Everyone, from inexperienced do-it-yourselfers and renters to brand-new homeowners and seasoned renovators, needs to know the proper way to paint a room. After all, it causes little to no discomfort, costs little money, and can be easily fixed if anything catastrophic goes wrong.
It’s important to have a strategy in place before picking up the roller and applying the first coat of paint. That’s why we consulted a select group of professionals for their top recommendations on how to get started painting. To ensure that your room painting project is a success, read on to find out the specific steps you need to take.
The importance of ventilation cannot be overstated.
There is nothing more boring than watching paint dry. While working on the project, make sure the area has adequate ventilation by opening windows and turning on fans. The drying process can be accelerated, according to the cousins, by keeping the room warm and using a fan. The paint will need extra time to dry if it’s a rainy day.
Combine colours.
Paint should be stirred with a wooden paint stick and re-stirred frequently. Inconsistent stirring of paint can cause the ingredients to separate, causing the desired colour to be muddled. If you’re going to be using more than one gallon of paint, it’s a good idea to mix the different containers into one large bucket to avoid any potential colour confusion.
Clean and prepare the room and its walls
Get rid of all the furniture in the room so nothing gets broken, like your treasured couch or a family heirloom from Grandma. Don’t worry about finding new homes for your belongings; just shove everything into the middle of the room. Make sure to protect the floor, cabinets, and countertops from paint splatter by laying down a drop cloth or using lightweight plastic sheeting to cover the area. John Colaneri and Anthony Carrino, cousins and stars of the HGTV series Cousins Undercover and Kitchen Cousins, as well as The Build Up and Grand Design on Ellen DeGeneres’s Ellentube, advise viewers to “don’t skip the drop cloth—paint will splatter, we promise.”
To begin, grab a roll of painter’s tape (the cousins recommend FrogTape) and firmly apply it to the edges of the room’s corners, base and crown mouldings, and door and window casings, sealing any gaps with a putty knife. Colaneri and Carrino insist that “getting a good seal so paint doesn’t get under the tape is everything,” adding that the tape should “pull away clean” once the paint has dried. You can forgo taping altogether if you’re feeling brave (or if you have the steady hand of an artist). To avoid having paint dripping into your electrical outlets, remove the covers and tape them over with painter’s tape. Make sure you are familiar with drywall repair techniques before beginning the project.
Pick a shade!
The sheer number of options presented by fan decks and colour samples can be intimidating. As a first step, decide whether you prefer a warm or cool tone for the overall colour scheme. Saturated or neutral? Consider how the colour will look with your current furnishings and artwork.
Select a few colours and order swatches once you have an idea of what you’re after; many online-only companies. Try out the hues at different times of day to see how they fare in the space.
The websites of many paint manufacturers also feature tools that allow you to upload a photo of your space and see how various colours will look painted on the walls. However, colours may appear differently depending on lighting and other environmental factors, so it’s best to check it out in person.
Think your move through carefully
Start with the end in mind; you don’t have to paint all four walls or the entire room the same colour. You could best paint for interior a striking colour or give the mouldings a special treatment by using a contrasting colour or finish. Remember to check the ceiling as well to see if it needs to be updated.
Summary
It’s important to have a strategy in place before picking up the roller and applying the first coat of paint. Make sure the room has adequate ventilation by opening windows and turning on fans. The drying process can be accelerated, according to the cousins, by keeping the room warm and using a fan. Get rid of all the furniture in the room so nothing gets broken. Make sure to protect the floor, cabinets, and countertops from paint splatter with a drop cloth or plastic sheeting.