Best Home Interior Painting Design

Are you ready to give your home an updated look? Don't forget these most important details when painting the interior of your home.

Sheen Is Important

The finish of your paint, or sheen, will have a major impact on your walls. Gloss, satin, egg shell – with these options comes many considerations. High-traffic areas do well with gloss or satin as they hold up better to touching and can be cleaned more easily. But, they can make wall imperfections (wavy drywall, patched areas) much more pronounced. A more matte-like finish, such as flat, will not clean as well or endure touches as well, but you won't see imperfections as much.

Embrace Color

Don't fear the bold colors! Select colors that add depth and texture to a room. Understand the psychology of color and use it to your advantage. A calming color, such as one in the blue family, is great for a bedroom.

Try Samples First

No need to guess how good (or bad) a color will look on your wall. For a fraction of the cost of a gallon of paint, you can purchase sample pints, take them home, and test them out. This will help you judge how a color will look on a larger area better than a swatch can provide. It's better to spend just a few dollars on a sample than big bucks on gallons only to find out the color won't work.

Do the Math

Of course, you'll need to know the total area you're going to paint (add up all the square footage of your walls, including alcoves and dormers, plus a little extra), but you'll also need to account for multiple coats, primer and the porosity of the walls. It's best to have some paint left over for repair work later on, so get more than you need.

Be a Prepper

Prep work will be the vast majority of your time spent painting the interior of your home. You'll need to tape off areas for sharp lines, move furniture and furnishings, repair and patch any imperfections, protect the floors, and remove things like switch plates and doorknobs. At least three-quarters of your time will be spent doing these tasks.

Primer Is Key

Unless you're buying a primer and paint all-in-one mixture, you'll need to prime your walls, particularly if you are drastically changing the wall color (tinted primer is key in that situation). Primer not only covers up colors and stains, it also adds a layer to allow the top coat of paint to better adhere, giving you a much better result.