Think about how you will use the room
- Is the room small and cosy or large and bright? Do you spend time reading, working or relaxing in it?
- The colour of a room can affect more than just how it looks. Lighter finishes can reflect light better than darker colours and can even help to keep you safer on your feet in low light.
Prepare the room
- Move furniture away from walls and keep the floors clear around the areas you will be decorating.
- Use dustsheets, drop cloths or old sheets to cover and protect furniture.
- If laying sheets on the floor, ensure they do not gather and create a trip hazard. You can even tape sheets to the floor to keep them in place.
Tool up
- If you are painting ceilings or high walls, you can buy extendable rollers instead of using stepladders or standing on stools.
- If you need to reach higher, consider getting a work platform. They provide a more stable surface to work from than stepladders or stools.
- You can ask for advice in most DIY stores, they will be happy to help you find the right tools for your specific job.
Prepare the surface
- Clean and prep the walls by filling holes, sanding rough spots, and wiping down walls with sugar soap to ensure a clean smooth surface for paint application.
Use good quality paint
- Investing in good quality paint will provide better coverage and durability. Think about the type of finish that will be best for the room.
- Certain paints are easier to wipe down, or made specifically for kitchens and bathrooms.
- Consider the best finish for the function of the room or surface – e.g. matte, satin, gloss.
Test colours
- Before committing to a colour, test paint samples on a small section of the wall to see how they look.
- Different lighting, types of light bulb and even the time of day can make the colour appear different.
Use primer
- Applying primer helps the paint to stick better to the surface and provides a more even finish. This is even more important for drastic colour changes or going from darker to lighter colours.
Work from top to bottom
- Start with ceilings, then move to walls and then to skirting boards and trims. This helps to catch paint drips as you paint downwards.
Cut in before rolling
- Use a brush to cut in around the edges and corners before using a roller for larger areas for a more even finish.
Take breaks
- Decorating can be time consuming. Take breaks to avoid fatigue, and allow each coat to dry before applying the next.
Keep it simple
- Fashions change and move on. Decorating can be a great way to add some personal style to your home, but a clean simple backdrop (that won’t go out of fashion or need redecorating before necessary) can still be personalised with soft furnishing, pictures and belongings – and last for years!
- If you are thinking about moving home in the future, or decorating ready for sale, then simple is always better. A simple finish will help prospective buyers visualise their own belongings in the space.