Paint Like a Pro: Quick Tips for Painting Home Interiors

Painting the interior of a home is one of the most fun DIY projects to tackle according to the Whole Property Management team. It’s your chance to add a personal touch of style and a beautiful way to complete a room. The best part is that it’s totally feasible in just a weekend! Here are some tips to pick the perfect paint aesthetic and get the job done in a jiffy.

Tools

The right tool can make all the difference on a job. It’s extremely important to have quality rollers, brushes, and paint to see a good result.

• Rollers: Choose a roller cage made of plastic or metal with a comfortable handle for durability. Roller brushes come in different nap lengths, which you can choose depending on the surface texture of a wall, but it’s generally safe to use ½ inch nap rollers. For highly textured or rough surfaces, increase the nap to ⅜ inch. Roller brushes can be disposable, which makes the cleanup process super convenient, but be careful not to pick the cheapest package. A higher quality tool will deliver a higher quality finish.
  
  
• Paint Brushes: It’s a good idea to pick up one or two traditional paint brushes for "cutting in" a room, or carefully painting the edges and corners where a roller doesn’t quite fit. For this, the best tool is a sash brush about three inches wide. Sash brushes have the bristles cut at an angle instead of straight across, which is perfect for painting hard-to-reach areas with precision. The three-inch brush provides a wide enough border for the roller to meet when painting the body of the wall, and it’s comfortable to hold in your hand. Brushes can come in widths up to five inches, but those can put a bit of fatigue on your wrist if you have a large area or several rooms to paint. Most brush bristles are synthetic these days, but the difference between synthetic and natural hair brushes are few. Natural hair is better for spreading oil-based paints while synthetic bristles work better with latex- or water-based paints. However, considering most interior paint is latex-based, synthetic bristles are a fine choice and they last longer. Just be sure to wash them well after each use with warm water and mild soap.
  
  
• Paint: Of course, you need paint to re-color a room, but what kind? Remember, quality is key and this is where it shows. While big box hardware stores carry paint, you’d be better off going to a professional paint shop, like Sherwin-Williams. Aside from having just as much selection of higher quality paint, the staff at professional stores know their stuff and can advise the exact product to use for a particular job. The gloss level is also important to consider. Typically, ceilings use a flat sheen, bedrooms, and hallways use a matte or eggshell, and living rooms, bathrooms, and kitchens can use satin or semi-gloss.
  
  
• Primer: Don’t forget the primer! Primer is incredibly important, whether you have never-been-touched walls or are adding the seventh layer of color. Always prime before you paint, even if you buy a 2-in-1 product with primer built in. Primers help to seal the wall from moisture (preventing minor cases of mildew/mold), cover up previous coats of color, and prepare the surface for a coat of paint. You can never go wrong with at least one coat of primer, though if you’re covering up a particularly dark or bold color you may need two or more coats.
  
  
• All the Rest: Paint sticks, paint can openers, paint can pour attachments, and disposable roller pan liners are all extremely handy to have on hand! Disposable rollers and pan liners keep the cleanup to a minimum when the project’s finished. The paint can gadgets, like openers, snap-on pouring lips, drip catchers, and easily resealable lids make handling the actual paint a breeze (and reduce spills on the floor). Don’t forget painter’s tape, drop cloths, and plastic sheeting at the store to protect floors and furniture, and proper paint attire and rubber gloves to protect your skin and clothes.

Protection

Before beginning the actual painting, it’s good practice to totally prep the room. Prep can seem like the most aggravating and time-consuming part, especially if you’re excited to get paint on the walls, but it makes the whole process go so much smoother. Remove any furniture and wall hangings that can be easily transported and cover in plastic sheeting everything that can’t. Protect floors with plastic sheeting (overlap with large margins to keep paint spills, drips, and splatter out of the cracks!) or large drop cloths. It’s also helpful to tape these to the floor to keep them in place. Baseboards need a little extra attention, especially when it comes to rooms with carpets. Use extra wide tape with a little more stick to it than painter’s tape, like packing tape. Tuck one edge of the tape under the baseboard and stick the remainder tight to the floor to keep brush marks and splatter from damaging carpet or other types of floors. Finally, make sure to remove all light switch plates, outlet covers, light fixtures, etc. If it can come off the wall, it’s best to remove it instead of trying to tape over it or paint around it. You’ll get a cleaner finish and less headache in the long run.

Color and Accent

Color can add plenty of personal flavor and flair to a home. While neutrals are always a safe bet, bold colors can truly transform a room. Color psychology can help you decide knowing that blue and other cool tones are calming makes those a good choice for bedrooms. Accent walls and patterns are really popular right now. If you’re in an older home with traditional accents like chair rails and wainscoting, ceiling medallions, or ornate molding you don’t have to sacrifice the antique interior even if you’re more partial to contemporary or minimalist style. One popular way of modernizing these styles is by using color.

Sleek solids in neutrals and pastels keep to a minimalist style. With chair rails or wainscoting, you can combine two colors (like bold and neutral) to create an invigorating space. Consider two-tone combinations like emerald and cream for a brightly lit home office, go monochrome with navy and light blue for a living room, or spice up a room with a bright coral accent wall (or ceiling!) in an active space like a kitchen or playroom. Patterns are becoming especially stylish as well, with plenty of DIYers trying out multi-colored triangles, stripes, dots, damask, and even random geometric shapes--basically anything you can imagine.

When trying these out, don’t forget the color wheel, and keep in mind good combinations of color so you don’t end up with something you’re not thrilled with. Everything looks great in the photos, but sometimes trying it out yields a totally different result! However, if you pick a good pattern and set of colors, you can pull off more than a paint job. You’ll have a unique wall that’s practically art to adorn your home with something special.

For Related Articles Try:

• Tips on Picking the Best Color Palette for Your Home
• Best Way to Illuminate Your Bathroom
• Update Your Kitchen in Less Than a Day