We are sure most of you don't even know the word 'watchet'. Watchet is a very pale blue colour, similar to sky blue. According to folk etymology, the colour derives its name from the town of Watchet on the coast of Somerset in south-west England, the cliffs around which look pale blue due to their rich alabaster content. It is also believed watchet is derived from 'waiss', an old Belgian-French word for royal blue. The word 'watchet' was used originally to describe the material used to line cloaks in 15th century England. This material was blue, and later the word came to mean just the colour, not necessarily the fabric. Interesting, isn't it?

Zaffre is the name of an ancient blue pigment. It was originally produced by burning ores of cobalt in a furnace. During the Victorian period, zaffre was used to prepare smalt and to stain glass blue. In the 17th century, the name was borrowed into English from the Italian 'zaffera', and is ultimately descended from the Latin word for 'sapphire.' The first recorded use of zaffre as a name for a colour in English was sometime in the 1550s though the exact year is not certain.

Verditer is an old-fashioned name for 'verdigris', the green rust-like discolouration of copper and brass, and also the name of blue-green pigment dating from the 1500s. It was popular in distemper and water-based paint from the 17th to 19th century. Its name is derived from the French "verte-de-terre", or "green of the earth." Today, it is used for a lovely turquoise songbird, the Verditer Flycatcher, which is native to the Himalayas. Fascinating isn't it?

With time, layers of paint can build up and you will observe bumps and crud on the ceilings of your home. If you are planning to paint them, you need to read this! On untextured ceilings, it is always a good idea to begin with a swift once-over sanding with 100-grit drywall sanding paper. This will ensure a perfectly smooth paint job and increase paint bonding. The simplest way to do this is with a sanding pole. When you are done with sanding, use a damp sponge to wipe the ceiling and remove all the dust.

Planning to repaint a wooden surface? First of all, begin by evaluating the paint condition of the surface. If the paint is peeling, you will have to scrape it and remove all the old paint coats. After this, the surface will need to be smoothed with 180 grit sandpaper to create a smoother surface. Do not ever attempt to paint an existing wood surface without preparing its surface properly. Do not apply a direct coat of paint over the old coating as it will not work and eventually will tend to peel, especially if it has a glossy finish.

Unsticking windows once they have been painted into place takes a lot of time but it is not impossible – especially for professional painters and carpenters. First of all, to unstick windows, the crusted layers of paint that are actually binding the window sash to the window sill have to be scored with a sharp tool on the inside and outside of the window. You will have to take a putty knife and other tools to unstick the sash from the sill gently. The window can be opened again without causing any damage to the walls around it, with skill and care.