Skip to main content
FamilyEducation
FamilyEducation
Family Education

FE-Menu

  • Pregnancy
    • <blank>
      • Pregnancy Tracker
      • Trying to Conceive
      • Signs & Symptoms
      • Pregnancy Health
    • <blank>
      • Baby Names
      • High Risk Pregnancies
      • Preparing for Baby
    • <blank>
      • Concerns & Complications
      • Labor & Delivery
      • Postpartum
  • Baby Names
    • <blank>
      • Browse All Baby Names (A-Z)
      • Top Names for Boys
      • Top Names for Girls
      • Baby Name Generator
    • <blank>
      • Baby Name Lists & Ideas
      • First Names By Origin
      • Browse All Last Names (A-Z)
      • Last Names by Origin
  • Babies
    • <blank>
      • Caring For Your Baby
      • Baby's Health
      • Feeding Your Baby
    • <blank>
      • Your Baby and Sleep
      • Baby's Growth & Development
      • Baby Hygiene
    • <blank>
      • Baby Safety
      • Baby Products
    • <blank>
  • Toddlers
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Growth and Development
    • <blank>
      • Toddler Behavior and Discipline
    • <blank>
      • Your Toddler and Sleep
  • Kids
    • <blank>
      • Health
      • Childhood Development
      • Fitness & Nutrition
      • Childhood Safety
    • <blank>
      • Communicating with Your Kids
      • Childhood Behavior and Discipline
      • Fostering Responsibility
      • Instilling Values & Manners
    • <blank>
      • Childcare
      • Neurodiversity in Kids
      • Adopting Children
  • Teens
    • <blank>
      • Teen Health
      • Teen Puberty & Sex
    • <blank>
      • Behavior & Discipline
      • Teen Social Development
    • <blank>
      • Values & Responsibilities
  • Activities
    • <blank>
      • Printables
      • Indoor Activities
      • Learning Activities
      • Arts and Crafts
      • Performing Arts
      • Food Activities
      • Outdoor Activities
    • <blank>
      • Books
      • TV
      • Movies
      • Online
      • Quizzes
      • Games
      • Celebrities
    • <blank>
      • Parties
      • Travel
      • Toys
      • Holidays
      • Gifts
  • Learning
    • <blank>
      • By Grade
      • By Subject
      • College
      • Preschool
    • <blank>
      • Back to School
      • Study Skills
      • Learning Styles
    • <blank>
      • Homeschooling
      • Parental Involvement
      • Your Child's School
  • Family Life
    • <blank>
      • Mom Life
      • Dad Life
      • Family Relationships
      • Having a Healthy Marriage
      • Divorce
    • <blank>
      • Health & Fitness
      • COVID Resources
      • Managing Your Home
      • Moving Your Family
      • Pets
    • <blank>
      • Family Finances
      • Work
      • Families and Food
  • NewslettersNewsletters
    Newsletters

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Family Life
  3. Managing Your Home
  4. Home Improvements and Maintenance
  5. Paint A Room, Painlessly

Paint a Room, Painlessly

Here are some tips on how to prepare your room to be painted, and some clean-up advice as well.
  • facebook share icon
  • pin
  • twitter share icon
  • email share icon
  • Print page icon

In this article, you will find:

  • The colors
  • The prep
  • The procedure

The colors

Paint a Room, Painlessly

Many factors contribute to the psychology and esthetics of a room, but none is more potent than wall color. And dollar for dollar, hour for hour, nothing returns more results than whole-room repainting.

This job calls for a logical work sequence. If you finish one process before starting another—clean all the walls before starting to patch them, for example—you'll be less confused, make fewer mistakes, and waste less time hauling tools and handling material. There is no need to wear a mask with latex paint, although it's always smart to keep some windows open for ventilation.

Step 1: The Color Scheme

Choose paint color carefully, since color may be the dominant factor in a room's personality. Colors have moods. Whites can make a room feel large and cheery, or cold or forbidding. Darker, more pronounced, colors can make a room feel cozy, inviting, or artistic—or small, even cave-like.

Here are some considerations for color selection:

Dave's Don'ts

Most people use flat or “eggshell,” a slightly glossy and easier-to-clean variation on flat, for walls, and semi-gloss paint for trim. Avoid full gloss enamel unless you have plenty of experience; it's difficult to avoid brushmarks.

  • What colors are in the trim, furniture, floor coverings, and artwork? Your paint should harmonize with these.

  • Loud colors give a sense of energy, while softer, more neutral colors are more calming.

  • Before selecting a bold color, make sure your family can live with it.

  • Neutral colors slip into the background. As you paint, the room may seem stark or boring—until you add color with furnishings, art, and floor coverings.

  • If your sense of color is as primitive as mine, take a look at the coordinated color combinations presented by paint companies.

  • Dark paints are hard to lighten. To make a quick jump toward white on a wall that's now dark, put two coats of a good primer under your paint.

  • Unless you enjoy redecorating, avoid the color of the week: Don't paint yourself into a corner by falling for a foolish fad.

  • Don't judge a color based on a postage-stamp sample. Buy a quart of the color and test it on your walls. Or buy from a paint store that mails out larger color samples.

Next: The prep

What's hot

  • Eye color genetic chart Family LifeWhat Color Will My Baby'…
  • 10 Signs of Divorce Family Life10 Signs Your Marriage is Over
  • woman standing on scale Family LifeWhat's a Normal BMI for…
  • Young girl eating a oatmeal with berries after a workout Family LifeCalorie Intake for Weight…
NewslettersNewsletters
Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning.
Family Education
FamilyEducation does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found here.

FE Footer

  • Newsletter Center
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Editorial Policy
  • Editorial Team
  • Expert Panel
  • Cookie Policy
  • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info (for CA Residents)
sandbox learning logo
Family Education is part of the Sandbox Learning family of educational reference sites for parents, teachers, and students. 

factmonster logoinfoplease logoTeacherVision logo

sandbbox logo
©2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company.