Preparing to Paint Your Home

Whether it is a new-to-you space or a familiar one, painting can always be a fun project. While fun, it can also feel overwhelming. To help prevent it from feeling that way, let’s go over some tips and tricks to making this process as easy as you can.

Before you first shake up and open that paint can, it is important to plan out what you want your room to look like. Picking your color is a fun part of the process but you’ll want to keep some things in mind:

Lighting:

Consider the lighting in your room. If you do not have a lot of natural light or if there is dim lighting, you will want to consider a lighter color than a darker one.

Need some inspiration? See what’s trending this year.

Other colors in the room:

Coordinate your paint colors with your furniture and curtains. While those items are replaceable, it is a good idea to see if your paint swatch will go with that color beforehand, so you don’t have to purchase new if you weren’t wanting to.

TIP: If you do have a room that you want to keep light but add a bit of drama, consider doing an accent wall!

Couple painting a wall in their home together. A woman is standing on a ladder while a man paints with a roller.

Materials:

Once you have picked out your paint colors, it’s time to gather your supplies.

  • Besides the paint, you’ll need an angled brush to cut in and rollers for the walls.
  • To protect your floors, add an old sheet or cotton drop cloth to your list. (You can always shop a thrift store for old sheets too).
  • Using quality painter’s tape will help prevent paint bleeding through and last, but not least, primer. Primer is cheaper and will help you use less coats of paint. It may feel like more work at the beginning but skipping this step will have you wishing you didn’t in the end.

Before you start your project, consider your local weather. The less humidity, the faster your paint will dry and will prevent drip marks on the wall. Prepping your walls before painting is also important as it adheres the best to a clean surface. If you have wallpaper, consider whether you want to remove it or paint over it.

Tip: If you start painting but need to stop. You can wrap your roller or brush in plastic wrap then place in the fridge. This will help keep your paint fresh, so you don’t have to wash it out in between coats.

Now that you know all that you need to get started, let’s get that project going!

Want to switch up your furniture to match your own room but don’t want to buy new? Check out how here.