Expert Tips on How to Paint Your Walls Like a Pro
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A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for a room’s overall appearance. Even if you’re working with a smaller space, an awkward layout, or outdated furniture —a fresh, clean paint job can make everything look more put together. If you’ve been wanting to switch up the style in your living room, bedroom, or anywhere in the house, one of the easiest ways to achieve it is with paint. You can do a feature wall, a color-block design, paint the entire room a color that matches the vibe you’re aiming for, or even create a striking pattern with your paint. You have a ton of creative freedom here! And knowing how to paint your walls yourself is a great way to save on cash and customize that new style you’re going for.
It’s easier than you might think to paint your walls. All it takes is the right supplies and a spare few hours. To help you get started, and provide you with a few tips and tricks that’ll make the whole process easier along the way, we put together a handy guide for you here! If you need some inspiration for living room or bedroom design ideas and color palette creation, we have you covered there, too. Grab your tools and get ready for a brand-new interior!
What You’ll Need
- Edging brush
- Roller brush and roller frame
- Roller tray
- Telescoping painter’s rod
- Paint primer
- Paint (of course!)
How to Prep and Paint Your Walls
1. Choose Your Shade
Picking a shade can feel overwhelming, but Kendra Amin-Dufton and Brad Dufton, interior designers and color consultants at Color Theory Boston, have been advising clients for years and can help you, too.
First, think about what you’re drawn to. Do you lean toward cool tones (blue, green, purple), or are warm tones (red, orange, yellow) more your thing? You can pinpoint the undertones of a color by looking at the darkest color at the bottom of a paint strip; this is the “true” color.
In addition to your likes (and dislikes), think about what you’d like the color to do for the room. “Warm colors can be stimulating, so try them in spaces where you might want to encourage movement, like a hallway,” says Amin-Dufton. Cool tones, which can feel clean and crisp, are often used in tight spaces like the bathroom and laundry room. Choosing a wall color that’s in the same family will tie the room together. Going for a contrasting color will give you a bolder look.
When you think you’ve found your winner, give it a test run. Buy a sample and paint a good-size swatch (at least 6 x 6 inches or so) at eye level, and live with it for a few days. (Many paint brands now offer peel-and-stick swatches, so you can try out a color without ever touching a brush!) Check out how it looks throughout the day, since lighting will have a huge effect.
2. Find the Right Finish
Once you have your color, it’s time to figure out what finish you want. This comes down to two things: looks and practicality.
Matte or flat paint reflects no light. A matte finish can hide blemishes like scratches or dents, but it can also be difficult to clean, making it best for ceilings or low-traffic areas.
Eggshell paint has a bit more sheen. It’s easier to clean than matte and conceals minor flaws, which makes it a go-to for most interior rooms. We recommend it for most interior walls.
Satin is similar to eggshell, but with a bit more sheen. It’s easy to clean, which makes it great for higher-traffic areas, like hallways, playrooms, door frames, and doors.
Semi-gloss has more sheen than satin finish, which makes it highly washable. Semi-gloss finish is most often used for trim and cabinetry.
High-gloss finish is very shiny. It’s the easiest to clean and the most durable, so it’s great for areas that need frequent cleaning like kitchen cabinets or railings. But because of its shine, it’s not usually used for walls.
Now that you have your color and finish picked out, it’s time to buy your paint! Before you commit, do your research. There are lots of eco-friendly, low-VOC (volatile organic compound) options widely available now, both from the classic paint brands and modern brands like Backdrop.
3. Grab Your Gear
Time to make your shopping list! For priming the walls, you’ll need a paint scraper to get rid of any peeling paint or small bumps and a spackling kit and a putty knife for filling holes. To keep the paint where you want it (only on the walls), pick up a drop cloth to cover the floor and some blue painter’s tape to protect the ceiling and trim.
Grab an edging brush to help you get the spots that a roller can’t reach. Don’t skimp here. A high-quality brush will make it easy to get clean, straight lines, which will give your paint job a professional look. To make quick work of the rest of the room, pick up a pack of nine-inch paint rollers, a roller frame, a telescoping painter’s rod (for tall walls and ceilings), and a paint tray.
Pro tip: Dunking your brush wastes paint. The paint should go only one-third to halfway up the bristles.
4. Prep Your Walls
“Walls should be clean, dry, dull, and sound,” says Rick Watson, director of product information and technical services at Sherwin-Williams. The more you prep them up front, the better your paint job will look.
First, Watson recommends dusting the walls with a clean, damp rag. Next, scrape peeling paint, fill any cracks or nail holes, sand them down, and spot-treat the areas with primer. Stick your painter’s tape in foot-long strips along the trim and other woodwork, overlapping the strips so the paint won’t seep through.
Now apply a coat or two of primer. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should be thorough. Let it dry before starting with your paint color.
5. Get Rolling!
Now that the prep is done, you’re ready for the fun part! Open the paint can and give it a good stir. Next, grab your edging brush. The paint should go only one-third to halfway up the brush. Use it to paint a three-to five-inch border around the ceiling and trim, and hit the corners with it, too.
Then pour your paint into the tray and load up your roller. Start spreading the paint onto the wall in large V shapes, occasionally taking a step back to check for any blank or thin spots. Let the first coat dry before applying a second. If you’re leaving the first coat to dry overnight, wash out your brushes and rollers, so they’re clean and ready for the next round. After the second coat dries, check to make sure the paint is even, then clean up the room and admire your work. Nicely done!
By Christina Poletto
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