Painting your home can make a huge change to your decor and even improve the value of your home. People say painting is so easy to do. I disagree- I think the entire painting process is challenging, time consuming and physically exhausting. But I also think it is worth it for the beautiful outcome. Now, I am not a painter or in the field of home improvement, in fact I am a former attorney turned stay at home mom to two young kids. I am not a home improvement expert, just a mom working on projects at home. I have watched a lot of Youtube videos and scrolled through Pinterest before starting a project. My most recent project was painting my master bedroom which took seven (yes, seven) trips to the hardware store for the items needed, but I completed the project. Keep reading for the real life tips to paint your home from a SAHM that you need to know.
Disclaimer: Links in this post are Amazon affiliate links, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Tips to paint your home from a SAHM to have the best results:
- Buy sample of paint colors your are considering.
- Test the samples on multiple areas of the wall.
- Think about the finishing of the paint before you buy.
- Invest in good quality brushes and drop cloths.
- Do not be afraid to load up the paint brush and roller.
- Have a plan for your painting project..
My first time painter failure- my biggest painting lessons.
The first time I painted a room in my home I went to a paint store with no plan, picked a color and went home to paint. The color was a horrible disaster. I wanted to paint the room a light blue, but I ended up with baby blue. Rather than a soothing blue, the bathroom looked like a nursery. I also did not research on the tools I would need to paint, I just bought a roller and a brush off the shelf and went for it. Well, maybe that would work for some people, but trust me, the first time I painted a room, it looked as though a toddler who missed a nap painted the room.
The next time I painted, I bought no less than 50 samples of paint and painted splotches on every wall of my apartment. I was able to see how the paint looked in different light, in the dark hallways, next to the floor. It was without a doubt worth paying for the samples to pick the perfect colors. Back when I was in my apartment, I hired a company to paint and they did an amazing job. From the professionals, I learned all about the prep work for painting- like filling in holes and sanding. Like many first time homeowners, I was clueless about painting, but I learned quickly.
My current home has been painted in stages. When I was pregnant with my youngest, I hired a painter to paint 70 percent of the house, the rooms I knew what I wanted to do with. When we purchased our current home, every wall was painted the color of sand- a neutral color but not my style. (I have to note the bathrooms in my home were not sand colored- but some unique wallpaper selections, but that is a story and project for another day)
I again bought tons and tons of sample colors. I even bought a color I had seen in person- I picked a color to test that my mom used in her home. The color on her wall looked like an awesome gray with blue undertone. When I tested in my home, with different light, the color looked more silver gray with no blue undertones. I could not believe how different the color looked in my house! I ended up picking another gray with purple undertones for my daughters room, but finding that gray took testing three different grays. This ramble is to say- the small color samples in the store are not helpful. You need to test the color on your wall to really see the color and how who the color will look on your walls and next to your floors.
Tips to paint your home from a SAHM:
Buy samples. See above for why this is critical.
Here is some swatches of the colors I considered for my master bedroom:
Test the samples on multiple areas of the wall. Your home will look silly for a while- but test the color everywhere you will use it. Look at the color on the wall at different times of the day. How the light hits your walls will impact the color. Put colors next to each other to see the difference.
As you will see above, I even tested a few shades of white because there is a huge variety even in white! I noticed when I painted that in some light some of the whites had an undertone or appeared cool toned.
Think about the finishing of the paint before you buy. There are flat, matte, eggshell, semigloss….:= Different finishes are best for different rooms. I had no idea about this when I painted my first home.
Invest in good quality brushes and drop cloths. Good brushes make a difference. When I painted my master bedroom I did a little research on good quality brushes. When I used the new brushes versus the old ones there is a huge difference. The bristles on a quality brush just work differently and always produce a sharp edge.
For me, I found a 2 inch angle brush is the key brush for me- I can get use on molding and edges around windows with easy.
Here is a Wooster angle brush that I recommend:
I have several Wooster brushes now and I am really impressed by the quality. I have washed the brushes several times and they continue to look and work great.
I also want to mention drop cloths. I bought a few for my latest project of my master bedroom protect some furniture and the carpeting. The cheaper plastic ones work in you tape them down to what you need covered, but move easily and I kept getting the plastic cloths stuck on my feet. The canvas cloths stayed in place and I think are worth the money. I suspect the canvas cloths will last several projects, unlike the plastic ones which I threw away after one day of painting. Here are canvas cloths which I think are an important investment when you are painting your home yourself that you will not regret purchasing:
Do not be afraid to load up the paint brush and roller. I am cautious when painting. However, this has backfired because by painting lightly, I ended up having to go over the walls several times. I was worried about drips or being sloppy. As I have painted more, I have more confidence and it definitely helps to have the correct amount of paint on your roller or brush.
Have a plan for your painting project. Figure out what you have to paint and in what order you are painting (do you have molding, windows ledges to paint, for example). Make sure you have everything you need before you start painting. I always forget to bring towels with me or a cup to place my brush when I need to place it down. If you need to move furniture, you may be doing one wall at a time, so figure out where you want to start, and what needs to. be moved- strategize and be prepared. I am normally so excited to start painting that I don’t strategize and have to stop to get something I forgot or to move a piece of furniture that I keep bumping into.
Another important tip that falls under having a plan is to prep your room and walls. My personal tip is to take off all wall plates days before you start painting because you never know what is behind those plates, especially if you have an older home. I learned this lesson with my current home, I took off a wall plate that was the plate for a tv wire. Turns out the former owner just cut a square out of the wall and then screwed the plate into the wall. Here is a photo to show what I found. I had to sand over the messy outlines of what was done and fix this before I painted.
Final thoughts: Tips to paint your home from a SAHM
I am so excited to paint my house and share the experience on the blog. Since becoming a stay at home mom, I have had more time to enjoy my house and work on projects (like painting) that I have been wanting to do for years. I am enjoying personalizing my home with the colors I pick and doing the work myself. Being a stay at home mom means each project takes me longer, but I am so proud of the projects I am have accomplished.
In case you are wondering, seven trips to the hardware store were necessary. I tested colors, went back to buy the paint, realized I did not buy enough paint (twice), ran out of paint tray liners, and then ran out of rollers. DIY is not easy!
Disclaimer: Links in this post are Amazon affiliate links, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
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