Painting (Interior)

A fresh coat of paint really recharges a room! Whether brightening an old wall, adding bold new colors, or covering the previous tenant's brazen old colors, painting really makes a difference.

The first step in painting is surface preparation. Now is the time to cover nail holes, repair any cracks or gouges, and fix any other problems that will distract the viewer. I prefer to take the time to fix these small problems before painting.

When changing colors (from light to dark or dark to light), it is usually a good idea to paint with primer first, to prevent the old color from bleeding through. Even then, it might be necessary to apply two coats of the new paint.

If you are thinking of painting the walls of a room, now is the easiest time to paint the ceiling. You might be surprised how much brighter the room can be. And some designers suggest a glossy white ceiling paint, which brightens the room even more.

Both latex paints and oil paints are viable today. Latex paints are catching up to the quality of oil paints, but some people find that oil paint provides better durability and washability, which can be important on trim. Regardless of your choice, I can use either one. The key question to consider is whether an oil paint was previously used on the area. Areas previously painted with oil paints must either be repainted with oil paint, or painted with a primer followed by a latex paint. If in doubt, try painting a test spot and seeing if the paint sticks and endures.

This is an example of a two-tone kitchen I painted.

 

"Before" and "after" pictures of a bedroom I painted.

 

You might be surprised how much whiter your ceiling could be!