Exclusive Tutorial: Carmen De La Paz outdoor furniture makeover

We are fortunate enough to have an exclusive tutorial by HGTV’s Carmen De La Paz. He has created this unique project idea to reinvent standard outdoor patio furniture using a simple color blocking technique. See the before and after shots:

And here are the instructions. Remember, we are running a giveaway for the goodies that Carmen used. You can win your own basket of Scotch goodies. Go here to enter this giveaway now!

And here the instructions for this project!

Adirondack Chair

Color Palette: Use exterior grade Satin Enamel paint – if planning to have this table “live” in an outdoor patio. Base Coat: Caribbean Coast (Behr: Satin Enamel 550D-4); Blue #2:  Ocean Cruise (Behr: Satin Enamel 550D-5); Blue #3:  Blue Chaise (Behr: Satin Enamel 550D-6); Blue #4:  Southern Evening (Behr: Satin Enamel 550-D-7)

Use the same color palette as the Adirondack chair with your patio table and planter to tie your whole yard together by adding a personalized accent to simple wood slatted outdoor pieces of furniture. The blue palette allows all the other colors in your back yard – greens, yellows and reds – to pop as a happy contrast.

Instructions:

1. Start with a slatted Adirondack chair.  Base coat or no base coat?  Painting a fresh base coat will revive an older piece of furniture and will also insure your color blocking design adheres well to the surface. I have chosen to paint the Adirondack chair light blue for a base coat color that is incorporated into the design.

TIP:  How to create your design

• Feel free to use the speed square to play with size. I also like to render using a computer which allows me to create a few options before committing it to a design

1. Draw out the color blocking sections on the chair. If you note: I am merely playing with a progression of size and depth of blue tones. As the size increases the color intensifies. Feel free to add a splash of a bright tone and change size according to what you desire.
2. Use the T-Square or a speed square to ensure boxes are truly square (90 degree angles at corners).
3. Tape all the color blocking sections using ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape w/Edge Lock (2080 EL), mask out boxes one paint color at a time along the line. Before painting, lightly sand intended painting areas to create “teeth” and insure adhesion of the paint.
4. Paint color blocked sections with a 2” brush or combination of a foam roller and small brush. Follow the direction of the grain of the wood. When painting, work from top to bottom with each section. This makes for a cleaner process and avoids dripping paint on a section already painted. Use the smaller brush to go between the slats and then brush or roll out onto the slatted area.

TIPS: 

• When selecting colors, an easy way to ensure colors will work well together is to use the progression of color provided on the same paint deck card. Paint companies work hard to develop them and it will make your life easier when selecting paint combinations
• “Batch” the work – meaning, paint one color all at the same time. The best part about this design is you don’t have to wait for paint to dry or reverse the tape to move on.  Paint the chair all in one fell swoop
• If using a roller – use a foam roller for a nice even application. Foam rollers don’t pick paint back like a regular nap roller
• You will often see me using both a roller and a brush at the same time. Filling in the area between the slats with a brush and the evening out the flat areas as I go. Taking advantage of the paint being wet and allowing me to create a nice even finish
• Let the paint dry well before applying the next coat. It’s always better to build up coats as opposed to applying a thick layer of paint. Paint applied in one thick coat will have a tendency to sag or droop or drip

1. Repeat the paint process with the progression of blue paint colors.
2. Once paint has fully dried, gently pull tape by angling the edge back at 45 degrees to reveal crisp edges and lines and corners.
   1. Plan to apply two coats of paint.

TIPS: 

• When working with multiple brushes – dedicate each to different colors of paint to avoid them drying out. While I am working with another brush, I wrap them up in a plastic bag – ensuring they are air tight. I can quickly switch back and forth from brushes without the paint crusting as it sits in the open air
• If continuing the job the next day.  I place the brush in the plastic bag and keep it in the freezer over night. The next day when I am ready to get back to work, I pull the brush out at least 15 minutes before I plan to use its good to go. There is no wasting time and water to wash it twice and the brush is in great working condition.

1. If your design was painted on raw wood chair – seal the whole piece with an exterior grade wood sealer. Note: Use water based sealer – oil based products with time tend to yellow which will affect your color choice.

Patio Table

Color Palette: Use exterior grade Satin Enamel paint – if planning to have this table “live” in an outdoor patio. Base Coat: Caribbean Coast (Behr: Satin Enamel 550D-4); Blue #2:  Ocean Cruise (Behr: Satin Enamel 550D-5); Blue #3:  Blue Chaise (Behr: Satin Enamel 550D-6); Blue #4:  Southern Evening (Behr: Satin Enamel 550-D-7)

Instructions:

1. Starting with a slatted wood table with your choice of dimensions (suggested design may be adapted to your table profile). Your design maybe painted directly onto the wood table.  I have chosen to paint the table a light blue for a base coat color that is incorporated into the design – painting a fresh base coat will revive an older piece of furniture and ensure your table top design adheres well to the surface.

TIP:  How to create your design

Feel free to use the speed square to play with size. I like to render using a computer; this allows me to create a few options before committing to a design

1. Transfer design to table-top.  Note that I am merely playing with squares within squares and then dividing the large center square by connecting the corners in an X pattern.
2. Use the T-Square or a speed square to ensure boxes are truly square (90 degree angles at corners).
3. Work the taping and paint process from the center of the design toward the outer edges. This makes for a cleaner process and it avoids dripping paint on a section already painted. Using ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape w/EdgeLock, mask out boxes one paint color at a time and paint.  Use a smaller brush to go between the slats and then brush out onto slat area.

TIP: 

“Batch” the work – meaning, paint one color all at the same time

Use a brush or foam roller for a nice even application. Foam rollers don’t pick paint back like a regular nap roller

Let the paint completely dry before applying the next coat. It’s always better to build up coats as opposed to applying a thick layer of paint.  Paint applied in one thick coat will have a tendency to sag or droop or drip.

1. Once the paint has fully dried, gently pull tape by angling the edge back at 45 degrees to reveal crisp edges and lines and corners.
2. Using ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape (2080EL), reverse the mask out with tape along lines drawn for second and third color and repeat paint process with desired blue paint color.
3. Using a small angled brush, paint in the small squares in the corner. Plan to apply two coats of paint.
4. Repeat the process for the fourth paint color.

TIP:

To help move along time, I often use a hair dryer to coax the paint with its drying time.  Be careful not to use high heat and not to close to the paint.