Paint can definitely transform your home, but doing it the wrong way can also transform your home into something you didn’t intend it to be. When Mr. C. and I bought our home two years ago, one of the first projects I decided to tackle was to paint the built-ins located in our living room. Well, I didn’t check to see what kind of paint the former owner slapped up on the walls before I purchased my paint and quickly realized the previous owners used an oil-based paint, after I had already purchased a few gallons of latex paint. So I went ahead and rolled my latex paint over the oil and you guessed it, over the past two years it has been chipping off.  I then decided to do a total transformation on my built-ins and it all starts with painting them the correct way.  

My built-ins are painted Kendall Charcoal from Benjamin Moore so I took my paint chip to Lowe’s to have it paint matched into an oil paint. I was told that the Alkyd Enamel I wanted to purchase couldn’t be darkened enough to match the Kendall Charcoal and I was referred to Valspar Furniture paint instead. The “paint guy” at Lowe’s told me Valspar Furniture paint could be used over oil-based paint and I wouldn’t have to deal with the odor or messy clean up that is involved with using oil-based paint. I was sold!  

After a couple of coats I noticed the paint wasn’t “sticking” and then realized I could scratch off the paint with my fingernail. Um, I don’t think this should be happening.

This is when I turned my frustration into a solution and went to Sherwin-Williams and had them color match the Kendall Charcoal into an oil-based enamel so I could repaint everything.

I have to say that Lowe’s was very understanding when I returned the cans of paint.  One was empty and the other was 3/4 full, and they happily refunded me the money I paid for the Valspar Furniture Paint.

In all of this I have learned to check, double check and triple check the correct type of paint I need for the project I am doing and to do research before a paint is suggested to me instead of taking someone’s word for it…even if they do work in the paint dept.  

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