Top 10 Painting Tips and Tricks

You've decided to paint a room in your home and you're ready to get started. Or are you? Before you start slapping paint on the walls, check out these painting tips that will make your job easier and make it look like it was done by a pro.

1. Choose a Color

Choosing a color is the hardest part. What's most important is to find one that will create a desired mood and make you happy.

• If you really don't have any idea about what color to paint try pulling a color out a piece of art or area rug that's in the room. It's a guaranteed way to find a complimentary color.
• Take home several paint chips and see how they look in the room. Hold them up to the furniture, floors, artwork, cabinets, and anything else that's already in the room. Try to narrow it down to three or four choices.
• Get a small sample pot of each color and paint a large square on the wall.
• Watch how the color changes as the sun moves across the sky and the amount of light in the room changes.

2. Using More Than One Color

If you're using more than one color in the room remember these paint tips.

If you have a chair rail or wainscoting and you want to paint the top and bottom of the walls different colors it's best to use the darker color on the bottom portion and the lighter on top. The light color will dominate and the dark color will have a grounding effect.

To accentuate trim paint it a shade lighter or a shade darker than the walls. The same goes for the ceiling. Painting it a shade darker will make the room feel cozier, painting it a lighter shade will create an airier feeling.

3. Paint Effects

Don't be afraid to think outside the box and try some different paint effects. There's a lot you can do with paint so there's no need to do the walls all in the same color. Some fun techniques include color blocking, stenciling, and color washing. You can use different colors on the same wall, or for a subtle effect you can use different finishes. For example, try painting a wall in a flat finish and then stenciling a design (such as damask) overtop with a glossy paint. The effect is subtle yet elegant.

4. Choose a Finish

Once you've chosen a paint color and design you'll need to decide on a finish (or finishes).

• Flat: Offers a matte finish, which is perfect for covering walls with a little wear and tear because it doesn't reflect light. Use flat finishes anywhere you want to cover imperfections.
• Satin and Eggshell: Popular for walls because they have a very slight shine and are fairly easy to clean.
• Semi Gloss and Glossy: Both are quite shiny which is why they're popular for trim. They also hold up very well to cleaning.

5. Determine the Amount of Paint Needed

Add the width of all the walls in the room together and multiply the number by the height of one wall (from floor to ceiling). Take the total and subtract the total area of all the doors, windows, archways, etc. This will get you the exact area of wall space you'll need to paint. A general rule of thumb is that a flat surface usually requires one gallon for every 400 square feet. Take into account how many coats you think you'll need to do.

For more information....http://interiordec.about.com/od/decorateforbegin/a/PaintingTipsandTricks.htm