue and green make the room appear larger and more spacious, while warm colors such as red and orange make it appear more vibrant.

If you are currently in need of professional painting service, consider the experts at the Creative Painting Systems. We can assist you with  How to Select Interior Paint Colors. For a free quote or any queries, feel free to call us at 919-435-6023.

Paint comes in a variety of types and finishes. Interior Paint should be latex paint. We usually use Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore paint products. Our most used paints are Sherwin Williams Resilience Exterior Acrylic Latex Paint, Sherwin Williams Duration Home Interior Acrylic Latex Paint, or Benjamin Moore Regal Select Interior Premium Paint. Most paints come in different finishes, so the finish you want may decide which paint you use.
As far as the sheen or finish you prefer, there are different levels of sheen which will have different benefits. If you are painting a high traffic area, like a playroom or kitchen, you would want to use a satin finish. A satin finish has easy cleanability and does not allow grease to absorb into the sheetrock, it stays on the surface of the paint and allows you to clean off. This is the same finish recommended for a bathroom as the water or steam won’t penetrate the paint.

If you like your finish not too shiny you can use an egg-shell or matte finish. For a finish that will let you wipe off walls without a having a shiny look, we would recommend Duration Home in a matte finish. The higher the shine of the finish, the easier it is to see wall imperfections, so that is something to consider when choosing a finish.

Selecting Colors
If you want a subtle and soothing look, you can stay with the same color throughout the main area of your home. Using a light gray or light beige or light gray/blue color throughout your main space will leave the house with an open and airy feeling, not darkening the space, and gives a calm and tranquil element to your home. It will also make your house feel lighter and more spacious. You can always add a pop of color on an accent wall, or use your curtains and pillows and accessories to add color to space.

If you are looking for a more vibrant look, go to your local paint supplier and look at colors. Painting with cool colors such as blues, greens and purples make small rooms appear larger and airier while colors such as reds, yellows, and oranges will give a room a more vibrant appearance. You can vary the warmth even with a red or yellow by choosing muted shades of those colors such as pink, peach or a buttery yellow. Always put a sample up on the walls before making your decision as to the lighting in your home and other variables might make these colors look different in your home.

To finish everything off, there is nothing like a bright, white semi-gloss trim. When painting trim uses a semi-gloss which will provide a contrasting brightness to the wall finish, adds a pop of shine and a more elegant look to the room.

If you choose to pass this project onto professionals Creative Painting Systems is one such name that offers the best services in town to all customers, regardless of their preferences. Contact them today!

2020 Predicted Colors of the Year

We’ve put together the top painting manufacturers’ color of the year for 2020.  

	Sherwin Williams Sherwin Williams Introduced their 2020  Color of the Year, Naval SW 6244.  Naval is a rich navy that creates a calm and grounding environment infused with quiet confidence. And while you may think Navy’s been done before – it’s never been done like this. Navy is coming out of its comfort zone with you. 2020 is an empowering year of change that focuses on bringing your best self into the new decade. The next 10 years pave the way for the wellness of the mind, body, and soul – a clean palette for self-nurturance. Giving a nod to Art Deco influences, Naval fuses the striking and bold opulence of Art Deco with the awe-inspiring power of nature – from the infinite night sky to the mysterious depths of the sea – bringing navy out of its comfort zone to usher in an empowering new year and a fresh decade of change. This deep shade evokes a prominent sense of confidence that fuses timeless color with a fresh mix of natural materials and textures that bring navy blue into a new era.
	Benjamin Moore Benjamin Moore has revealed its 2020 Colors of the Year, tapping First Light 2102-70, a soft, rosy hue, as its overall color of the year. Looking to explore the changing concept of home, this color was selected to work with the evolution of home as it moves away from “long-standing post-war ideals” and into a new era rooted in mixes of multigenerational and multifunctional spaces. “We selected First Light 2102-70 as our color of the year 2020 to represent new dawn of idealism, design, and living,” says Andrea Magno, Benjamin Moore’s director of color marketing and development. “First Light 2102-70 reflects a new definition of the home –a shift in mindset from the material to satisfying the core needs in life: community, comfort, security, self-expression, authenticity and, ultimately, optimism.”
	Behr At long last, we finally know Behr's 2020 Color of the Year: A beautiful light green called Back to Nature. The brand describes the color as "calm, gracious, and balanced," and a way to bring the outside in.  "Getting out there in nature also is known to have a huge impact, a positive impact, on our health and wellbeing," Erika Woelfel, Behr's VP of Color and Creative Services said at an event announcing the color. "It also has been shown to improve creativity, boost memory, improve your problem-solving skills." That's exactly why the brand chose Back to Nature: It's all about encouraging people to engage with the Great Outdoors.
	Valspar Earth’s prescription for the chaotic, busy lives we all live is to bring the tranquility of nature and the outdoor world into the home. That’s exactly what we set out to accomplish when forecasting the 2020 Colors of the Year,” says Sue Kim, Valspar Color Marketing Manager at Sherwin-Williams. “Take Mint Whisper, for instance. The crisp shade brings a sense of peace — and nature’s positivity — indoors.” Mint Whisper – This crisp hue brings a sense of peace — and nature's positivity — indoors.    The combination of mint and white keep small spaces feeling light and airy.
	Valspar Bombay pink - We have accepted and embraced pink into our homes. It is being considered a mature, colorful neutral and the perfect backdrop to our home interiors. The tactile blush shade evokes velvet, reminding us that we can still have fun in a sophisticated home. is a mature pink that is confidently cheerful like a spring sunset. It is a sophisticated pink that pairs well with gold accents.

