Painting a 1923 Bungalow

The first house I ever bought was a craftsman style bungalow built in 1900 by the foreman of a local cotton mill.  I loved my home.  It was big and open with tons of natural light, and lots of built-ins.  I loved my window seats.  They were simply fabulous.  The previous owner had done all kinds of work on the house, and as a result I really didn't have much to do with what the inside looked like.  There was no plaster to repair, and she'd painted the entire house top to bottom with expensive, designer paint literally days before I moved in.   I loved the way it looked, but I secretly hated that there wasn't any work for me to do on it.

Fast forward a few years and I'm now living in my second home.  It is also a craftsman style bungalow (what can I say? I love bungalows).  This was one was built in 1923, and it needs a little more work. I've restored lots of historic homes, none of which were my own.  This one, though, I'm getting to restore for myself.  I can't wait to get started.

There are a few places where the plaster needs repair. I found this new product called Plaster Magic that somewhat simplifies the plaster repair process, and I am really looking forward to trying it out.  There is a really nasty spot in the hallway that is bowed in and buckling out.  I think it's going to be a pain in the butt to repair, but I love a challenge.  I might post photos or video of the repair process if anyone expresses interest.

The plaster repair part, while challenging and interesting, is not the most fun piece of this restoration though.  The paint is!  Did you know Valspar has an entire line of National Trust for Historic Preservation approved paint colors? So do lots of other paint vendors, but Lowes carries Valspar and it is easier for me to get my hands on right now.

Here are the colors I've chosen for the front two rooms:

The green is for the walls and the cream color is for the trim.  The colors do not translate well to the computer screen, and are much more vibrant in person.  I'll post before and after photos next week.  

Let the restoration begin!