Paint is probably one of the most affordable and quickest ways to transform a room’s appearance. It allows homeowners to add personality and detail to a space without overwhelming the design. 

If you are new to painting, do not be overwhelmed.  There are four easy steps: preparation, trimming, rolling, and the finish. With this quick and easy guide, we hope to simplify the process for you while including must-know details for your project. Let’s take a look!

Beginning Act

Prepping your space is an essential step to ensure your paint job has a professional quality finish.  Take your time with prepping and do not rush because it will show in your end product.  Start by clearing your room of all furniture and covering your floor with a tarp.  You will need to remove your outlet covers as well.  You may want to put the screws back in once the outlet covers are removed, so you do not lose them, and cover the outlets with painter’s tape.  Remove doors and place the pins back in the hinges for safe keeping.  Remove wallpaper and patch any holes in your wall with spackle.   

Once any holes are filled and dried, use sandpaper to sand the area to a smooth finish.  Next, give the room a quick wipe down.  Grab a lightly dampened rag and wipe down all your walls and trim to remove dust.  Dust could possibly be on your baseboards and above your door trim.  If you plan on painting your trim, you will need to check if it has been painted prior.  Most trim is painted with an oil-based paint which cannot be painted over.  Sand your trim and apply a primer to the trim and any patchwork you have done in the room.

Sectioned Off

Depending on the amount of paint you have purchased, you may need to mix them to create a homogeneous blend.  Get a large, clean pale and pour your paint gallons into and stir.  Next, you will need to paint the trim in your room.  Generally, painters prefer to start with the ceiling before the walls.  Tape off where your ceiling meets the walls to avoid splatter.  Use a paint roller to paint the majority of your ceiling.  For the edges, you should use a brush.  Let the ceiling dry and remove the tape.  Next, apply your painter’s tape to trim your walls.  Use a paintbrush to get hard to reach areas like corners and where the walls meet the ceiling or trim.  When cutting in with your brush, use light, smooth strokes to avoid runs.  Do not press harder to get more paint.  Just add more paint to the brush as needed.

They See Me Rollin’

After you edge in all your room with paint, grab your roller and apply your paint to the walls.  This is the usually the step people like to rush too but do not rush the importance of prepping and trimming in your room.  Mentally, break your walls into smaller four-foot by four-foot sections to focus on doing.  When using your roller, go slow to avoid splatters and go in different directions to hit all angles.  To get closer to your trimmer in work, turn the roller sideways.  You may need to apply a second or even third coat after the first coat dries.

The Finishing Touch

Once you have finished applying all your coats, let the paint dry before removing your painter’s tape.  Do not wait too long after your paint dries, or you will peel your paint off as well.  Using a razor blade can help you remove the tape without pulling off paint.  Remember to clean your brushes and rollers when you are done.  Put your doors, and outlet covers back on and remove your flooring tarp.  Your room is ready to have it furniture added now.

Paint instantly changes the feel and tone to a room.  Whether you paint your space yourself or hire a professional, undoubtedly, a fresh paint job will transform your room’s entire look. 

What paint colors are you currently obsessed with using? We would love to hear below in the comment section.