Front Entrance: Spring Fever Edition with Para Paints

 The anticipation is over. . . it’s finally here!

For those that may not know, the PARA Blog Crew have been secretly working away to surprise you with 5 awesome paint projects in honour of Spring!  You may view each crew member’s projects at the end of this post by clicking the links provided + don’t forget to join our link party!

For this spring paint challenge, I took the opportunity to perk up my front entrance.  I had an itch to accessorize  and brighten this small space for quite a while now. With my ‘front’ closet being no where near my ‘front’ door, I needed a storage solution that was both function yet stylish for all those front-entry necessities.

This paint project consists of two steps. My first step begins with a bench that my hubby and Big Joe built for me.  Constructed out of 2×4’s and 2×6’s this bench was made to fit the nook right beside my front door.

As you know, I love the charm of  worn, aged rustic furniture so it’s no surprise when it comes to painting this bench I wanted to mimic that effect.  To best achieve this look, I used two different wood stains in a subdued colour palette.

(note: I’m no expert when it comes to using stains so this basically was a trial and error process for me, hence the lack of pictures during the staining process). 

I started off with a semi-transparent stain in artichoke (PARA Paints, ST23) and covered the majority of the bench with two coats of this stain leaving some spots untouched.

A few hours later, I went over it with a translucent stain in natural grey (PARA Paints, RC3).   I used one coat of this stain to achieve a lighter pale look.

With a rag, I wiped off the parts of the natural grey where I wanted more of the artichoke stain to show through. I continue darkening other spots and even combining the two stains to create the look of an uneven paint job. The stains were very easy to work with.

I let the bench dry overnight.

The next day I gave the bench a light sanding on all the areas that would see the most contact from touching (ie: edges, top of bench, raised areas) to further complete the worn out look. I loved how the colour turned out.

]

Step two: Create a focal point on the wall using a painted pattern

On my existing wall colour, I used painter’s tape to create a pattern of 4″x4″ boxes.  After taping up my wall, I though to myself “how cool would the boxes look with an ombre effect”.

Good idea right?! Of course…. if it wasn’t a last minute decision and had I actually picked out the PARA paints colours.

Jumping the gun once again, I took matters in my own hands and grabbed left over paint cans to make my own combination of colours for this ombre effect. Big mistake. I found out the hard way—mixing your own colours just doesn’t work.

So I had to repaint all my boxes. I ended up using Spring Saige (PARA Paints, PF40, the same colour from my DIY pendant lighting).  Although, it would have been a lot cooler to have an ombre wall, the Spring Saige looks just as good. It has this cool glowing effect when the sunlight hit it.

Next I accessorized.  I added crates for miscellaneous stuff, a basket for keys/mail and I even added cushions for comfy sit.  Needless to say my spruced up front entrance might just be my new favourite spot.

Now for the fun part! Be sure to click each of these links below to see what the PARA Blog Crew created for their spring project!

On to the Party!

We want to see what you’re up to!  It’s time to link up your latest and greatest Spring projects.  You have one week from today to submit your entries. I look forward to seeing all your creativity!