Happy Valentine's Day from Customized Walls!

Happy Valentine's Day

From my Family

To YOURS!

www.customizedwalls.com

Sunday Funnies

Just thought I would share a few things that made me giggle this week.....

I do stuff like this to my kids pictures all the time. Cracks us all up!

How can you not laugh?

Thats some awesome teamwork!

Photos taken at the exact right time...Always worth a giggle!


Happy Sunday!

www.customizedwalls.com

6 Room Painting Tips that will Save you Time and Money!

You probably wouldn't expect it considering I have a wallpaper and wall mural business but I actually also love a freshly painted room. So, I thought I would share my favorite Painting tips that may help you in your next room makeover. 

1. My first tip is immediately change your lightbulbs to a Natural Light Light Bulb.  You will notice these bulbs have a gray tone. Gray is the most neutral color and the best to see the true shade of color that you are looking at. Most graphic artists and printing shops have a color booth with gray walls to see that colors are printing properly. If your light is too yellow or pink, it will change how you see the color. Pretty inexpensive precaution (rather than re-painting when you have the wrong color).

2. Cut those paint chips and separate them. Sometimes it's really confusing to see which shade you like when they are all lumped together. If you cut and separate them, you are seeing them independently and picking your favorites is MUCH easier! ...and please make sure you pick good paint. Almost all the pros use Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore paints. 

 3. Get samples of your Top 3 Colors whenever possible. Buying a small jar of your top 2 colors and painting wide strips of the color, living with it, and THEN making that decision will save you time, stress and money. Nothing is worse that re-painting a room because you realize you can't live with the color...and believe me, I have done this MANY, MANY times (just ask my poor husband). 

4. TAPE! Unless you are an expert, tape the room along all edges. I know this is a pain (and it has always been my job in this family) but it must be done. It will save you from freaking out when you accidentally paint the ceiling or window casing and it just won't come off. 

5. Make sure to remove all the switch covers. You really do not want to accidentally paint over those. Especially is you have upgraded to the really cute and expensive ones. 

6. Now, this one is a little odd but I have found it to be a life saver. Blow dry the edges of your paint tape. Usually, edging is the last thing you do. And by that time you are a little anxious and maybe you remove the tape before it is perfectly dry. You will notice a choppy line that is anything but chic. Spending a little time drying the edges by the paint tape with a hair dryer will give you those clean lines you are looking for. 


Congratulations! You should have a perfectly painted room in your favorite color!


Now, maybe you want to add some drama and add a wall mural to one wall? 

Come visit us at www.customizedwalls.com to pick out your favorite one! 

Muted Wall Murals and Custom Design Your Own Wallpapers

I am often asked, " Aren't wall mural and wallpapers out of date and tacky?" I was born in the 70's and I too remember some awful tacky wallpapers. Even my mother had a particularly awful brown and orange mushroom print in the kitchen. Mushrooms, mom? Really? Or how about those cheapy space or themed murals that went up on your childhood bedroom wall and actually took part of the drywall when you were trying to take it down.

*shudder*

Well, gone are the days when adding design as either an accent or a dramatic element to you room is either permanent or tacky... Our product at www.customizedwalls.com is completely removable with not damage to your walls. And, we take in works and designs from some of the greatest artists in the world. Your wall mural can be a photo, painting, design or even a simple pattern. How busy or muted is purely up to you. 


Here are some choices in mural that I thought would interest you. Not overwhelming or particularly busy and just in good taste. 

A wall mural print on the ceiling www.customizedwalls.com

Muted zebra makes this room really come together. www.customizedwalls.com

Hot trend colors for this year. Our standard murals can have colors changed with a click of a button, www.customizedwalls.com

Well, I hope you have a happy day!! 


xoxo,


Laurie

Custom designed Wallpaper- Pretty Awesome!

Hi all! I know it is another case of long time, no hear...What can I say? I have been busy printing away!

Recently, we had a customer fall in love with a discontinued wallpaper. She sent us an image and asked if we could help.

This is the picture she had...Lovely, isn't it? 

And she wanted us to try to recreate it they best we could.

