10 Things You Should Know Before Painting A Room

Painting can actually be fun when you know how to do it properly. We share the many steps to make your painting project turn out perfectly! Image Source: Gace K Design

Are you living with boring white walls, but hate the thought of painting? Painting is often a task that homeowners dread. However, it is one of the most inexpensive ways to improve the look of your home without too much effort.

Paint colors can dramatically change the mood and interior design of your home. Paint can make a statement with splashes of  bold color, or it can be a soft backdrop to a more muted interior. Either way, painting is one of the easiest and least expensive tools in the interior design world. However, there are a few things you should know before you paint—things that will make your job much easier. You never know, you may actually enjoy painting after reading this.

Here, you will discover 10 things you should know before you paint, that can turn dread into success quickly:

1) Prepping a Room Does Make a Difference

It is a known fact that painting is much easier when there is nothing in your way. This means empty out the room, or at least as much as possible. If you are painting your living room, move large furniture pieces to the center and cover them up with old sheets or drop cloths.

Although it seems like an unnecessary step to wipe the walls down, it is a very important step. Whether you can see it or not, there is buildup on the walls of dirt, dust, and oils from your hands. Removing this debris prior to painting will allow the paint to adhere to the walls.

You should also fill in any nail holes or cracks with spackling, as well as tape off adjacent walls, window trim, and light switch or outlet covers. Use drop cloths, newspapers, or a roll of paper to cover the floor.

2) Test the Paint Color

It is very difficult to determine how a particular color will look on your walls, and with your lighting. If you have a color in mind, it is a good idea to buy a sample.

Allow the paint to dry, observing its color in both daytime and night. This will give you a true idea of what the color will look like on your walls.

If you are unsure of the color, purchase a few samples and do the same. You might be surprised at what colors you actually like, and even more surprised at how what you thought was your favorite color on the swatch looks terrible in your home.


Be sure to test out the color swatches before you commit to a paint color. Image Source: Terra Telms

3) Painting a Room – Allow Color Into Your Life

Color can be overwhelming for some. However, do not let a fear of color make you choose white, off white, or beige.
Trying a few different colors will allow you to create a specific feeling in the room.

For instance, dark colors add texture and depth to the space. This is particularly true if the room is very large with high ceilings.  On the other hand, if you have a small room, such as a guest bath with no natural light, brighter, lighter colors can really open up the space and make it feel much larger.

Essentially, don’t be afraid of color—experiment to see what works—you may be surprised!

Color can be fun, so don’t be scared to add some to your home. Even if you only paint one accent

4) Pay Attention to the Finish You Choose

Surprisingly, not only does the color matter, but the finish, or sheen, does as well. High gloss paint finishes are very durable and easier to clean, but the downside is they often highlight imperfections in your walls.

On the other hand, a flat paint finish will hide these imperfections. However, flat paint is more susceptible to damage.
In most instances, an eggshell finish is the best option.

It provides some gloss, is still easy to clean, does not highlight imperfections, and is not as easily prone to damage as flat paint.


 5) Paint Can Be Changed

After painting a square on the wall and observing it in different light you choose a color. However, you may discover that what looked great in a small section is too overwhelming once the walls are finished.

Fortunately, paint is an inexpensive option for making over a room and it can be easily changed. If you find that you do not like a color, you can easily paint over it.

In addition, if the color seems too overwhelming for all four of your walls, consider leaving one wall painted that color as an accent. You may find that a ‘pop’ of color is all you needed.


6) Determining How Much Paint You Need

There is nothing more frustrating during a painting project than running out of paint halfway through the project. Likewise, you don’t want to have too much paint either. Here is a handy paint calculator that may help.

There are a few things that will help you determine the right amount of paint. First, you need to know the square footage of your room.

Secondly, think about how many coats of paint you want to do. If you are priming the walls first, one coat might be enough, whereas two coats are often needed if walls are not primed.

Before you go to the store to buy the paint, be sure to measure the square footage of the room—you don’t want to buy too little or too much. Image Source: Nestarch

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Wednesday, February 27, 2019