Choosing Paint

Never buy paint from a paint swatch - get at least three samples of your desired color.

Colours always look darker on walls than they do on the tin. Paint an area of about 1 metre square (not just a couple brush-strokes!) on each wall to test the colours. Wait until the evening and check the colours again in artificial lighting.

Decorating with color

Be careful with using strong colors - they will affect your mood & behaviour.

Avoid cold colors in north or north-west facing rooms. Don't use strong and deep colors in small, dark rooms. For subtle variety, paint the walls of a room with different shades of the same color.

Preparation for painting

Cover your floors with newspaper or old sheets before painting. Use a piece of cardboard between the skirting and the floor and behind radiators.

Cover awkwardly shaped areas with foil or cling-film. Wear a shower cup and surgeons' gloves. Smoothe surfaces next to glass with wire wool instead of sandpaper.

Repairing Small Cracks & Chips

Mix filler into some of the paint with which you'll be decorating your wall.

Then touch up the small chips and holes using cotton buds.

Make Painting Easier

Always paint from a paint kettle or tray - not from the tin.

Line your tray or kettle with a plastic bag or aluminium foil - then pour the paint into the tray. When finished, dispose of the bag/foil and rinse out the tray. Even more effective is to put the whole tray inside a plastic bag before pouring in the paint.

Missing tools & Materials?

Don't panic. If you don't have any paint scraper use a fish slice.

If you don't have a brush - use a sponge. If you don't have a paint kettle - use an ice-cream or yoghurt tub

Unfinished painting

If you haven't finished with the painting - you don't need to spend too much time and effort on cleaning out your brushes and trays.

Just rinse them quickly and put a plastic bag or cling-film around them. Do the same when you stop for a break. If your brush has hardened, dip it into some boiling water mixed with some vinegar.

Storing Paint & Brushes

When you've cleaned your brushes put an elastic band around the bristles in order to stop them spreading out.

Store your paint tins upside down (this prevents any skin formation). Pour small amount of paint into a jar instead of leaving it in a big tin.

Smell of paint

Always paint with the windows open. If you don't like the smell of fresh paint

add some vanilla or almond essence to the paint. Or, when finished, cut up some onions and leave it the room!

Clean Lines

Do you need to paint a line with nice sharp sides to it?

The way to avoid getting fluffy edges when drawing a line is to put a rubber band round the bristles of the brush.

Painting wood

Bare wood must be properly prepared before painting & varnishing

Knots in bare wood must be treated to stop them bleeding. Then a coat of primer should be applied, followed by a coat of undercoat then the final paint. Eggshell, satinwood and acrylic are the most suitable paints for woodwork. Use a good quality brush and paint in the direction of the grain. Finish with a coat of varnish.

Leftover paint

When you’ve finished painting, put back the lid firmly, then tip the tin upside down for a few seconds.

The paint will get to the underside of the lid and form an airtight seal.If you only have a small amount of paint left over, it’s best to decant it from the tin into a jar with a screw-top lid. Rub some petroleum jelly around the neck of the jar before pouring in the paint – this will stop any spills sticking to the lid. If there is grit in the paint, filter it through a piece of muslin or old tights before storing it. Don’t forget to label the jar!

Painting order

The order in which you paint various surfaces is important and differs.

Always paint the ceiling first – any splashes on the walls can be dealt with later. Start painting a wall from the top right-hand corner (opposite corner if you’re left- handed). If you paint the ceiling and the walls different colors, first use a brush for the edges then a roller on the rest of the surfaces. If you’re going to wallpaper the walls, paint the door and window frames first – allow the paint to go onto the adjoining walls, then if you leave any gaps between the edges of the wallpaper and the frames, they won’t show up!

Painting doors

This is how to paint doors correctly:

Paint outwards from the centre of a door towards the edges.rnFirst paint the panels, then the vertical inner surfaces, then the horizontal sections, and finally the frame. If you want different colors on each side, the latch edge should be the same color as the side that faces into the room when it is open

Flaws

This is how to deal with painting mistakes and flaws:

Remove stray bristles immediately – or let the paint dry and remove them with a scalpel. Small insects should also be removed after the paint has dried.rnrnBetween coats of paint don’t forget to wipe surfaces with a damp cloth after rubbing them down, otherwise grit and dust will show in the next coat. Sags and runs are difficult to remove – try to prevent them by not using too much paint in the first place. You can remove paint from a window pane by using a scraper.