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How to paint tiles and save a fortune!

March 14, 2018 2 Comments

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By Naomi Findlay

Itโ€™s no secret that kitchens and bathrooms are the highlights of the modern home. A tacky blue tile in the shower or 70s floral design can make your home look tired and dated. Before you take out a second loan and throw a sledgehammer at those eyesores, there is a quick and easy way to freshen up your bathroom – without leaving you shower-less for a month or hurting the hip pocket.

The budget-friendly fix? Tile paint. If your bathroom tiles are free from chips, cracks and other major damage, a simple refinish with White Knight tile paint can quickly turn your bathroom from drab to โ€œva-va-voomโ€ (as Neale Whitaker would say). Not only will you give your tiles a new lease on life, you will also help the environment by keeping them from becoming landfill.

Click on the image to see more of this amazing bathroom transformation using tile paint by The Painted Hive (before photo below).
The before

Clean, repair and prepare

Before you crack open that tin of paint, remember: preparation is the key to success. A DIY refinish can quickly turn into a DIY disaster if you decide to skimp on the pre-painting steps. Think of this as an essential ingredient to the perfect cake – miss it, and the whole cake wonโ€™t turn out.

As clean as your tiles may look, a thorough spray and scrub using White Knightโ€™s tile and laminate cleaner will ensure your tiles are squeaky clean and ready for their grand makeover (think residual soap scum or bath oils). Zap away any pesky mould with bleach, and fill in any grout or tile cracks with fresh grout or poly filler. If a tile is badly damaged, replace it with a tile of the same size – you donโ€™t have to worry about matching the colour as it will be painted over anyway!

Use tape (you can go fancy with painter’s tape or use any masking tape you may have lying around) to protect non-tiled walls and taps, and lay down drop sheets (old blankets and rugs will work) in the bath tub and floor. The goal is to protect these parts from an accidental paint makeover.

Measure up

Before you can begin sprucing up your bathroom tiles, you need to calculate the amount of paint required for your DIY. Since everybodyโ€™s bathroom (and the amount of tiles in it) is different, buying a tin and hoping for the best is probably not the right way to go. Luckily, there is an easy way to determine how much paint you will actually need to use. Just multiply the length and height of the tiled walls, divide everything by 12 and voila! The final number is the amount (in litres) of paint that you will need.

Prime

Once your tiles are clean and any cracks and gaps have been filled in, it is time to prime. White Knightโ€™s tile and laminate primer provides a base coat that helps your final coat of paint stick to the tiles and prevents peeling and scratching (ensuring your DIY efforts arenโ€™t wasted when the kids knock the tiles during bath time). It also contains an anti-mould ingredient to further protect your refreshed tiles.

Use a roller to zig-zag the primer across your tiles, finishing off corners and edges with a paint brush. Avoid painting straight from the tin, otherwise you will ruin the primer for future use – use a rolling tray instead. The key here is to focus on small sections at a time to ensure good coverage. Just two coats of primer four hours apart, a light sand after each (wait for the coat to dry first!), and you are ready to paint.

BEFORE (Pic source: Littlepinknotebook.com)
AFTER

Paint

The beauty of White Knightโ€™s tile paint is that you can tint it to whatever colour you want, as well as enjoy either a traditional glossy finish, or opt for a satin effect (with their laminate paint option). Apply your paint in the same manner as your primer: use a roller and tray, and paint brush for corners and edges. Zig-zag your first coat, leave to dry for six hours, then finish off with a light sand before applying the second coat using long strokes. Stir your paint every now and then – it will prevent streaks and help you achieve a smooth finish. And remember: two thin coats are better than one thick one!

Your beautiful new tiles will be fully cured in a week, so take extra care to avoid bumps or harsh cleaners. If you would like to create a little contrast between your tiles and grout, simply apply White Knightโ€™s grout pen to the grout.

Clean up

With so much focus on preparing your tiles and bathroom, it can be easy to forget about the actual equipment you use. Paint brushes, rollers, sponges and trays should be washed as soon as you are finished with them – unless you donโ€™t mind throwing them out after one use! However, after your bathroom revamp, you might just get itching to make over your kitchen tiles next!

–Naomi Findlay is Australiaโ€™s rapid renovation expert, an internationally renowned renovator, award-winning property stylist and speaker.Sheโ€™s an industry leader in creating healthy wealthy spaces and creating wealth and profit from renovating property. Naomi is CEO of staging company Silk Home and founder and principal of education provider, the International Institute of Home Staging (IIHS).

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The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_ho The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_house is a work of art and while almost every surface was updated, the decision to keep the original slate floor was genius if you ask us. 

Owner @clarehillier__ says: "With its purple, pink, red and brown tones, the slate was the starting point for our interior palette."

Come and check out the before and afters via link in bio now and read the reno story. It's a real beauty.

And you can book it for your next holiday too!