So, we came up with this:

Pretty darn close, huh?

So, in about an hour we had blown away a client and were able to show off what we can do.

If you had an old design, photo you love, or just an idea of what you would like we can design just about anything and make it into a patterned or full image wallpaper that is so personal. Because it is about you and what you love.

Come visit us at www.customizedwalls.com or email sales@customizedwalls.com for more information

The Sound of Silence

As I sit watching the sun come up over the Golf of Mexico this morning, I stunned by a sound not often heard by a parent, the sound of silence.

This week, I am working from Venice, FL. My grandparents bought a beautiful beach condo in the late 80's and as a teen and young adult, I would visit once a year in February. My grandparents always made the place so wonderful for us. There is a pool and a beach across the street. My Gram would get up and make us all breakfast every morning and my Grandpa would ask us what we wanted to do for the day: batting range, mini golf, beach...whatever.....Usually, I wanted to hit Beach or Sarasota Mall to shop and well, meet cute boys....Lets just say I have lots of good memories here ;)

The Pier by Sharkey's Crew getting a little CRAZY!!

Body surfing FUN!

Interesting because we just do not often spend time alone and it makes me think of the time before we had kids (which it's like I have mentally blocked and honestly don't remember much of). And what it will be like when they are older...spending more time with friends than the 'rents and going off to school.

Making a meal just for two, relaxing after dinner with a glass of wine, and not having to worry who brushed their teeth, got dressed, knows where their backpack is, etc... I highly recommend it. Since this is the longest my husband and I have been alone since the honeymoon, I think I lost sight of that.
Now, that I am a mother, I have been here with the kids for our vacations and I pretty much do for them what my grandparents did for me. I make it centered around good family fun. They love it and I really prefer it to hitting Orlando where all the parks are. It is slower and more restful and I can use that in my life.

Sand Angel

This time though, I am here tagging along on a business trip with my husband. He is working during the day...and so am I and my mum and her husband are watching the kids and taking care of all my responsibilities for the week at home. And I gotta tell you, I LOVE it! I really and I do mean REALLY love being a mum. I love the hugs and kisses and stories and just the whole excitement of having little ones around. Watching them grow and learn new things (especially when you teach them) is pretty awesome. What I don't love so much is the fighting and bickering and complaining which with kids, let's face it, is pretty much an every day thing. And for this week, I don't have to hear it at all. I can't even begin to tell you how relaxing and at the   same time interesting it is.

So, I guess I think ALL parents should try to do this once and while. Get away alone and just BE with each other. Reconnect with your spouse and with yourself....and try on that part of you that is just you...not taking care of someone else...

Something to think about...

Laurie

Truly Custom Wallpaper and Murals

Hi All! Hope you are having a fun weekend. As usual, our family is mixing up our weekends with our business. I am particularly stoked about some of the work we are doing this week. 


We have busted out a few photo to murals- a gorgeous beach scene that will go in a family den and a pretty southwestern scene for an office...we also printed some cool graphics with text ( a tie dye for a little girl's room and a modern abstract trees painting with a logo for a corporate office) AND one AMAZING 9 hr design job that was totally custom done and sprung from the imagination of one super cool grandmother for her expected grandbaby's nursery........It kind of has this really neat 60's vibe with drippy lettering and wording and I must say it is MAGNIFICENT! 

This is part of it....not finished yet but looking so cool, huh?

One of our printers in action....zip, zip zip!

Source

Cinque Terre, Italy photo wall mural sample for a distributor. I want this on MY wall!

SAMPLES, SAMPLES, SAMPLES, AND MORE SAMPLES!

Source

CUSTOMIZED WALLS ON ZEBRA Samples!

I LOVE our logo...it just has not gotten old to me...I still love it!




So, if you are thinking that you would love to design something really unique for a room go ahead and email me at laurie@customizedwalls.com. That really is the cool thing about customized walls...if you want purple popsicles, orange vintage fire trucks, or even a pattern featuring your beloved Yorkshire Terrier, Bitsy, we can do it. 


Feel free to:

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Installation Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEaN6Hio_Yk