• Home
  • About The Arners
    • Contact
    • FAQs
    • Arner Adventures Resources
    • Press
  • Blog
  • Podcast
    • Episodes & Show Notes
  • Wanderlust(ing)
    • Travel
  • Mental Wellness
    • Mindfulness
    • Self-Care
    • Anxiety
    • Grief

Arner Adventures

In DIY minimalist decor surfer lifestyle ·

Barn Mural Paint Project with ECOS Paints

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

ECOS Paints generously provided the paint as well as consulted for the type of paint to use for this project. All opinions are our own.

Since we moved into our coastal bungalow, we’ve been making upgrades here and there, that makes it more aesthetically pleasing…more of a coastal feel. Our outside space is no exception. We are excited to tell you about our recent partnership with ECOS Paints for our barn mural paint project.

In our backyard, we have a little barn- a shed of sorts. We keep our gardening tools in there, and our lawn mower. If you have read our recent blog on our cat colony project, you also know that we have little safe spaces in there, where the cats can get away from the cold as winter nears. Needless to say, it isn’t anything special, but we do love and appreciate it. 

Barn mural ecos paints
This barn was at a coffee shop and is the inspo for our barn mural project.

We visited a local coffee shop recently, and they had a similar barn with seating outside of it. As we sat down, we noticed a very cool, retro beach-vibe mural painted on the outside of it. We immediately had the discussion that something similar would make ours look just as chill. We were inspired and went home to begin drawing out some ideas. 

Planning the Ecos Paints Barn Mural Project

We knew we wanted a retro, beach-wave feel. The ocean vibe is apropos since we live on the coast. Our inspo photo helped us decide on the color palette.

Once we nailed down a firm idea of what we wanted, we knew we needed to find the right product that aligned with our aesthetic ideals and our eco-friendly values. One name came to mind: ECOS Paints. 

Our background with ECOS Paints

You may recall, back in March, we used ECOS Paints for our DIY Kitchen Cabinet Refresh. Well, we loved using the paints so much that we wanted to consult ECOS Paints to find out about their exterior paints, and to get a consultation on what was best to use with the structure we had for our project. 

Our barn is made of wood and has been painted in the past couple of years with white paint. We were asked during our ECOS Paints consult if the existing paint is oil-based or water-based. If it’s oil-based, we may have had adhesion issues applying our water-based paint on top. Fortunately, we found out that it was water-based. 

Prepping for the project

If you are working on a similar project and you are not sure, ECOS Paints has a resource that you can check by using their Pro Tips.  Once we were advised that the best paint to use would be ECOS Paints semi-gloss paint, we chose our colors.

The colors used for this project are:

  • 0970 ORANGE YOU HAPPY?
  • 0850 CITRON
  • 0680 ANDES SKY
  • 0682 PLEASANT STREAM
  • 0676 JOB’S TEARS

Barn Gets a Glow-up- ECOS Paints Project

Prep-Work

We started by cleaning the side wall of the barn. We hosed off the side with water, then used a long-armed brush with a gentle cleanser. The cleanser was made of borax and castile soap that we mixed into a bucket. We were fortunate that it wasn’t very dirty, but we wanted to ensure we started with a clean palette before painting. 

The next day, after the barn was completely dry, we took a cloth to wipe away any debris that may have landed back on the barn side and prepped our paint and brushes. 

Barn mural ecos paints
This is our little barn before the ECOS Paints glow-up.

The Work Began

Supplies needed for the project:

  • Pencil
  • ECOS Paints (colors listed above)
  • Brushes- 3″, 2″, 1″
  • Painter’s tape
  • Measuring tape

We used a pencil to draw the design we wanted, making corrections a few times to get the design just right. Once we had the look we desired, we started at the bottom, with the ocean and ocean waves due to the blues being the largest coverage area. 

We used brushes the whole time, never using a roller. It didn’t seem necessary. We used the 3” brush for most of the ocean and waves, switching to the 2” and 1” when the area became smaller. The 1” brush was used for the darker border line of the ocean wave. Two coats were used for the ocean and ocean waves. 

Barn Mural ECOS Paints

When it came to the sun and the sun rays, the 2” and 1” brushes were used. We were advised that for the brighter colors: the orange and yellow paints, we may find that these require additional coats to achieve optimal coverage. We painted them with a third coat and that seemed to be the perfect shade we were looking for. 

The painter’s tape was used to mark off the lines for the sun rays, as well as measuring off the distance to make them even and/or symmetrical. This was probably the most tedious part of the entire job and took the longest. Perhaps it was why we saved it for last. Once it was taped off, we began painting. Once all coats were completed, we waited until the next day to remove the tape. We finished when we were losing sunlight, and we didn’t want to remove the tape and make any mistakes. 

The next day, when we removed the tape, we noticed that we needed to do some touch-ups here and there. We used the 1” brush to do that. It took maybe 30 minutes for touch-ups and then the job was completed. 

