Decorating Tips on Painting Your Home, Inside and Out

First things first when painting is to decide what areas you would like to paint and to pick your colors. You can get some suggestions on the web. Look at sites like Benjamin Moore for some ideas. You can plan a consultation with an Interior Designer, such as weberlifedesign.com, for expert color selection.

When painting the exterior you will want to look at the surrounding neighborhood. You want your home to coordinate with your neighbors. No one wants a house painted in fuchsia next door to them (unless you find a rare “painted lady” neighborhood). Look at houses in your area for ideas. If you have a Victorian house in a Victorian town, like Sea Cliff, NY, you can play with a few different colors. You do not want your home to clash with the neighbors but do want it to stand alone. Neutrals are nice. Make sure to paint the trim in a contrasting color or three shades lighter or darker than your main color. If you have shingles, or flower boxes, these can be painted in another color to stand out a little. If you want to have fun and have a touch of individualism, paint your front door in a bold color like red or yellow. Just make sure that the color works with the rest of your home.

Interior Colors should flow from room to room. If you have a “great room” for your Kitchen and family Room then you will want the walls to be painted in the same color to keep the constancy of the merged areas. You may have one wall (like a fireplace wall) that you can paint in another accent color. Smaller rooms like foyers and bathrooms are fun to paint in bolder colors. Just make sure that they will blend into the next room’s décor. Pull a couple of colors from a favorite painting, area rug or some pillows that you are using.

Moldings and doors do not have to be in contrasting white only. You may paint trim in a color darker than the walls too. If painting the walls neutral you can be really adventurous and paint the molding in a color, like gold or blue.  Paint the ceiling three shades lighter than your wall color. Use multiple colors from the same palette to stay with the continuity of your abode’s décor. Never combine different sets of colors, such as bold colors with pastels or earth tones.

Get a few sample color swatches to bring home before you make your final color choice. It is important to see the color outside of the store in the natural daylight and with your interior lighting. Lighting can change a color dramatically. If you still cannot decide, you can then pick up some sample-sized paints to try before investing in a gallon.

Kitchens and Bathrooms should be painted in an easy to clean semi-gloss. All other rooms can be painted in a satin or eggshell finish. Keep in mind that the flatter paint finishes will hide wall imperfections better. Latex paint for the walls is very easy to use, dries quickly and cleans up with water. Trim, railings, and doors should be painted high gloss. Oil-based high gloss paint will make these high traffic areas easier to keep clean. Oil-based enamel paint dries to a water tight tough finish that will take a beating. Any oil-based paint will need to be cleaned up with paint thinner. A painter’s trick is to add four drops of vanilla extract for each quart of paint to cut any odor.

Keep in mind that custom mixed paints can vary slightly from can to can. Be careful to buy enough paint at the start of your project so that all the areas painted in the customized color will match. If you have two gallons then you may mix a little from both together in a paint tray or bowl to paint from, as you go, to assure that you are painting the same color on all walls.

You can give the measurements of the area(s) to be painted to your paint salesperson so they can determine how much paint you will need. A gallon of paint will cover about 300 square feet of wall area. Self priming paint will save you the step of priming and usually covers completely in 1 to 2 coats. You might pay more per gallon but you will use less material. It will take half the time to paint then using traditional paint with a separate primer. When using the self priming paint, professional painters will charge the same for prep time but should charge less for their painting time.

Surfaces should be properly prepared before painting. Make sure your surfaces are scrubbed, repaired, and smoothed before they are painted. Take off any switch and outlet cover plates, and unscrew light sconces and ceiling fixtures so that surfaces behind them can be easily painted. Fill any cracks, holes or surface imperfections with spackle and sand to a smooth finish. Stir 1 cup of vinegar into 1 gallon of water to clean walls.

Use edging tools for trimming around doors, windows and the baseboard. Paint pads cover faster than a brush and will provide a smoother finish than a roller cover. High quality brushes and rollers will give you the best applications. Use a good quality brush. I like a 2.5 inch angle brush for painting trim, doors, and corners, and a 2 inch sash brush for windows. A roller with a 3/8″ or 1/2″ nap is good for most walls.

Paint trim work first before walls. When trim is dry, if you need to, use painters tape to tape edges, then paint your walls and ceiling. If you are steady, a good edger can be used instead of any tape. Make sure to clean up as you go.  You can keep your brush or roller wet between coats or overnight by covering tightly in a wet paper towel (water for latex, paint thinner for oil) placed in plastic wrap or a plastic bag.

When finished and completely dry remove any tape (you may want to score edges with a knife to prevent paint from peeling) and replace wall plates and light fixtures.

Paint is a great way to refresh. It is a budget-friendly way to redecorate. It is amazing how a new color will bring an entire new attitude and expression to your abode. Think of it as changing your hair color or make-up. Your living space is getting a face lift and you get to live in its glory.

Celebrate the colors around you and never be afraid to dance!

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