There are many ways to update or redecorate a room. You can buy new furniture or accessories, change your window treatments or go for a new style of wall decor. However, all these methods can involve considerable expense and time spent searching for just the right items to achieve the look you’re after.
Any interior designer will tell you that
the most dramatic change you can make in a room is to repaint it; as a bonus, it’s one of the cheapest ways to make a big change in a hurry. A Fun Way to Decorate on the Cheap
Grabbing a can or two of a fresh new color and some inexpensive tools are all you need to get the job done. Although painting does necessitate an investment of time and effort, it can be a fun way for a family to spend the weekend. Or, throw a painting party, buy a few pizzas and invite your friends to help out.
Try starting with one room at a time. Your lounge is a good place to start as this is usually the meeting point for family and friends. Sometimes even painting one wall can make a huge difference to a room. So if you are a first timer, try this before tackling a whole room.
Here are some guidelines for best results – go on – spoil yourself – think of it as a gym workout with much higher returns
Preparation of walls is vital for a good finish. A little extra time spent on this is well worth the effort - You will want to make sure you have a clean wall. Wipe the walls with a damp cloth and make sure there is no dust. Dust left on a wall will leave your wall with an uneven look and less than professional.
Make sure you are working in a well ventilated space. This is important since you do not want to directly breathe in paint fumes. Simply prop the door to the room open and open a few windows. It may also be a good idea to turn a fan on to circulate the air in the room.
The floor should be covered to avoid drips or spills which can be very difficult to clean up. A drop cloth can be obtained at a paint store or hardware store. You can also use an old sheet as a drop cloth. Make sure there are no holes in it and place the drop cloth snuggly against the wall. You may want to tape this down so that it does not shift while you are working. Move or cover furnishings.
Use ready mixed polyfiller to fill in holes and cracks (follow instructions on packaging). Once dry sand these sections to ensure a smooth surface. Also go over the walls with a piece of sandpaper and remove any lumps or uneven spots. Untreated these spots will be evident after you paint. Wipe down the walls again with a damp cloth.
Cover any trim around windows and doors with masking tape. Make sure that the trim is completely covered and try to avoid placing tape on the wall.
You can use a primer for a really professional look but this is not essential. How ever if the wall you are painting is already a dark colour then a primer will be necessary. Apply primer with a roller. The primer creates a coat over the old paint and allows the new paint to apply easier.
That all done you are now ready to paint.
In our next blog we will give you ideas and tips for creating accents and making colour choices. We’ll share tips on painting.
We look forward to hearing about your creative success.
Happy painting
