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Interior Painting Ideas and Guide To Successful Interior DecoratingInterior Painting Ideas Guide.
Welcome to my painting Ideas guide. In this article I will attempt to give you lots of interior painting ideas and interior painting tips. We will be discussing choosing interior paint colours and sheens, how to paint, and clean-up will be explained in this guide. When I am contemplating revamping a living space I try to keep things as simple as possible. Therefore the simplest way to change the décor and refresh a room is to add colour with a coat of paint. It will make the space look cleaner, fresher and brighter and it's an easy way to re-invigorate a tired space, or simply change the mood of your room. And Bang for your Buck this has to be quickest way to achieve a dramatic new look to any room. I have proved that home interior decorating is the most cost effective form of property renovation. The Quest For Interior painting Ideas Daunting For beginners For the beginner to interior house painting the thought of doing it can be daunting. Just trying to pick interior paint colours can have even the most decisive interior house painter pulling their hair out. however when your interior painting ideas take shape, and you have decided on interior paint colours for your project, you will need to decide the type of finish that will fit in with your interior painting ideas. The choices range from flat, satin, semi-gloss, gloss, or, that ever-confounding "eggshell" (which looks pretty much like "flat" to most people.) And you haven't even picked up a roller yet! In this article we will provide you with a number of interior painting tips and interior painting ideas to help you find the easiest way to get a great paint job. Interior Painting Ideas and Tips One of your interior painting Ideas is to look at the mood you want to create in your room. If you are retaining existing furniture pictures or wall hangings, your interior painting ideas will need to be flexible enough to fit into the theme you wish to create. Paint and Mood The first thing to think about is your favourite colours. Many of us have strong emotional reactions to colour. When you are looking for interior painting ideas one of the places you might look for inspiration from is your wardrobe. Chances are, the colours you wear are those that make you feel comfortable, relaxed, and attractive. Alternatively your interior painting ideas might be influenced by how you want to feel in the room. The interior paint colours you choose will have a huge effect on the atmosphere the room creates. For example Your interior painting Ideas for a bedroom, you might consider calming tones like blues, greens, and lavenders--or a bright sunny yellow to wake up to in the morning. In general, warm tones (reds, oranges, yellows) make the room feel warm and cosy and make us feel energized, while cool ones are soothing. A neutral shade will create a subtle ambiance and be a blank canvas for your furniture or other features. Dark colours are not suitable for small spaces as these can be quite claustrophobic. Before you begin look at what is in your room If you intend retaining most or all of the furniture and art or wall hangings your interior painting ideas will need to take into account the colour of these items. When you are gathering your interior painting ideas to ensure everything will work, is to either get a swatch of your upholstery fabric if you have any(or a pillow,if you don't have a swatch) with you when you select your interiorpaint colours. Another option when you are gathering interior painting ideas is to purchase a few test pots of paint in different shades, put them up on the walls, and live with them for a few days. Either way, it's best to figure it out before you paint, rather than after you've finished the entire room. About Paint Sheens Paint can be purchased in varying sheens, “Sheen” describes the shininess or lustre the paint has. Flat paint: Has no sheen at all i.e. there is no shine or lustre. Out of all of the different sheens, flat is the most difficult to clean. Eggshell sheen paint: Has slightly more shine than flat, and consequently is a little bit easier to clean. Satin Finish Paint: Isn't exactly "shiny" but it does have a soft sheen to it and is probably the least amount of sheen I would recommend for use in most situations. Semi-Gloss Paint: Is by far the best choice for any interior paint in your room. It has a nice lustre, and smudges (even crayon) wipe off easily with a damp cloth. High Gloss Paint: Is very shiny and works well for highlighting mouldings and window trims, and is easily cleaned. Tools List • Paint roller and several roller covers. Go with a low nap (thickness of the roller cover) for most walls; a high nap is best for textured walls. • Paint tray • Extension pole (for painting the ceiling) • Ladder and or trestles • Brushes or paint pads. Paint pads are a good choice here for the novice painter because they don't leave brush marks. You will be using brushes or paint pads to "cut in" along the edges, as well as to paint trim. • Protective drop sheets • Sharp paint scrapers • Wire brush • Sugar soap & any domestic kitchen cleaner • Fillers • Filling knife • Sandpaper, all grades • Caulking gun • Paint stripper • Masking tape • Quality paint brushes • Turpentine
How to Paint Once we settle on the look and feel for our room the next thing we have to do is to implement our plan. Below is a guide on how to paint our room/s 1. Clear as much furniture as possible out of the room. Use drop sheets to cover any furniture that can’t be taken out of the room while you paint. Also cover the floors with drop sheets as well. 2. Ensure any grimy walls get thoroughly cleaned, greasy build up or crayon marks must also be cleaned off the walls with a cloth and some spray cleaner (whatever you use to clean your kitchen surfaces or you can use sugar soap.) Greasy marks if left will show through your final paint job, so make sure the surface to be painted is thoroughly clean and grease free. 3. Surface Preparation The key to a successful paint job is to prep, prep, and more prep. The better you prepare the surface, the more professional the finished job will look. So check your surface and deal with any problems before you even lift a paintbrush or roller. I can't stress it enough that the success of your interior decorating project’ comes down to how thoroughly your preparation is done. The more effort put into preparing the surface of the walls the more professional the finish will look so don’t skimp on this as time spent on preparation is time well spent. 4. Filling and patching cracks and blemishes If there are cracks and blemishes in areas of the wall you will need to decide if the crack is in an area affected by movement, for example where two surfaces join. If there is no movement, use a spatula or putty knife to apply filler. For very deep crevices you may need to apply the filler again, in case there is any shrinkage when the filler sets. For joints around doors or architraves where there may be movement, always use flexible filler, and apply it with a caulking gun for a smooth finish. 5. Dents and dings in gib board Where there are dings or dents, scrape away any loose paint and fill the indentations using a putty knife. For larger areas, a self adhesive patch underneath makes a tidy surface. Cut away the damaged area, apply the patch with contact adhesive, and then apply the filler. 6. Sanding to a smooth finish Gloss or semi-gloss surfaces must be sanded to roughen up the surface so the paint can grip it properly. With wood, always sand in the direction of the grain. On plaster, start with medium grade sandpaper then finish with a fine grade. 7. Masking Up Mask all electrical outlets and light sockets to protect them from getting paint on them. Mask off areas you don't want to paint, such as trim. If you have a steady hand you could try to cut in these with your paint brush, but the masking tape will give you a cleaner line. 8. Pre-paint coatings You've spent valuable time preparing your surfaces, but you need to put your first layers of cover, before you put on your final colour. Pre-paint coatings are essential if you want to achieve the best finish, without it being sealed, primed or undercoated, your surfaces just will not look their best, or last as long.
