How to Paint Your Walls
10 Steps to a Perfectly Painted Room
Does this story sound familiar?
A good friend of mine decided to get a new bed.
When she started to think about a new bed she began to look around her bedroom and suddenly she could see all of the, now obvious, deficiencies.
One of them was the wall color.
She decided that a fresh coat of paint on the walls would freshen up the space.
So, she planned to simply paint the walls over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, before their new bed arrived.
After all, paint is a simple project, right?
We designers always say that paint is a great, low cost way to update a space.
And it is.
But, painting your room is not as easy as it seems.
I admit it. There are times when I give my local, western Massachusetts, clients their paint quote and they are a bit taken aback.
But, paint isn’t just paint.
There’s a lot that goes into a painting project.
There’s prep work that is necessary in order to have a beautiful result.
Whether you follow these steps or you hire someone to follow these steps, completing every step is essential to a great result.
For more Painting Tips and some of my favorite colors you can download my all NEW eBook, 22 Foolproof Paint Colors – So You Can Avoid the Do Over, FREE for a limited time, by clicking HERE!
Step 1 – Choose the color
THIS is usually the hardest part for people. It doesn’t have to be! Simply pick something in the room that is staying. Maybe it’s the bedding in your bedroom, or the stone on your family room fireplace. Pick a color from that. If you can’t pick one color from it, then you’re going to need to at least find the undertone in it and choose a neutral paint color that has the same undertone.
You’ll need to look at large samples. Mine are 11” x 14”. How the heck are you supposed to choose a color from a little 1” x 2” sample?
Be sure that you’re comparing the sample against a true white, with no undertone, so that you can see the true color. Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace or Sherwin Williams True Reflective White are true whites that you can use to compare against.
Of course, you can always schedule a Paint Consult and I (I’m a trained and certified True Color Expert) will choose the perfect one for you.
Step 2 – Gather your supplies
Before you start your paint project, gather all of the necessary supplies. You’ll need a good brush, a good roller, a paint tray, some drop cloths, good paint (Buying cheap paint does NOT cost less. You’ll need twice as much of it to do the job) spackle and spackle tools, primer, a flat screwdriver, tape and a damp rag. I like Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore paint.
Step 3 – Clear the room
You need to either clear everything out of the room or move it to the middle and cover it.
Have you ever tried to just paint around the furniture because you were too lazy or impatient to take the time to move it? I have. And it never turns out well. Either you’re tripping over it, you can’t move the ladder around it or it gets paint splatter on it.
Take the time to move everything out of the way.
It’ll save you time in the end.
Step 4 – Clear off the walls
Remove all of the outlet covers and switch plates, as well as all of the picture hangers, nails, etc.
Yup, I’ve seen people actually paint around switch plates. Please don’t do this. It’s just one screw. Remove it and put them all in a zipper bag so that they’re all together when you go to put them back up.
And remember that your painter removing all of these takes their time too.
Step 5 – Cover
Make sure that you cover the floor, and furniture if there’s any left in the room, with drop cloths to protect from both dust and paint.
Step 6 – Spackle
Now is the time to bring your walls back to perfection.
Take the time to fill all of the holes and create a smooth surface.
Be sure to sand after spackling to smooth it out well.
Make sure that you either use a spackle with primer in it or you prime after. Paint does not adhere well to plain spackle.
My local, western Massachusetts, paint company, Michael Wales Painting, does a fabulous job bringing my client’s holey sheetrock back to new prior to painting. And, if you’ve ever tried to spackle then you can really appreciate what an art form it is.
Step 7 – Clean
Once you’re done spackling and sanding there is inevitably going to be dust. Be sure to use a tack cloth to wipe down all of the walls before you paint. Any dust left on the walls will show as bumps in your paint.
Step 8 – Tape
If you don’t have a steady hand to do a great job cutting in then you’re going to want to tape off your ceiling, your molding and your baseboard.
Taking the time to do this will save you clean up time in the end.
I’m amazed that when my painters painted my Monson home they never taped. They didn’t need to. They’re that good! ☺
Step 9 – Paint
Start with the cut in. Then move to the rolling. Roll in long, vertical, overlapping sweeps. Be sure not to load the roller with too much paint. And, keep even pressure. Pressing on either end more will result in ridges of paint on the wall.
Make sure you do at least 2 coats. Even if the paint is labeled one coat, do two. You’ll get a better result and more even coverage. Undoubtedly you’ll miss a spot or two on the first roll. Second and third coats will fill in those spots.
Step 10 – Put your room together
Once the walls are dry, it’s time to put everything back in.
For tips on how to put together a beautiful room you can download Decorate Like a Pro – 7 Steps to a Beautiful Room for FREE by clicking HERE!
If you’re reading this and you’re feeling overwhelmed by either the process of choosing a paint color or the job of painting your walls you can book a Paint Consult by clicking HERE!
For even more Painting Tips and some of my favorite colors don’t forget you can download the all NEW eBook, 22 Foolproof Paint Colors – So You Can Avoid the Do Over, FREE for a limited time, by clicking HERE!
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