How to Paint a Room

Useful links

Tools

Materials

Clingfilm
Rubber Bands
Plastic Bags
Sugar Soap
Sandpaper
Paint
Primer
Masking Tape

Painting a room is a relatively cheap way to refresh your home and achieve a high-impact look. Although it is a fairly straightforward task, proper planning is essential for a great finish, so we're here to help you get the best results. And before you pick up a brush, consider watching our handy how-to video to see the steps in action. Let's get your room painted.

To paint a room effectively, you must follow the correct order by painting the ceiling first, followed by the walls, and finishing with the woodwork.
You need to properly prepare your surfaces by cleaning them with sugar soap, filling in any cracks, and applying a suitable primer or undercoat.
When applying paint, use a brush to cut in around the edges first, then use a roller on an extension pole to cover the main areas using smooth, W-shaped motions.

What is the right order to paint a room?

To achieve the best results, you need to work systematically. The best order to paint a room is as follows:

Calculate the amount of paint you need and prepare the surfaces.
Paint the ceiling.
Paint the walls.
Paint the woodwork.

If you are painting a bare surface like wood, metal, or newly plastered walls, apply a specialist primer first (usually white or off-white). Also, make sure the plaster is completely dry before applying your primer. You can tell if plaster is dry when no dark patches remain.

Preparing your room

The most important stage of any painting job is to thoroughly prepare your walls, ceilings, and woodwork. Paint won't take properly on dirty walls, meaning you would end up re-painting again soon anyway.

Top tip: When you're choosing your new paint, work out how the colour will complement your existing woodwork. If you're using tester pots to pick the right shade, apply a small square of paint in a darker area of the room and apply two coats. This’ll give you a realistic preview of what the finished shade will look like.

First, calculate how many litres of paint you’ll need by measuring your total surface area. Buy each type of paint you need in one go so the exact shade matches perfectly.

Remove as much furniture as you can, clustering any remaining items in the centre of the room. Cover the floors and furniture with heavy-duty protective sheets.

Fill in any holes or cracks with a suitable filler. When it has dried completely, sand it down with fine-grade sandpaper.

Brush away any remaining dust and use a damp sponge and sugar soap to wash your surfaces.

Once the wall is completely dry, protect your switches, sockets, and skirting boards with masking tape.

Painting the Ceiling

Now you are ready to paint, starting with the ceiling.

Top tip: Always make sure you have more than enough paint before you start.

Begin by stirring your paint with a stirrer for a couple of minutes. If you're using more than one tin, mix them into the same bucket to maintain a consistent colour.

Transfer some paint to a paint kettle. Use a brush to paint a 50-70mm thick strip around the edges of the ceiling. This is known as 'cutting in'. Start in a corner near the door and work your way around, using a step ladder if necessary.

Next, pour paint into a tray and load your roller without overloading it. Use a short pile roller for smooth ceilings, or a long pile roller for textured ceilings.

Fix your roller to an extension pole. This enables you to reach the ceiling easily and is much safer than standing on a step ladder. Start in the same corner and roll smoothly with a mixture of up, down, and W-shaped movements until the ceiling is covered to prevent tide marks and give even coverage. Wait for it to dry completely before applying a second coat.

Painting the Walls

Painting walls follows a very similar method. Try to paint an entire wall in one go for a consistent, professional appearance.

Top tip: Rather than clean rollers and brushes in between coats, you can wrap brushes in clingfilm and wrap rollers in plastic bags secured with a rubber band. This prevents them from drying out. Only do this for two days at the most though. Then at the end of the job make sure to clean your brushes properly.

Starting with your primer or undercoat, use a medium paint brush and once again use the cutting in method. Start in a corner near the door and work outwards and around the room.

Use a roller to apply the first undercoat and make sure to work from top to bottom in sections of roughly 150cm across, using those same smooth W-shaped motions. If you’re painting over a darker colour you may need to apply two undercoats.

Once the undercoat has properly dried, you’re ready to apply the topcoat to the wall. Repeating the previous method, start by cutting in along the wall, but do this very carefully, as you’ll be painting right up to the ceiling line.

Use a roller on an extension pole to paint the wall, once again using the same smooth W-shaped motions as before. Once the first coat is complete, check the manufacturer’s instructions for application and drying times. Then apply a second topcoat for a professional finish.

Painting the Woodwork

Once your walls and ceiling are dry, it’s time to paint the woodwork. We recommend working in this order: windows, skirting, architrave, and finally the door.

Top tip: Open any windows you intend to paint so they don't seal shut while drying.

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Starting with the windows, use a small paintbrush to give the woodwork an undercoat. If you’re painting onto new wood, you will need to use a specialist primer. After the recommended drying time, apply another undercoat.

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The topcoat for your woodwork will depend on the style you prefer. You can pick from eggshell, matt, satin and gloss finishes.

When painting any edges that meet freshly painted walls, take extra care to maintain the lines and not get any overspill onto the walls. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for drying times and allow the first coat to dry completely. Apply a second coat for a professional finish.

Once the second coat has dried, carefully remove any masking tape and put any fixtures and fittings back into position.

Giving your room a fresh coat of paint is a highly rewarding way to completely change the feel of your home, and we hope this guide has given you the confidence to tackle the job. If you’re ready for the next step, keep in mind our guides on how to hang a picture or install some shelves on your new, freshly painted wall.

FAQs

The exact cost of painting a room depends on the size of your space and the brand of paint you choose. Doing the work yourself is incredibly cost-effective, as you only need to pay for your materials like brushes, rollers, and the paint itself. Professional decorators will naturally add labour charges to the total cost.

The time it takes depends on the size of the room and how much preparation is needed. Generally, a standard room will take a weekend to complete. You must allow sufficient time for your filler to set, your walls to dry after washing, and each coat of primer and paint to dry properly between applications.

Using lighter colours is a brilliant way to make a room feel more spacious. Soft whites, cool greys, and pale blues reflect natural light around the space. Painting your skirting boards and woodwork a slightly lighter shade than your walls will also create a subtle optical illusion, making the walls appear further back.

Calculate the amount of paint you need by measuring your walls and ceilings to get the total surface area. Don't worry about subtracting doors and windows, as it's always good to account for a little extra paint. Allowing for two coats, check the manufacturer's instructions on your tin to see how much you'll need.