9. Paint Quantities Not sure how much paint you'll need? As a quick guide, 1 litre covers approximately 15 square metres. Therefore Paint quantity Required (litres) = Area of painted surface x 15 x number of coats. As a general rule, new gib must be sealed and bare timber primed. The type of undercoat varies, depending on the surface. If you're not sure which sealer, primer or undercoats to use, have a chat with the friendly staff at your local paint supply store, they will be happy to help. 10. Applying the paint For the final coats, choose the finish that best suits the durability you need. Interior Painting Ideas Tip #1 Pre-moisten your brush with the right liquid - water for acrylics, turps for oil based paints. To stop paint running down the brush handle, don't dip your brush more that 30mm into the paint can. Tap it to remove excess paint. 11. Paint Applications Gloss: Shiny, durable - ideal in kitchens, bathrooms, house exteriors and high traffic areas. Withstands harsher cleaning. Satin: Also called semi-gloss or low sheen. A hard working easy clean surface. Ideal for living room walls and woodwork. Matt/Flat: Ideal for areas that require little ongoing cleaning. Perfect for ceilings and bedrooms. Surface-by-surface Ceilings: Use a flat acrylic finish. For rooms with an open fire, use satin for washability. Kitchens and bathrooms may need the durability of a semi-gloss. Interior Painting Tip #2 To paint ceilings, make a paint shield by punching a hole in a plastic ice-cream container lid and attach it to the roller handel. Walls: Low sheen or matt finish. Woodwork: Enhance the natural timbers with a satin or semi-gloss finish. 12. Painting in the right order Work from the top down. Start with the ceiling and move down to walls, doors and windows. Completely finish a wall before stopping and use natural break points like a window frame. 13. Interior Painting Ideas Tip #3 Applicator paint pads are ideal for 'cutting in' around door edges. 14. Handling the paint Thoroughly mixing your paint is vital. Make sure the temperature hasn't dropped below 10°C or the paint won't flow smoothly or set properly. Check the guidelines on your cans for re-coating times. It's important to follow these suggestions, taking into account the temperature, humidity and the type of paint you're using. One heavier coat is not as good as two thinner coats as it may not dry properly. Remember to never paint over an area that is partially dried. Leave runs and re-sand once dry. Interior Painting Ideas Tip #4 Store cleaned paint brushes by wrapping them in newspaper and storing them out of direct sunlight. 15. Using a roller Choose a roller sleeve for the paint effect you require. Use zigzag strokes - rolling upwards on the first stroke, then even out with parallel strokes. Wrap the roller in cling wrap if you take a break. Interior Painting Ideas Tip #5 To avoid paint splatter, don't overload the roller with paint. Eliminate the 'orange peel' effect with rollers by using a short mohair 8mm pile. Store roller covers upright, so you don't flatten the pile. 16. When painting a light color over a dark color, you will need to apply primer the same way as painting the finish paint and then let it dry and follow up with one to two coats of under coat paint then two coats of finishing coat paint. 17. Cutting In: This basically means painting all of the edges and corners that your rollers wouldn't be able to fit into. Areas that should be cut in with either a paint brush or paint pad include: over and under mouldings, around window and door trims, into corners, and where the walls meet the ceiling. 18. Once you're finished cutting in, it's time to get out the roller. The best way to roll paint out is to use long, even strokes. Saturate your roller in the paint tray, and start rolling it out. Once you start running out of paint, go back to the tray and reload your roller. For ceilings, attach an extension pole to your roller. It will make the job a lot easier. 19. Wait for the first coat to dry. Most rooms need two coats. 10. Apply the second coat the same way you applied the first, cutting in first and then rolling out. 21. Clean up. Pull off any tape you used to protect mouldings. Wipe up any drips with a damp cloth. Replace light switch and outlet covers.Clean your paint brushes in either water for acrylic paint or turpentine for oil based primers undercoats and enamel paints. 22. Admire your work! Transforming your rooms with paint is a rewarding project. And it's easy and cost effective way to change your rooms with a minimum of fuss. So when you have completed the project stop and admire your work, it should give you a real sense of achievement and pride in a job well done.
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