There is nothing more exciting than transforming a space in your home from plain old ordinary to something beautiful, unique and extraordinary. If your walls could tell a story what would that story be? Below is a recent project Don of all Trades Professional Home Maintenance Services completed from start to finish. We have to say that our team but most importantly our client, loved the results!
We took this small plain hallway, landing and staircase to the next level by adding special personal touches and turned it into a Memory Wall that will be enjoyed for years to come. We hope this project will give you some insight and inspiration if you are considering DIY Memory Wall of your own in your home.
Good to know tip…
You have to start with a perfectly smooth surface to end up with perfectly painted walls or woodwork.
Step 1-Surface Preparation-Before You Paint
- Remove any removable elements like railings, door handles, light fixtures, picture frames and so on.
- Even if your steps, railings, walls, ceilings, trim, doors and baseboards appear to be clean, it will still be covered in dirt, grime and oils from hands. So, make sure to give it a once over with some warm soapy water. we just used a mild dish-soap, followed up with a final pass of clear water, so we didn’t leave behind any soapy residue. Then, just allow ample dry time before applying your first coat of paint.
- Have a good look at the conditions of your walls and ceilings to find any rough patches, holes or damage that might need re patching, sanding and repair accordingly.
Step 2-Make Any Necessary Repairs
The original railing was in need of repair. A new stair newel post, new top rail and mounting hardware was installed. Instead of replacing the stairs with new ones, broken steps were repaired, finished grade plywood was installed to eliminate creaking and to help add more strength to the steps.
Good to know tip…
Are the walls in your home in need of a fresh coat but not sure what color to choose? Talk with the paint experts to find out what colors are trending in 2018.
Step 3 – Selecting the Right Paint and Varnish
The steps were painted with 2 coats of a Charcoal Shade and finished off with 2 coats of water based varnish satin coat with #Serenity brand #Cottagepaint which was purchased at the Benjamin Moore Whitby Shores Decor Centre.
Although making the decision of trying something completely different by painting these steps a dark color was a difficult one, this client was extremely pleased at how they came out. Walls were patched and sanded. Even the front hallway closest got fresh coat of paint inside and out. Walls were painted in a shade of grey, all ceilings and trim were painted in a white.
Good to know tip…
Remember that stairways and halls must have good general lighting for safety. To prevent accidents, stairs should be lit from top to bottom with switches in both places. For safety in hallways, place lighting fixtures every 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3.0 m). Tie in the fixtures you choose by matching your foyer chandelier or pendant with close-to-ceiling fixtures for hallways and smaller chain hung fixtures for stairways.
Step 4 – Choosing Light Fixtures
The original outdated lighting was replaced with more modern energy efficient Hampton Bay 12 inch brushed nickel led flush-mount light fixtures. These ceiling light fixtures are engineered to save you money, and they are designed to look great. This collection is a modern, elegant style featuring a brushed nickel finish and frosted glass shade that diffuses the light so that there are no shadows or dark spots. These ceiling lights are built with steel to look great and save you money for many years while blending nicely with the decor of your home.
Good to know…
Applying a wall decal can be a quick and easy way to add a new style to any room or space.
Step 5 – Choosing The Right Words To Tell A Story
We did some research on line and found a great website that offered a huge variety of non-permanent beautiful wall lettering quotes that was delivered right to their door. Measurements were made prior to making an order to ensure it would fit the space on the wall it was going to be applied to. Our client chose the MagicWall Family Memories Wall Lettering in colour-black-48×13 inches (122 x 33 cm) size to help tell their family’s story. This beautiful wall quote was super easy to apply and was applied to the right side of the wall above the hand railing.
Good to know…
One of the most common reasons people develop their photos in black and white today is because it lends a certain timeless quality to the images.
Step 6 – Memories With Meaning
These photos helped tell the story of what is important to our client. This special project was completed to create a space to tell a story ranging from important moments from the the past to present.
Special moments of youth, dating, marriage, birthdays, holidays, friends and family members, home, pets and children growing up. A total of 40 photos were developed online through Wal-Mart Photo Centre. All photos were reprinted in 8×10 sizes (at a very reasonable price) on the wal-mart photo centre website in black in white to keep the theme the same and to give them all a timeless quality to the images.
A total of 40 Nikolai 8 x 10″ Black photo frames were purchased on the Walmart.ca website (again at a very reasonable price) and were conveniently shipped to our clients door within 4 days of ordering. To help keep the damage to the walls to a minimum, Command Brand Damage-Free Picture Hanging Strips were used to hang all photos. These strips were a perfect solution to prevent filling in 40 nail holes in the walls later on in the future.
These walls will be telling this client’s story for years to come and will be enjoyed by neighbors, friends and family members who come to visit. We are extremely pleased at the results, the story and special meaning this Memory Wall tells. It’s quite simply “Beautiful.”
Have a question about your home improvement project?
Get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you!
We offer a wide range of home improvement services for your home including FREE ESTIMATES in Durham Region. Call 905-259-5249 or email infodonofalltrades@gmail.com. Visit our website at: http://www.donofalltrades.ca to find out more!
About Mr. Don D’Orazio
Founder of Don of all Trades Professional Home Maintenance Services.
Donato has over 20 plus years of experience. His company has completed various projects for many clients. Donato’s philosophy is to always treat “YOUR HOME AS IF IT WERE HIS OWN”. His goal is to provide quality service at affordable prices without compromising the finished product.
Donato always ensures all his projects are completed with the highest standard of quality and craftsman ship. He also takes pride in knowing that he can take your ideas and turn them into reality….. Giving you the home you’ve always dreamed of having.
Donato D’Orazio, owner and founder of Don of All Trades Professional Home Maintenance Services, classifies his vision for home renovation projects with three important goals.
1. To come in on budget
2. To complete the project on-time.
3. To make the customer’s experience as stress-free as possible
It is these three goals that form the foundation for the Don of All Trades Professional Home Maintenance Services business model, which is unique from the way that other home improvement companies operate. Our clients have told us the benefits they’ve seen from our business model.
Don’s Motto
“Start living better and get peace of mind and the freedom in life to get back to the important things that matters most to you.”
Don Continues to Find Compassion Within Himself to Stay Attached to Values That are Linked to the Common Good
In 2013 Don an
d and his team created the Helping Hands Building Trees of Hope Program benefiting worthwhile causes and creating partnerships within our communities in Durham Region. The Tree of Hope is a symbol of commitment, inspiration and community. Every year Don’s goal is to add new Helping Hands to the Tree of Hope and have it completed by December 31st from generous donations collected from clients, friends, family and local businesses in the community from our Donation Wish-List. Don believes it’s important to give back and not only volunteers his time, he also funds and hosts a number events throughout the year to help Do Good and Give Back.
Here’s an important life lesson: no matter how tough you think your life is there’s always someone who has to face challenges that are tougher than yours.
Our Memories of Giving Back in 2017
donofalltradesblog.wordpress.com 