If you are a resident of Wake Forest, North Carolina or nearby, Creative Painting Systems can do the job for you. We’ll help you choose the color and finish of your liking. Give us a call at 919-435-6023 to set up a consultation.

Your painted walls, just like any other part of your house, are susceptible to gathering dirt and dust on their surfaces. Keep them looking fresh and spotless by following these tips on how to clean painted walls effectively. 

The Pre-requisites 

Before you begin scrubbing away, it is important to know what kind of paint finish your wall features. The best washable paint finishes would be a satin paint,  or if you like less of a sheen, a high end matte such as Sherwin Williams Duration Home Interior Acrylic Latex paint. These finishes are acrylic latex paints and  are quite durable and can tolerate washing with soap and water.  Flat or lower grade matte finishes, on the other hand, are not as durable. The paint will rub  off if you scrub too hard or use an abrasive cleaner. 

Regardless, no matter what type of paint is on your walls, you should always dust them off before washing them. Consider attaching a brush to your vacuum and run it over the painted walls to remove surface dust and dirt. It is also important to use a soft sponge when washing so as not to scratch or rub off the paint. 

It’s Time to Get Cleaning

Latex Paint 

Latex Paint, also known as Acrylic paint, it is water-based wall paint. Because it is easier to work with and dries quickly, it is the most common type of paint used in interior walls and ceilings. To effectively clean latex painted walls, mix warm water with a non-abrasive cleaner. Dip a soft sponge in the mixture and wring it dry. Carefully rub the wall with the sponge, paying extra attention to doorknobs and switches, which get touched often. Rinse the sponge and repeat the process. 

Paintable finishes

If you are considering repainting your home to update or freshen  your wall color, and want to use a washable paint, consider the following.   

If you would like a bit of a sheen to your walls, you would use a satin finish.  A satin finish has a higher sheen than a matte, you will see a sheen looking straight at the walls or on an angle.  

If you would like a more flat finish but would like to be able to do a minor clean-up on it, you would need to use a high-end paint with a flat enamel finish. Most of the high-end flat enamel paints on the market today are scrubbable  (Sherwin Williams Emerald, Duration or Cashmere flat enamel for example) This finish will look more like a flat paint when looking straight at it, but will give you a slight sheen when looking at an angle.

For your trim, the best finish would be a semi-gloss or gloss, depending on the amount of sheen you would like.  Both of these are cleanable and would provide a nice contrast to the wall finish.

 Hire Us!

Not everyone can afford the time to paint their walls and do so properly. Creative Painting Systems can take care of your home painting needs for you and promises to deliver visual results that will exceed your expectations. To get an estimate or for any further details, feel free to call us at (919) 435-6023. 

If you live in Raleigh, NC  or Wake County, you can trust your home in the hands of licensed, trained, and accommodative paint professionals.  We can take care of your home and provide a solution for your home that meets all your painting needs.

We [Creative Painting Systems] painted the interior of a home. We are loving the new color! The house looks so much lighter and more open. The homeowner customized this color after many samples and searching and it paid off. Beautiful.

Testimonial from the homeowner: We cannot thank you enough! Your team has been phenomenal and very professional and we would not hesitate to recommend your company to our friends and family. You have described the transformation perfectly and it is a completely different house with the color we selected. 

– Tammy H.

