Author of Do-It-Yourself Painting For Dummies PDF

Katharine Kaye McMillan, Ph.D., is a social cognitive psychologist who writes do-it-yourself decorating advice in her online Design Doctor column.

She is the co-author with her mother and mentor, Patricia Hart McMillan, of Home Decorating For Dummies, 2nd Edition, Glass Tile: Inspirations for Kitchens and Baths, Sun Country Style, and House Comfortable.

Where the Pros Live, her weekly feature series on how trendsetters and tastemakers really design for themselves, runs weekly in the Palm Beach Post’s “Florida Home” section.

She is a contributing writer to Florida Design, the leading internationally distributed decorating magazine.

An expert in masculinity and self-concept, she teaches psychology at private and public colleges in South Florida. She appears on national and regional television shows, talk radio, and trades her do-it-yourself design secrets at home shows nationwide with Patricia Hart McMillan.

Patricia Hart McMillan was Interior Design Editor of 1,001 Decorating Ideas (later Home), one of the first dedicated do-it-yourself magazines with a multimillion reader circulation in the U.S., Canada, and Japan.

She became Remodeling Editor of Home Mechanix Magazine, whose do-it-yourself readers included semi-professional and professional carpenters, painters, paper-hangers, floor-installers, and plumbers.

On at least one occasion, she hung wallcovering for publication! As Editor in Chief of 20/20 Magazine, she helped launch a retail shop design series entitled Blueprint for Success, which continues.

Private decorating clients include some “household names” as well as newlyweds with big dreams and small budgets. She’s author and co-author of eight books and at work on four more dealings with interior design, contemporary architecture, architectural glass tile, and historic houses and gardens.

Her trendspotting articles and profiles of nationally known designers appear in newspapers, magazines, and online.

Painting Contents

Part I: Preparing for Your Painting Project

• Chapter 1: Gathering What You Need
• Chapter 2: Readying Your Room and Surface
• Chapter 3: Making Necessary Wall Repairs 
• Chapter 4: Brushing Up on Painting Basics 

Part II: Painting Walls Like a Pro

• Chapter 5: Faux Finishes with Shapes and Patterns
• Chapter 6: Faux Finishes Using Glaze 
• Chapter 7: More Fun Decorative Techniques 

Part III: Covering Other Areas of Your Home

• Chapter 8: Coating Ceilings and Floors 
• Chapter 9: Turning Your Brush to Trim, Windows, and Doors 

Part IV: The Part of Tens

• Chapter 10: Ten Tips for a Practically Perfect Paint Job
• Chapter 11: Ten Tips for Picking the Best Color

Introduction to Do-It-Yourself Painting For Dummies eBook

Do-it-yourselfers are a new breed of smart people who like to do it themselves. Picking up this book includes you in the breed and makes you one of those smart people.

In this case, you’re interested in doing your own painting. We already know that as a do-it-yourselfer, you’re brainy, and you have a can-do attitude and a strong desire to save time, money, and energy doing it right the first time.

We’re here to help by offering you solid advice, showing you instructional photos, and cheering you on as you strive toward your goal.

This book gives you the best info in easy-to-get, can’t-go-wrong bytes. We want you to get the best, professional-level outcome the very first time you take a roller to the wall.

To that end, we give you all the basics from deciding what, when, and where to paint to find out how to fix your projects when things go wrong.

In no time at all, you’ll be able to tackle any painting project in this book with efficiency, accuracy, and confidence.

About Do-It-Yourself Painting For Dummies eBook

Painting Do-It-Yourself For Dummies is here to help you make your living space look like it received a makeover. Whether you’re looking for a subtle makeover to enhance what you already have, or an extreme makeover to show the world a totally new look, you can find something to suit your style in this book.

We show you how to prep your painting surface, and we give you the best in painting basics. Then we give you plenty of ideas for your walls, floors, and ceilings.

Great color here, a little pattern there, and a whole lot of best practice painting techniques help create the ideal backdrop for your lifestyle. This book breaks the projects down step by step and shows you the painting techniques that produce the best results.

The stepwise approach is what sets this (do-it-yourself how-to) apart from the pack. Stepwise keeps your tasks on track. You’ve heard the expression that a picture is worth a thousand words.

To that end, we include more than 400 photographs and illustrations in this book. Seeing is believing — that sounds familiar, too — and it’s also the quickest way to convey the most information.

People learn well by observing, and we believe it’s a better way than trial and error. If you want the positive reinforcement of living in a nicely painted room and not the punishment of smudges, drips, and ugly surfaces, read on!

We share the expert experience that we acquired while on the job in our own homes, in clients’ homes, on movie sets, and in photography studios. We did the trial-and-error work so that you don’t have to.

In this book, we help you pick the right colors and the right tools for the job. We show you how to use the proper techniques so that you don’t have to undo and redo. Your results, we can say with assurance, will meet and maybe even exceed your expectations.

How Do-It-Yourself Painting For Dummies PDF Is Organized

We organize the chapters in Painting Do-It-Yourself For Dummies into four parts. Each part deals with a broad phase of painting, and each chapter targets specific information in detail.

Part I: Preparing for Your Painting Project

Always be prepared. Hey, that may not be the most original advice you’ve ever heard, but what does it take to be prepared? Here’s the skinny on how to plan your design, pick paint, buy your brushes and supplies, and plan out your job.

We walk you through taping, priming, and everything else you need to do to prepare your room. We show you how to make repairs so that you’re painting on the best possible surface, and — if you’re tired of drips and other mishaps — we give you a quick tour through the painting basics.

Part II: Painting Walls Like a Pro

Have you ever walked into a house, taken a look at the paint on the walls, and wondered, “How’d they do that?” If you’re ready to move beyond a basic, solid paint color for your walls, this is the section for you.

We show you how to use everyday items like rags, bags, and sponges to create a unique finish on your walls.

If you’re interested in stripes, stencils, or blocks of colors (in random or checkerboard patterns), we give you step-by-step instructions to liven up your living space. In no time, you’ll be painting your walls like a pro.

Part III: Covering Other Areas of Your Home

When you master the art of painting your walls, you may be ready to focus your attention on other areas of your home. Check out our tips on painting your ceiling, improving the look of your wood floors, and sprucing up your trim.

Part IV: The Part of Tens

Want to know more? Ten things more to be exact? This part includes all those tips and pointers that can make a difference in your painting project.

The Part of Tens gives you quick and easy advice on choosing great colors and making your project perfect.

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