Paint can be used for many different things. First of all, there is paint used for houses and interiors – that includes traditional timber oil as well as wall paint – and these types of pain come in big tubs. If you are renovating at home and you need to paint a wooden surface, you need to get this type of paint. But before you paint anything (especially wood), remember to clean it first with decking preparation. 

But, that’s not really the type of paint you are interested in, is it? You want to paint pictures and artwork yourself!  But if you are a complete beginner when it comes to painting it can be hard to know where to start. If that’s you, my best tip is to start with acrylic paints. 

Acrylic Paint 

This type of paint is not expensive and is easy for beginners to deal with. They are water-soluble, so it makes for easy cleanup, quick-drying and will give you a good all-around first paint experience.

It’s very common, especially as a new artist that is just starting out, to have a mental blank when you sit in front of the canvas. Therefore, a good tip is to think ahead and find some ideas of what you would like to paint. You can look on Pinterest for some ideas, or simply just google pictures and photos and try to recreate them on your own canvas. This can help stimulate your imagination and encourage you to start thinking visually.

Painting is not only for professionals. It can be a great past-time and a very calming and enjoyable hobby.

Don’t worry about being an amateur when painting, this happens to everyone who starts out. Even professionals were amateurs at one stage. Do you know the word amateur comes from amateur which means one who loves? This should give you a better feeling of being an amateur. Painting is done for enjoyment and my guess is that you’ll find yourself proud and sentimental of your work pretty quickly.

There may even be a time when you become more advanced in your painting, and decide that you might like to start selling your work. This can give you satisfaction, knowing that someone likes your art so much they are willing to pay for it.

In nursing homes and group homes, people join art classes not just to fill in time but to create their own masterpiece and enjoy the relaxation that painting can bring. Painting can also be very challenging, and you will find that at times you will be so absorbed in this hobby that time just flies by. If you join a painting group, you will find everyone is at the same level as you and that you are not alone when you face troubles like mental blanks and not getting something right.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or what stage in life you’re in; a painting can be really beneficial for people of all ages, including little children. I think it’s time for you to start painting something and wait for people to comment on your beautiful work! Then you can feel super proud when you point and say “I did that, that painting is my work”. Painting can be an escape into a new world of calmness. Painting even makes for a sentimental present for a wedding or birthday. You can work with pictures already drawn to get comfortable with different shades and mixing colours before you work on sketching and creating your own drawings from scratch.

If you don’t feel confident with painting, you can take one of one many lesson available, with an art teacher who can help you to learn the basics. Once you feel more comfortable, then you can move onto the next level and try more advanced methods. Enjoy paint shopping, picking out a nice canvas, choose your easel, your pallet and some wonderful bright colours to use. The best thing about painting is that you can paint your backyard, the beach, your family portrait or even whatever is sitting in front of you at the time.

Get your inspiration ready and see what you can create. You never know you could end up becoming the next famous painter! 

Not all renovations will give you a nice profit in the end when selling your home. There are some projects that will cost plenty more to do than what they will give you back in return. To make sure you know which ones are worth the trouble (and the $$), I’ve conducted thorough research to find the best solutions. Here are a few renovation and design trends that will give you the best return when you decide to sell:

Bathroom
There are two options here: you can either update the bathroom or add another. The trend for more bathrooms has been growing over time and it is being reflected within the renovation market too. It is not unusual for homes to have 1 bathroom and 1 ensuite these days. If you are renovating or adding another bathroom, then it is important to have your budget set out from the start and aim to stick to that fixed price (to the best of your ability). Most buyers want bathrooms to be up to date and modern with stylish fixtures and fittings. It’s also important to style if properly; add some beautiful coastal style home interiors or a couple of plants. There are so many components to a bathroom, that it’s easy to make small improvements that will have a big impact.

Repainting
Renovations are meant to show off the home’s qualities rather than diminish its value. By doing good renovations, you’ll have the best opportunity to make a good profit when you sell. Painting is a good option to give the home a cheap and easy “lift” (as long as you are using modern shades and colours). Paint is actually a powerful renovating tool. You can modernise and refresh an outdated and tired home with just a coat of paint in a modern colour scheme. Trust me, if you add one of those stunning armadillo rugs to a newly painted, white room – people will go nuts for it!

Street appeal
When you are renovating a home with a set resale in mind, ensure you are making improvements to the outside of the house as well. You want to maximise the number of potential buyers that are walking through the door enticed from the street view. With this in mind, consider incorporating things like modern cladding materials. You also need to clean up the garden and make it look thriving and beautiful. Your front door is important for the street appeal. If you’ve got an outdated door, consider replacing it with a modern front door that has more of a wow factor to it. You can even paint the door with rich colour and give it a big lift. Ensure the garden is tidy, the front lawns are mowed, and no weeds are seen popping out anywhere. Either replace or repaint the front fence and add a new modern letterbox and house number.

Outdoor area
There is a big trend when it comes to upgrading your outdoor area to a more indoor-outdoor style of living. We used to see barbies on a patio, but now the outdoor area is an extra room that is just an extension of the home with big, wide-open doors opening right outwards. Your outdoor area is now a driver for the buyers. They imagine themselves using it and suddenly they are sold on the type of lifestyle it could offer.

All home renovations should be done with the intention to increase profit. Try not to inject too many personal preferences and tastes into your design choices. Try to keep a broad audience in mind – less is more here!
Things like pools and new appliances won’t add much profit and are not exactly what people are looking for. Search the current market and see what is selling and what isn’t, and work out how it differs from yours and what extra could you be doing to bump up the profit.