Blair Smith Architecture @kateshanasy

#slatefloor #slatefloors #80shouse #80sbeauty #camillohouse #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #realreno #holidayhousesofinstagram #morningtonpeninsulahomes #morningtonpeninsula #morningtonpeninsulasmallbusiness #blairgowrie #blairgowriebeach #airbnbstyle
Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’— Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’—
Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for thr Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for three decades going out for a child-free dinner ๐Ÿ’“๐Ÿ˜
Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damia Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damianfrancis 

This doesn't happen often these days!
Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks since leaving hospital and I'm doing much better than I expected to be at this early stage. A long recovery road ahead but making progress in how much I can move my arm and although I drag myself through some days non-stop yawning, others I can go for a little walk or out for lunch before collapsing on the couch! I can now tie my own hair back and put on a real bra which is very exciting ๐Ÿคฃ Having my bestie here to help us with the boys, drive me places and just be brilliant positive company is the best thing I could have asked for not to mention the many Dinner Ladies vouchers from friends! Thanks for all your kind messages, cards, flowers, gifts and offers of help โค๏ธ
I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping to raise some awareness off the back of my misfortune (and also very lucky escape).

@newsouthwaleshealth have just put out this warning about a rise in serious bacterial infections. iGAS (invasive group A streptococcus) is what caused my necrotising fasciitis and sepsis.

Apparently there's similar happening in VIC too.

It's extremely rare but very serious nonetheless so please have a read and be aware of symptoms. I've linked to the article from a button via my link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #jenbishop #necrotisingfasciitis #groupastrep #groupastreptococcus #sepsis
While new technologies continue to shape the inter While new technologies continue to shape the interior design scene, one that has been getting a fair bit of traction of late isย marble-look porcelain. A cheaper alternative to natural stone, the latest printed porcelain tile technology makes it difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

Founded by husband and wife duo Anton and Rita Bourtsev, Sydneyโ€™s @kaolintiles has a unique offering in this space with over 100 different marble-look tile designs in small and large formats.

More via link in bio now.

#porcelain #porcelaintile #porcelaintiles #largeformattiles #largeformattile #marblelooktiles #bathroomtrends2023 #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #heartyourhome #realrenovations #goldsink #brasssink #jenbishop #kaolin #kaolintiles #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger
Promise this is the last wretched hospital photo I Promise this is the last wretched hospital photo I'll post and I hope to be home and with my lippie back on by Monday. You know it's serious when I'm lipstick free, right?!

This was about a week ago in intensive care. And although my arm is still bloody sore I'm now on a normal ward and no longer attached to any drips, drains or a catheter. I've come a long way.

This has been the most physical and mental challenge of my life but I'm through the worst. I kept my arm. The doctors saved my life.

I cannot say it enough times. If you're worried about your health, don't hang around. Things can change so quickly. 

A huge thanks to my amazing husband @damianfrancis We've had the hardest year yet and our marriage has never been stronger, even if my rings did get cut off my finger in hospital ๐Ÿ˜œ

As great of a job as he is doing at home with the kids, I cannot wait to get home now. Countdown is on to a new year and a fresh start.

And I can't say enough just how overwhelmingly grateful I am to all the medical professionals involved in my care, from the @healthdirectaus nurse who sent me to Emergency to the exceptional surgeons, doctors, nurses and support staff.

Happy New Year, everyone. Remember you never know what's around the corner and this is not a dress rehearsal!

And huge thank you for all your kindness here. Has been amazing while stuck in bed.

Xxx

For those who missed it, I was unlucky enough to get necrotising fasciitis. You'll have to Google it.
The unluckiest girl or the luckiest? Day 6 in int The unluckiest girl or the luckiest?

Day 6 in intensive care after suddenly coming down with a very serious necrotising fasciitis in my elbow on Sunday. Four operations later (with more to come) I'm out of the woods, alive and have my arm. But I won't be going home until after Christmas. Also picked up a bonus bit of pneumonia to keep things interesting.

I won't lie. This has been super super hard but I feel extremely lucky nonetheless. Have come across some exceptional surgeons, anaesthetists, doctors and nurses who have been incredibly kind at my most vulnerable as well as great at their jobs. I'm really grateful. Huge thank you to my amazing husband who is holding down the fort with the help and cooking of our wonderful friends. And to friends who check in, send love, flowers, snacks and sushi, I will never forget it.

Of course I will be sad tomorrow but my boys can visit and we will have another Christmas next month.

I'll leave you with this. Never ever ignore those health niggles. @healthdirectaus is always a great starting point.

Wishing you all a merry Christmas and will enjoy everyone else's celebrations on here with only a hint of bitterness ๐Ÿ˜‰

PS. Does this win the most unflattering photo of me ever published? I think so! No lippy for a WEEK.
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Comments

  1. AvatarYvonne Wilkins says

    March 19, 2018 at 12:43 pm

    Hi, we also bought a beautiful 3.5 seater Madora Velvet Chesterfield sofa in Dove Grey in December 2017 from Early Settler and paid only $599.00 (actual price was $999.00).

    It goes so well with our grey/charcoal/red colour scheme and our 2 deep red tub chairs in our familyroom. Looks sooooo posh and we luv it, luv it.

    Reply
    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      March 20, 2018 at 8:06 pm

      Great to hear!

      Reply

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