Updating the color of the walls will transform the look and feel of a room. Whether you are painting every room in your house or just one accent wall to highlight a prized piece of art or an antique furniture piece, there are simple steps to follow to paint like a pro.
Choosing the Color and Finish
Before you jump right in and paint your favorite shade onto your walls, consider the desired mood and function of the room you are painting. Do you want your bedroom to be calm and serene or your kitchen to appear bright and airy? Choose colors that reflect those feelings.
You also need to determine the most appropriate type of paint finish for the project. If you are working in a kitchen or bathroom, paints with a semi-gloss finish work well. Walls painted with semi-gloss finishes reflect more light and stand up better to repeated cleanings and water. For other frequently used interior rooms, consider eggshell or satin finishes. You can see samples of the different paint and finish types at a local home improvement store like Ace Hardware, Home Depot or Lowe's.
Prepping the Room
Taking time to properly prep the room and walls can make all the difference in the final look of the paint job. Begin by removing all artwork, shelves, electrical outlet covers or anything else that is on the wall. Move all furniture to the center of the room and cover it with a drop cloth.
Once the walls and room are clear, mix warm water with a few drops of mild detergent and wipe down the walls and trim with a soft sponge or cloth. Rinse them with clean water when you're finished, and while the walls are drying, inspect them for any holes, scratches or cracks you will need to repair with a spackling compound. Fill these blemishes in with spackle as necessary, and smooth the corrected areas with sand paper. Some professionals consider it a best practice to sand the entire wall before proceeding, as this will smooth out any more mild imperfections and will help the paint grip the wall. If you do this, wipe down the walls with a damp cloth to remove any additional dust created by sanding. The last stop of prep work is to tape off the trim and corners with painter's tape.
Priming and Painting
Now that the prep work is complete, it's time for primer. Don't make the mistake of skipping this important step in the process. Primers give your finished product a higher quality look and can reduce the number of paint coats you will need. Primer is especially helpful when going from a darker wall color to a lighter color.
When the primer is dry, it's finally time to get the color on the walls. Begin by using a paint brush to paint a small border of one-to-two inches of the wall color around the trim, windows, doors and where the wall meets the ceiling and floor. Do this in small sections so that the paint will still be wet when you roll in the rest of the selected area.
Once you have created your border for one section, fill in the remainder of the area using a paint roller. Dip, but don't saturate, the roller in the paint, and use the roller to create a large "M" or "W" shape on the wall that is three-to-four feet in size. Next, use vertical strokes of the roller to fill in the area and distribute the paint. Be sure to overlap the edge of the border you painted with the brush for a smooth, continuous look. Use this method to complete the wall.
Wait until your first coat is completely dry before applying additional coats, if needed.
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