Colour me beautiful
There’s no time like right now to crack into that painting job you’ve been putting off for months, writes Kylie Klein-Nixon.
You’ve been staring at that beige/off-white/ awkward purple wall for weeks and it’s not getting any less ugly.
The fence has been mended, the shelves have all been put up and you’ve procrastinated as much as you can. There’s nothing else for it, you’re going to have to paint it. How hard can it be? Just splash a bit of paint around – hey presto, chic fresh decor. Right?
You hit the hardware store, fired up with creativity. . . and it all comes crashing to a halt when you’re confronted by row upon row of paint chips, paint types, brushes, rollers, sponges, trays and drop cloths. Where on earth do you start?
Paint selection’s the easy bit, says Resene painting expert Jay Sharples. It’s choosing the colour that’s difficult, so that’s where you begin.
Step 1: Assess the room
While what type of paint you use is down to ‘‘personal preference’’, Sharples says it pays to take stock of the room before you go anywhere near a hardware store.
What’s the room for? Who will be using it most often? Will pets and children give the walls a hard time? Where’s the sun coming in and for how long each day? Do you want to warm up the room or cool it down? In a bathroom or kitchen, will steam be an issue?
Different paints work best in different environments, so having a clear idea of these things will narrow down your paint choices from the get go.
‘‘The flatter you go, the harder it is to keep clean and it will mark up easier,’’ says Sharples.
For kitchens or hallways, or if you’ve got kids, stay away from gloss and go low-sheen, just so you can keep the walls tidy.
‘‘The higher the gloss level, the more imperfections it will show. If you’ve got dead straight, flush walls, go with full gloss. If you have dings and scratches in there – go for low sheen.’’
When in doubt, ask at the store – they can advise you on the best kind of paint for your room.
Step 2: Clear and clean
It’s a good idea to tidy the room up, and rid yourself of clutter so you can see it at its best to judge your colour choices (see step 3). It’ll also make it easy to empty the room when it’s time to paint.
Step 3: Choose your colour
Take as long as you need with this one and refer back to your room assessment (step 1).
When you hit the hardware store, Sharples suggests choosing as many paint chips (the little squares of colour on the sample sheets) as you’re interested in and taking them home for a think.
‘‘Once you’ve narrowed it down to a few colours, we’ve got A4-sized paint chips, which are easier to get a feel for when you put them up on the wall. Don’t start with the A4 ones though, you’ll end up with a table full of them, which turns into a rainbow effect and is hard to choose from.’’
Once you have two or three top contenders, get a test pot.
‘‘Paint it onto an A3 sheet of paper or card, rather than paint directly on to the wall, so you can move it around. Check it at different times of day, next to windows, in corners, to make sure you’re happy with the colour before you paint the entire wall.
‘‘If you just paint onto the wall you get the rainbow issue again and it’ll still be hard to decide.’’
If you are struggling, Sharples advises arranging a free in-store colour consult with a Resene colour specialist. You can book in advance and take along any pictures or colour samples you like for inspiration.
Step 4: Buy, or clean and prep, your supplies
Do this at least a day before you plan to paint, again, so you don’t
lose momentum and you’re ready to go first thing in the morning.
For the prep work: Resene suggests Selley’s Rapid Filla, Resene Sureseal and Selleys No More Gaps for fixing the walls. If you’re painting over wallpaper, make sure edges and rips are stuck down with something like Selleys Aquadhere and the walls have been sealed.
Paint: Measure your walls and use an online paint calculator to see how much paint you’ll need. An average open plan kitchen and living room will use 4 to 6 litres of paint. You’ll need at least two coats, so don’t skimp.
Tools: You may have some of these already. If so, make sure they’re all clean and in good repair. If not, a good DIY starter kit should come with a roller, handle and sleeve, a couple of brushes and sandpaper – the basics you’ll need to get started.
‘‘You’ll need a small brush to cut in the corners and around the ceiling line, and a roller to roll out the walls,’’ says Sharples. ‘‘You’ll also need a couple of medium-sized brushes for sills, skirtings and architraves.’’
It’s also worth investing in decent drop cloths. Sharples advises against using sheets ‘‘because paint will just go through the sheets and stain the carpets’’.
When you’re rolling walls, Sharples says it’s good to use a roller pole, so you can maintain the same pressure the whole way up to the ceiling.
Step 5: Prepare the room
So you know what kind of paint and colour you’re going to use? It’s a good idea to prep the room even before you buy the paint – so you can store the tins in the room and be ready to go in the morning, rather than losing steam after a trip to a busy hardware store on a Saturday morning.
Remove everything you can from the room and push the furniture in to the middle of the room, or up against the furthest