Thank you Tammy, it was a pleasure serving you and your home. 

Consult a paint professional to get the job done right. If you reside in Raleigh or Wake County, you can rely on Creative Painting Systems to help you find the best solution for your home’s painted interior.

Ah, the holiday season…

The merriest time of the year filled with fond memories of time well-spent with friends, family, and other loved ones. It is also the time of maintaining family traditions and celebrating the season with joyous cheer.

Truly, there is no place like home, especially for the holiday season. But if you’re the host every year, there is no place like your home for the holiday season. Well, who doesn’t love having their loved ones around for Christmas, Hanukkah or whatever holiday you celebrate (or don’t). It’s the time you spend together that matters.

But behind the scenes of entertaining holiday guests are you, frantically cleaning the guest bedroom. It’s understandable that you want your guests to have a warm and comfortable place to rest their heads. Whether it’s mom ‘n’ pops, extended family or friends, if somebody is staying overnight, we have listed some tips for freshening up the guest room for the holidays.

Clean Away

Get to cleaning right away. Dance the decluttering dance, picking up everything that shouldn’t be in the guest room. Vacuum and/or mop the floors, dust the windows, doors, and furniture. Also, empty out a few drawers or make space in the wardrobe so your guests can hang or put away clothes if they need to.

The same goes for the bathroom.

Making up the Bed

Visit the local Target or Walmart to get some accent holiday-themed pillows and give the bedding a little makeover. Change the sheets and comforter cover, adding the pillows on top. You can also use winter-themes sheets or ones in holiday colors, etc.

Stocking up on Essentials

This involves putting a new box of Kleenex, cotton buds, body and hand lotion, an eye mask, etc. Do not neglect the bathroom. Stock up on extra toilet paper, more towels, and a few toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, face wash, etc.) in case they forget theirs or are traveling light.

Decorate Away

Now, this is the fun part of freshening up your guest room. Since it’s the holiday season, you know craft stores and other supermarkets will be full of holiday-themed decorations. From string lights to curtains, sheets, throw pillows, baubles, poinsettia flowers, and other small items, you have endless options. If you already have some in storage, it’s high time you pull them out and decorate away.

A Few Extras

Give everything a glance-over if your guests have special needs. For instance, if one of your guests uses a wheelchair, make sure everything is accessible to them. If you’re not sure about what they’ll need, you can simply ask your guests before they arrive to make sure they are comfortable during their stay.

If you are going to host kids, make their zone comfortable for them. Maybe you can leave stuffed animals or other toys on the bed to welcome them. You can also place some age-appropriate books and magazines on the bedside table.

Freshening up the Walls

Freshening up the walls is not always an option, especially if you start preparing right before the holiday season. But if you have the time, freshening up the walls with paint can transform the room. This can take a long time to do by yourself. Get a professional to do it for you so you can focus on other things to get the guest room and the rest of the house ready.

If you are a resident of Raleigh, North Carolina or nearby, Creative Painting Systems can do the job for you. We’ll help you choose the color and finish of your liking, finishing the job well before the time you start preparing the room for your guests’ arrival. Give us a call at 919-435-6023 to set up a consultation.

Bathroom remodels and renovations are not exactly cheap. In fact, Remodeling Magazine Cost vs. Value report published in 2019 suggested that the average bathroom remodel cost comes up to $20,420. Upscale renovations with more frills can raise the cost up to a whopping $64,743.  

Understandably, not everyone can afford this amount for just one bathroom. So does that mean you have to live with the unsightly bathroom for a long time?

No. There are some ways you can renovate your bathroom at a cheaper price point. These small changes can make a big difference, at least until you can save up enough money for a complete professional makeover.

Until then, the following tips for inexpensive bathroom renovations may prove useful:

Get Creative with the Counters

Granite and marble have been popular choices for bathroom and kitchen counters since the Hygge and minimal decoration style became popular thanks to Pinterest. However, these stones are very expensive.

There are two ways you can save on counters. The first way is currently on the rise of popularity, especially among DIY’ers. Instead of a counter, use an old dresser or vanity. The top can be cut off to make space for the sink. Interior drawers can be cut out to accommodate the plumbing. 

If you must have stone counters, get granite or marble with more imperfections. The more visible the imperfections - the cheaper the price.

Limit Tiles

Like stone countertops, tiles are expensive. The price goes up even more if you hire a contractor to lay down the tiles. When you’re renovating, limit the number of tiles you use. Focus on areas where they are a must; such as the floor and shower stalls.

