{what’s on thibaut’s best sellers list?}

If you’re not familiar with Thibaut, they offer over 50 books in their wallpaper library. Each collection contains a distinct group of designs by themes such as traditional, nautical, stripes or toile. Also, included in the offering are papers, vinyls, natural textures, and lovely fabrics.

Here are the top four patterns from their best-selling book Texture Resource Vol. 3:

Tuscany Leather

{tips for painting large spaces}

So you’re ready to paint the largest room in your house? Great! The paint experts at Hirshfield’s love tackling large painting projects, and they love helping customers do the same! So if you find yourself standing in front of a large blank canvas in your house, stop in to your local Hirshfield’s and let the experts share their advice. Mike Adochio, from Hirshfield’s in West St. Paul, shared some of his best large-scale painting tips with me to get us started.

How much paint should I buy for my large room?
The average gallon of paint should cover about 350 square feet. This will vary based on a few factors:

• How much texture is on the walls: The more texture the less square footage you will get out of the gallon.
• When was the last time said area was painted: A “dry” wall will soak in more paint vs. a wall that was more recently painted. New drywall should be primed with a drywall primer first. Using primer will help increase the amount of area the paint will cover.

Should I use a paint sprayer or paint roller?

Wooster Brush

For applying the paint, I would never use a sprayer unless there is nothing in the room. Meaning no trim or floor to deal with.  A sprayer will require much more prep then brushing and rolling. You will have to mask off every area in order to make sure that the paint will not overspray on it.  The time that you may save will be lost in the prep and clean up. Remember, painting is not a race!