Hilarious! I just finished painting my kitchen and for the first time ever I planted my bare foot right in the paint tray. That was only one moment in a comedy of mishaps...but hey, it's done, and looks pretty good if I do say so myself!

I swear kitchens take way longer than any other room to paint, with all the cutting in. I sure wish someone would pay me by the hour for all this, I too would be rolling in dough!

ncookin, you made me laugh. Don't despair though. When I paint I have paint in my hair, on my face, etc. I have a nephew who can paint an entire room and not drop one drop of paint on him or the floor. Amazing!!

Wow, I've yet to stick a bare foot into a paint tray, so now I know what will happen next time! bwahaha

Maybe that's it, the kitchen is just a difficult room to paint, period. I painted the switchplates, then darnit, the light was off, so I had to turn it back on to see what I was doing, so there went my nicely painted switchplates! LOL Painting above my window I got a few drips on the window, had to stop and wash the window, and my ADHD kicked in and I took out the storm windows and cleaned them real good. Then I crawled way up high on my countertops (that's high to me as I get the heebie jeebies), then I had to PEE!

Don't painters usually have "helpers"? Now I know why! LOL

Oh, you ladies are psyching me up to tackle my painting! I will not feel so distraught when all does not go so easily, or perfectly : ) (Even though I know I should never expect it to!)

Can we see any pics ??? : )

At least you've still got your sense of humor! I think my kids might have learned some new cuss words this week.

I've had some small spills , but never stepped in the tray!! I like to do my own painting, but I did pay someone to do the kitchen. It was going to be red (many coats) and I just couldn't bear the thought of climbing over the counters and bending over the top cabinets. The painter was at the house for days ... I think even he underestimaed the time needed for that job.

N2 you've gopt me roaring with laughter over here!

Folks, what does it cost to pay someone for interior painting?

Ah yes, painting. My husband calls it my "full body paint experience". Haven't stepped in a paint tray but I have:

-Dropped a full bucket of latex-paint soaking water into the *carpet* on my way out of the bathroom. That was good for a couple hours of frantic sponging and blotting. And cursing.

-Dropped a quart of OIL-BASED white paint onto the wood foyer floor while passing through the house after painting the front door. The funny, and I use that term loosely, thing is I had actually thought to myself 'Ann, you should walk around the outside of the house just in case you spill' since I'm one of the clumsiest people on the planet. But noooooo, what could possibly happen crossing an 8x10 stretch of floor? This was really an out of body paint experience. My daughter still talks about that one. She says I was so far beyond cursing that "mom, you were just talking to yourself. You kept saying 'okay Ann, what do I do now? I can fix this. I can fix this.' " Everything grayed out for me as I was trying to mop up the OIL-BASED paint before it hardened on my wood floors. Which were newly refinished of course.

As for normal paint protocol I always finish with what I cavalierly refer to as premature (hah)streaks in my hair. Paint drops all over the bottom of my shoes. Paintsmears and streaks on various parts of my body. I do have special painting clothes that always bring fond memories when I haul them out: oh look, there's the pale blue I liked for awhile in the living room. And a blotch of the sage green that was too dark on that same wall. And a smear of the white I'm still painting trim. I could probably volunteer my paint clothes to the CSI training team; they could learn a lot about mist/spatter patterns from reviewing what ends up on my painting outfits after I use a roller on the walls.

Good times, good times.

Ann

i H.A.T.E. painting...for all the above reasons.... :)

Glad to see we have so many members in the Paint it yourself club!!!!

Oceanna -- thousands and thousands of dollars :o\

My girlfriend's husband was painting their master bedroom. Somehow he knocked a full can of paint off the ladder onto the running ceiling fan. They had to have the carpet replaced, but their homeowner's insurance paid for part of it (after the deductible).

Oh Jeane, that made me laugh out loud!

And...............if you are dumb enough to set down the paint can lid on the bathroom tile floor, while you are standing in the bathtub painting the tub enclosure, chances are very good that your little Dachshund, Mabel, will come into the bathroom to watch you paint. And if you are completely lost to all sensibleness, instead of just saying "Hi Mabe. Be a good girl and go sit with Daddy...." You might start freaking out and yelling "No Mabe!!! No!!! Go Away, Mabel!!" Well, that would be a mistake. Because everyone knows that if you stress out a little red dachshund, she will sit and look at you, while wapping her tail at lightening speeds--back and forth through the Dromedary Camel paint all glopped on the paint can lid. Then, if you finally get her to amble out of the tiled bathroom........she will go wap her Paint-Loaded tail in front of Daddy's chair in the CARPETED living room.

And for those of you who haven't splotched it, Dromedary Camel can be the color of camel Poo in certain lights. It really is not pretty on tile or grey blue carpet either. And doxie tails are notoriously hard to wash too.

Red

I just finished redoing my bedroom in New England yellow..I was completely covered! hahaha What do you guy think? The room is not done but thought I would show ya.

tamberc - ooh that is pretty!

