If your home improvement plans include painting a room or cabinetry, we all want to make things a little easier, right?  I’ve been painting for decades, and during that time have come up with some handy ideas to make my painting projects more efficient.  As much as I love to paint, if I can streamline the process, I’m all over that!

Painting With a Dark Color (3 or 4 Base) ~
This is one of my favorite tricks that my dad taught me, so I’ll give him the credit for this one. : )  When painting a new surface that’s raw wood, you’ll definitely need to prime it first.  If your finish coat is going to be a dark color, coverage will be much easier if you tint the primer!  Ask the paint store to tint it as dark as they can to match your new paint color, though don’t expect the primer to be as dark as your paint, because it’s mixed from a different base. Even so, you’ll start out with a primer that’s about half as dark as your paint, which will be much easier to cover than pure white!  I used this trick on the kitchen pictured here, and it worked like a charm.

If you’re tackling a painting project such as cabinetry, I’ve written other blogs about choosing a paint sheen and how to know when you should use alkyd vs. laytex.  There’s lots to know about paint, and selecting the right product for the job will ensure the results you want.

Storing Wet Brushes & Rollers ~ Painting projects aren’t often completed in one day, so don’t throw out that roller!  You can store brushes and rollers by putting them in a sealed baggie and placing them in the refrigerator, where they can be stored this way for several days.  A gallon-size baggie works well for rollers, and to keep things from getting messy, just insert the roller (handle included), and close the top as tightly against the edge of the handle as possible. No need to remove the roller!  Before you use your brushes, let them warm up to room temperature; move the bristles around a little to break them up, then you’re ready to resume painting.

I hope you’ve found these painting tips helpful!  Though getting the paint applied is one aspect of the project, selecting the right colors can be difficult with the thousands of choices available.  A color consultation will take the guesswork out of the process, so you’re sure to get the right colors, the first time!

Design should be fun, not stressful!

~ Kathy