Barn Mural ECOS Paints

We were thrilled with the outcome. It really makes this area of the yard, near our barn, much more enjoyable. It is a place, off of our patio, in a nook in the corner, where we can have a glass of wine, or a cup of coffee, tucked away from anyone, and everything. It’s exactly what we were looking for, to give the barn some extra loving, and a pop of retro-beach-chic that it needed!

Barn Mural ECOS Paints
We absolutely adore our finished project!

The Takeaways

We want to make sure we mention a few takeaways we had with using ECOS Paints for our exterior project, since the last time, we discussed it for the interior.

  • The feeling of ease using a non-toxic and safe product, even when we are outside, presents so much comfort. While we were painting, Betty White and some local kitties were hanging around. We were thrilled to know that they could not be harmed by anything they were around.
  • It never gets old and is always a surprise that there isn’t an odor at all from the paint. THERE IS NO SMELL! We cannot believe, as consumers, how we just think that breathing in chemicals is just “the norm” when painting, cleaning, or doing anything else. It doesn’t have to be the norm, and we realize that with ECOS Paints.
  • The paint came off of our hands/arms easily. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t make a mess when they paint. We’ve painted before, and with other paints where we’ve had paint on our hands/skin for days, almost a week, where soap, water, and scrubbing didn’t take it off. With ECOS Paints, it is no problem to remove. The brushes are simple to clean as well.

Wrap-Up

We talk about it a lot, but with all of the things in the environment and in life that are out of our control, it is so nice to know that we can control many things when it comes to what we allow into our bodies. When it comes to DIY projects for our home, even outside of our home, we need to put forth just as much effort in making those decisions as we do for our skin and body. The products we bring into our lives to improve our sanctuary, stay within that space, so they should be safe. We are thankful to ECOS Paints to be a partner for not only making our barn mural project a success but a safe one as well. 

Related posts:

DIY Corona Facial Mask
A Word from Ronda Rousey, the Cat - Our Cat Colony Project
Repurposing Kitchen Staples for Skin + Body
Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

Leave a Comment

About arneradventures

Hi, we are Shannon and Gerry Arner, and our rescue, fur baby, Betty White. After owning our own business, working 24/7, we made a lifestyle change and decided to make the most out of life. We sold our house, downsized, and moved to the coast. We are wanderlusters; we live life minimally, but fully. We live each day as an adventure, and enjoy sharing them with you!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
Arner Adventures Free Travel Prep List

Looking for something?

Arner Adventures Declutter Challenge

Arner Adventures

"Everybody can be great … because anybody can se "Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You do not have to have a college degree to serve. You do not have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Once my favorite bag, now my favorite pillow. 🤎 Once my favorite bag, now my favorite pillow.
🤎
This was a gift from @scoutsobel - an amazing woman, @emotionalentrepreneur and CEO/Founder of @scoutsagency
🤎
I carried this tote everywhere and when the handle recently broke (I overload it most of the time) I knew that the message was one that I needed to see every day in my office.
🤎
If you know me, you know I cannot sew, but with a bit of patience (it's truly a virtue), I was able to sew it into the most endearing pillow.
🤎
In case you didn't know, you ARE safe in your emotions. Now go read Scout's book, #TheEmotionalEntrepreneur and practice some self-love this weekend!
This is just a friendly reminder from Betty White This is just a friendly reminder from Betty White to celebrate every win! Big or small, all wins are important!
🐾
January can be challenging for a lot of people. With the struggles from the holidays, whether expectations were set high, or post-holiday letdown, January leads the year with the highest depressive episodes.
🤎
There are also factors such as holiday bills coming due, less daylight, and cold weather.
🤎
Take a moment today to breathe, give yourself a great big hug, and write down 3 things you're grateful for in your life.
🤎
We're with you, and #BettyWhite is definitely with you!
It's #podcasttuesday and our #sparkinourlives gues It's #podcasttuesday and our #sparkinourlives guest today is Alise Saunders of @talesfromanuntamedsoul
🎙️
Alise, alongside her husband, are travel bloggers. You can find their blog at Tales From an Untamed Soul. Alise and her husband’s story aligns so closely with ours. We were really intrigued by their journey surrounding selling their belongings, being travel bloggers, traveling 365 days a year, and staying in Airbnbs. Their story differs in that they are digital nomads. Alise wants to help individuals create a life they don’t want or need a vacation from. 
🎙️
We chat with Alise about:
☑ The catalyst for making the decision to sell all of their belongings and travel full time.
☑ Alise discusses stored emotions in the body, and how that can make you ill.
☑ How Alise practices checking in with her body and her healing process.
☑ Work-life balance in her lifestyle and boundaries.
☑ Alise discusses living life to the fullest, and how her e-book can help you to do the same.
☑ Alise answers our “Fast Five” questions and the most important question, “What does a life well lived mean to you?” Swipe left to hear a snippet of her answer! 👈🏻
🎙️
This convo was beautiful, raw, and a testament to why it is necessary to open your own doors to your dreams and make them real! We hope you will check the episode out and follow their journey!
Follow on Instagram

© 2023 ARNER ADVENTURES LLC | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Affiliate Disclosure | Consulting

 

Loading Comments...