Painting last night I was thinking how much do people get paid for this. I think of all the miles I have put on my roller and brushes, threw 5 houses in four states. I own about a third of those miles to incorrect choices and having to repaint tho. I do actually love it now, and I almost have it down to a science. Last night for the first time I didn't use tape. (Finally found a good brush.) I also like painting kitchens because of all the stopping points. With three little ones and one dog, I need lots of stopping points.

n2cookn - I'd love to see picts too. I am looking for a green for my kitchen.

A coworker just paid $1500 to have 2 rooms painted. Wear your paint with pride :)

I have thought about painting as a business. My DH used to be a house painter. Good money. It can be kind of a zen thing as long as you aren't tripping over your dog, kids, overflowing laundry basket, etc. as you work.

Some of the nice people here mentored me through my first paint job a few weeks back. I am *still* proud of the paint all over my old blue jeans. Lots of empathy for you, doing a bit at a time: I'd be tearing out my hair! (which is probably much easier to do once you've streaked said hair with latex paint first. I bet it really improves the grip.)

Tamberc, where did you get that gorgeous bed? (love the color, too, but am ogling your furniture...)

Squirrel, I'm asking seriously. Nanabb, thank you.

A neighbor of mine is going to put her house up for sale. She hates to paint but I enjoy it. I told her I'd do it for her for money -- for a bit less than she'd pay a pro. But I have no idea what's a fair price. I just know I can walk over to her house and I need the dough and would enjoy the work well enuf.

Tamber, your room is simply gorgeous! (Do try raising the drapes, though : ) Do you think you could handle crown moulding, too? It would really add a lot and highlight your beautiful bedding.

My painter is like the speed of light. He painted two bathrooms on day 1 and on day 2 painted my cathedral ceilint master bedroom with HIGH ceilings and was done with that room by 10 AM! I told him he should be on a commercial. I STINK At painting so while I paid 400 to have three rooms painted (2 bathrooms) it was worth it!!!! Some things I do myself, painting is NOT one of them!!!!

The one thing I would like to pay someone to paint is the ceiling in my two story entry/dining room. It's still the builder's beige.

We sold ALL of my huge, ugly bedroom furniture and the new bed is coming tomorrow. Guess what - Half of one wall never got painted because it just wasn't worth moving the wall bed. I have to dig up enough leftover paint to do that wall today, or go to the store and get more paint to re-paint the whole wall.

n2Cookin I'm so glad you like the olive4. My kitchen and living room is olive 3.

Oceanna, in Ky the painters are outrageously high, as they are everywhere else, I suspect. Any estimates we've ever gotten have been based on the job rather than by the hour. Personally I am not a very fast painter, so I guess I would probably be making about $2 an hour! LOL. My hubby is somewhat faster, but less picky about straight lines, lap marks, etc. We got an estimate recently for $2400 that we thought was way high for the work to be done. It included walls and ceiling of utility room (14x8) for $300, ceiling of kitchen (13x14) for $200, garage walls & ceiling $450. Luckily we used the painter that dh uses for the rental houses at a much lower rate. He estimated $900-$1100 for a couple weeks work, not by the rooms. Thank goodness for that because I've had him painting about every door, baseboard, crown moulding and trimwork, plus almost every ceiling in the house! He hasn't completely finished yet, but has worked about 3 weeks and taken draws of $1000 thus far. DH tells me to pay him whatever he asks cos he's always been fair with his price. I know he works at lightning speed with almost perfect technique. If you enjoy painting, it sounds like a great way to make some extra $. Whatever estimate your neighbor has gotten, I'm sure you'll come way under that!!

Ky, that sounds dirt cheap! I believe one around here that I'm remembering -- for a small family room, avg dining room, foyer, probably stair well, decent sized lr, kitchen ceiling, mouldings and doors, crown and chair in the dr -- was for $7K as I recall! They had to skip the upper level and the master which is on the lower level. All 8' ceilings, modern Cape-style house, same paint color. Of course I could remember the #s wrong, but it was something like that. Every time I hear a painting cost around here, it's a similar sad tale of sticker shock at many $$$$s for what seems not so big or bad a job.

Oh, and that's with basically NO prep. They don't even do that! (other than the minimal whatever.) They're actually a popular painting outfit in that area. I see their sign out quite frequently. Good job, but not great or 'perfect.'

This is "almost" embarrassing! I got two bedrooms and a utility room painted for a double bed and a maple rocker that I needed to get rid of anyhow. I felt bad, so paid him an extra $60. What a deal!

I furnished the paint and did all the prepping.

He charges $10 an hour and does a beautiful job. We are having our bathroom remodeled and told the contractor I knew a guy that would paint. When I told him $10 an hour, he nearly choked. He wanted to talk to him immediately.

Will ask the contractor Wednesday what the going price is in our part of the country.

I would not paint for anyone for that price.

DL

Today wasn't much of a better day, painting-wise, don't ever have 2 projects going at once! I'm trying to paint, DH is out the back door building a deck, so I climb off my countertops to go outside, climb up the ladder and balance a beam on my head so he can screw it in! Back down the ladder, back inside and back onto the countertops! I'm gonna have buns of STEEL when this is all done, LOL!! (nah, probably just calves the size of tree trunks).