Fall is the perfect time to give an interior a new look, and a fresh coat of paint can be both exciting and rewarding.  If you haven’t done much painting before, fear not.  Although there is an art to painting that only an experienced professional can bring, you can still make a room look great.  Follow these simple steps and enjoy the process.  It’s time to give your home a fantastic make-over!

The Right Colour

This is everybody’s favourite part.  Picking colours for a room is a creative process that can be exciting.  It can also be fraught with danger.  Odd or mix-mashed colours can be jarring to the eye and can even give strange and unwanted optical illusions.

To counter this problem, follow these simple rules when choosing colours.  First, be aware that lighter colours will make a room appear larger.  Darker colours will make it seem smaller and cosier.  Decide what kind of effect you wish the room to have and paint accordingly.

Generally speaking, it is a good idea to paint the ceiling a lighter colour than the walls.  This will give your walls a sense of height.   Occasionally, designers will break this rule and paint the ceiling darker than the walls to give the room a cave-like atmosphere.  This is usually only for a special effect and will not occur in a living room or other large common space.  As a last rule, always keep the floors darker than the walls and ceiling.

The Right Paint

What kind of paint should you choose?  Oil paint is long lasting and durable, but it is also very difficult to work with.  It is hard to get out of floors if there is a spill.  Brushes must we cleaned with chemicals.  Professional painters use oil based paints because they are extremely high quality.  They also have the experience and patience to know how to get the most out of these paints.

For the lay person who doesn’t want to be scrubbing carpets with turpentine, a water-based latex paint is probably the way to go.  Latex can be cleaned off floors with a rag, and brushes will be ready for their next job after a rinse under the tap.  Life is short.  Go for latex.

The next thing to consider is the texture of the paint.  Flat or eggshell finishes are perfect for the walls in most rooms.  A gloss or semi-gloss is usually reserved for the trim.  Sometimes a professional will think ahead and suggest a gloss paint for a bathroom or child’s room.  A gloss is much smoother than a flat finish and will therefore be easier to clean.