Painting a wall seems pretty self-explanatory, but it can actually get pretty complicated. You need to make sure you know what you’re doing when you paint.
That’s where BuzzFeed Nifty‘s video comes in handy. It’s your one-stop shop for all things paint, and it helped me out a ton. Here are some basics you need to know to paint your walls perfectly.
Picking Your Color
This is perhaps the most important step (besides actually painting, of course). Picking the color is what pulls the whole room together!
Keep in mind that you’ll want the colors to be lighter if it’s a smaller space– darker colors may close it off and make it look even smaller.
Also, you want the colors to match your decor and the rest of your home. Keep it as cohesive as possible: you don’t want a grey wall and a yellow wall making everything look off balance.
Picking Your Finish
There are 6 paint finishes you should know about before buying: flat, matte, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and high-gloss.
Flat and high-gloss are used the least, for things such as ceilings (flat,) or doors (high-gloss). The middle 4 are probably what you’re going to be working with.
There are benefits to each type of paint. For example, matte paint is super durable and eggshell resists dirt & grime.
You also need to keep in mind the style you’re going for. Want a matte wall? Go for matte or eggshell. Want something a little shinier? Go for a satin or semi-gloss.
Prep Your Space
1 gallon of paint will generally paint 400 square feet, so make sure you know your surface area and have all the paint you’ll need.
Wear an outfit you don’t care about, remove wall art, carpet, furniture, and anything else in the way, like outlets.
Dust and clean everything, then spackle up holes in the wall, sanding it down. Then place a primer on top. You’re ready to paint!
Painting
If you’re using more than one paint can, begin by pouring the cans into a 5-gallon bucket and mix them together thoroughly, just in case there are any inconsistencies in the paint’s colors.
Paint your edges and corners first, along with any areas with outlets. Once that’s done, make sure it’s still wet, then use your roller to paint the rest of the wall evenly, going over it one more time as she shows in the video below.
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For other tips on painting a wall, such as the materials you’ll need, cleanup and care, and more fine details on the other steps, watch BuzzFeed Nifty‘s video below.
Good luck!