Any decorative tiling can be used as accents along with basic, cheaper tiles.

Buy Used

eBay, Craigslist, and local thrift shops can be a goldmine when it comes to finding used bathroom fixtures. Bathtubs, sinks, toilets, shower stalls, and even faucets are available in excellent conditions.

Etsy and other places also sell repurposed and upcycled bathroom fixtures and accessories that you can be used.

Change the Décor

A deep clean and changing or adding some decorative items in the bathroom can also make a whole lot of difference. Change the mirror, add a painting, a plant, soap dispenser, etc.

Also, change the shower curtains, bathmats, hand towels, and bath towels. Try to find a theme and coordinate everything accordingly.

Redo

There are many things you can make work just by redoing, instead of buying new. For instance, shower fixtures, bathtubs, sinks, etc, can be cleaned, refinished for a completely new look.

Besides that, redoing and freshening up the caulk and grout on the floor and walls can make your floor new.

Paint, Paint, Paint

Lastly, one of the most effective ways to renovate or freshen up a room is a fresh coat of paint. There are so many surfaces in the bathroom that can be made anew by just repainting them a new color.

You can paint the walls and ceiling a neutral color to brighten up the room. You can match the cabinets and shelves to your chosen theme by painting them yourself.

If you have wooden floors in your bathroom and you can’t replace it with moisture-hardy flooring, you can have it painted with protective enamel.

Professional painters at Creative Painting Systems can help you with that. We understand that bathrooms require a bit more care while painting. From choosing the right finish to considering moisture issues, we’ll leave your bathroom looking new.

You can give us a call at 919-435-6023 and we’ll offer you solutions for your Raleigh, NC home.

When planning a painting project, the first thing to do is find the right painter.  Hiring the wrong painter can cost you money, time and resources. A professional painter needs to have a certain set of skills necessary so that the work can be done properly and safely.

Here are some things to look for when hiring a painter:

 1.  Do your homework – Do a google search to find local painters.Read their reviews and check on community message boards for recommended painters. Talk to your neighbors.  NextDoor is a good app to have to get real reviews from your neighbors on their painting experiences. This is a good way to find painters that you feel are best suited to give you an estimate.

2. Get 2-3 estimates. It is always good to have more than one estimate so you can make sure that something is not being missed, and make sure they are in the right ballpark pricewise.  Also make sure that each estimate is covering the same areas, same type of preparation, number of coats of paint, product of paint being used, etc. One estimate might look cheaper than another, but research might tell you that they are using an inferior paint, or only applying one coat of paint instead of two.  Make sure everyone is giving you a price for the same amount of work.

3. Check with the Better Business Bureau to see how long they are in business and if they have any reports of bad or inadequate service.

4. Make sure they can fit in your schedule. Keep in mind that sometimes it is better to wait for a painter that you feel is your best fit, than finding the one that can do it sooner.  Also, ask how long the project will take. You want to make sure that once they start the job, they stay with you until they are done, and not back and forth with other projects.

5. Make sure your painter provides you with their insurance certificate, and letters of reference from customers.

6. Whether your project is interior or exterior painting, ask questions about what they think is best for your home regarding the type of paint to use, or what application they use.  It is good to understand the depth of their experience and knowledge, and it might determine if they are the right fit for you. In addition, ask about the painters that will be coming to your home, how long they have worked for their company, how much experience do they have.  

7. When you have made your decision on which painter to use, the next step is looking for the perfect color for your project.  Ask your painter for a color chart to look at or ask them which supplier to go to look at for color samples. Put samples up to make sure it is what you want.  Sometimes a color on a chart will look much different on your home, based on lighting and other factors.

The right painters will understand all your requirements in detail and give you an unparalleled experience. Creative Painting Systems is one such name that offers the best services in town to all customers, regardless of their preferences. Contact them today!

The wall color is Anew Gray and the cabinets were painted Peppercorn. Both colors are by Sherwin Williams. Looks great!

Another freshly painted interior. Looks great! The color is Canvas Tan by Sherwin Williams.

This is a Benjamin Moore color called Morning Light. Here it is used in three different areas of the house, in three different lighting situations. It’s a nice light, happy color.

Okay, I am obsessed with our latest renovation! Extra White cabinets, Big Chill walls, new Calacatta quartz countertops and glossy white subway tile backsplash. Love! 

I just love the colors in this home we just painted! And all that trim! Beautiful.

This color is called Blanched Yellow and is from HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams.