5 Painting Tips to Get the Job DONE!
If you feel like you need a little bit of a change in your life you may be surprised by the effects of simply repainting a room. Your office needs a little lift? Add an accent wall. Your bedroom needs a little more attitude? Buy some painters tape for $4 and see where your creative side will take you. You don’t have to be an artist to make a cool art deco wall, you just need a little courage and maybe some helpful tips.
Get Inspired!
1. When deciding what color to choose, draw inspiration from a photo or piece that makes you feel… special. If there is a photo of you and your family on vacation that always brings a smile to your face, choose colors that remind you of that memory or actually use that photo as a main focal point and color match. Or, if you have a neat art piece or velvet chair that your grandfather gave you, use that as inspiration! Home Depot actually has an app that allows you to color match by using the camera on your phone-check it out, its fun to do!
Test First
2. When choosing bold colors, always test the color by painting a small section of the wall and then letting it dry overnight. I know, its hard to be patient (slow down Edward Roller Hands) once you get going but this step will save you time and money. Letting it dry is key, some paints when dry will be MUCH lighter than what they look like in the can. You don’t want to paint the whole room and find out its not what you were looking for and have to start all over.
3. Knowing which finish to use is also very important, you won’t want to use the wrong paint in high traffic areas because there will be more evidence of fingerprints, splatters from spills, or debris from a wet dog shaking dry. Alternatively a high shine on the ceiling is not usually the desired look, it draws too much attention the the ceiling and makes the room look smaller.
Prime!
4. Don’t skip the primer! I know you’re thinking you can probably pass right over this step and save some time, but anytime you are going from one color to another its going to be a mess unless you get a top quality paint. Even if you are starting out with a very neutral color like beige or light gray walls, skipping the primer is going to change the color of your next coat giving you different results than you expected.
Prep Your Walls!
5. Before you even tape out the trim the first thing you need to do is make sure your starting with a nice canvas. Wash your walls (dirt will show through if not), patch and sand any holes, and remove everything from the walls. Fill in any nail or tack holes, and if there is peeling paint sand it down and putty around the edges so its smooth. I cannot tell you how many times I’m showing a house and a piece of the wall is white from the owner painting around the object. Just take it down it saves us all a lot of grief!