to paint everything myself?

[fryanddry]

My flat is looking really ugly and tired😣

6 years ago when I was pregnant with dd , I paid someone to paint all the walls various shades of white (why??)
Impossible to keep it clean and I hate it now

I'm ready to give it a make over, I've chosen all the colours but I'm getting really nervous about doing it on my own!
The last time I had a go at painting was when I moved in at 18, and it was terrible 😬
Its a small flat ..

I guess my question is .. Should I have a go myself or is better to hire a professional ?
How easy Is D.I.Y painting?
Id appreciate any advice or tips..

Painting is fairly easy. You brush in the borders, and then roll the insides.
White is like primer so any colour would go well on top.

White underneath makes it harder to paint on bolder colours.

Grey undercoat for darker colours

Just take it slowly. There's loads of videos and advise. The hardest bit is prepping edging everything.

White is great base to paint over. I did white undercoat to get the colours I use to pop as they were quite bold.

thank you everyone, good advice already!xx

So it! As others said the tricky part is the edges. Use lots of masking tape and paper to cover things. There are list of videos with advice on YouTube. Take it slowly but go for it!

Painting is easy, definitely do it yourself! Just be prepared and use masking tape, take your time and don’t beat yourself up about minor imperfections.

Get an angled brush for edges, so much easier!

A million YouTube videos, watch the ones by professional painters, you can tell by their channel name. Cutting in is the hardest part, start somewhere that will be hidden behind furniture. Use this area as practise, don't try to do a whole room yet, just one small area for cutting in, try a corner of a room just painting one wall not the other where they meet and down to and across the top of a skirting board. Leave it to dry. You could easily get a tester pot mixed up in a pale shade that will show up against the white but not too hard to cover up. This is the best way to learn something, try a little bit of it first. Then when you feel like you have mastered it move on to doing a whole room. Do the least seen one first, ie don't start with your lounge or hall, start with a bedroom.

Dh and I have learned loads from Youtube and have done a lot of DIY using the method above. Good luck.

We're painting now. First attempt ourselves. Get frog tape. It is incredible. Get an angle brush for cutting in and YouTube how - much easier. Roller the main wall. Also assume 2 coats of paint.

Tape up and prep before you put brush to wall.

Oh and get cling film so you can cling film your brush/roller if you need to keep it moist overnight

If you want to reduce cutting in, you could always consider colour drenching - essentially the same shade on multiple surfaces rather than more traditional colored walls, white ceilings and woodwork. We use matt on the walls and satin on woodwork.

Years ago I painted dining room with bathroom paint. When my kids were younger and chucked the food from the highchair on the wall or drew something I could easily clean it without taking the paint off the wall in the process.

As for choosing colours- Dulux app is brilliant, you can take the camera shot of the wall and choose the colour you like,it shows you how it would look like.

A word of warning- choose colours wisely according to the function of the room and check the samples in daylight and in the evening with lights on. Pastel green or yellow I initially chose for the sitting room were unsuitable- they looked lovely in the daylight but the colour was much stronger with the lights on.

Painting is a doddle but preparatuon is the key as somebody mentioned before.

I can recommend Wickes own brand paint- I've painted my whole house in it.

You can wrap your brush in cling film if you are pausing for a short while (to stop it drying up) but do wash it carefully if you are stopping for a longer period of time.

A Harris 2.5 inch synthetic angled brush is amazing for cutting in. Don't let the paint dry down too much then roller on. Put some tinfoil or clingfilm in the roller tray so you don't have to wash it out after. Clingfilm your brushes between coats too instead of washing them out.

Also I bought a 2.5 foot bench stool which was high enough for ceilings and walls but not as rickety as a ladder- I think it was £30 from screwfix, saved a lot of time up and down ladders as its about a 3 foot wide platform.

Getting trade paint mixed(dulux trade, Johnston etc) in whichever colour you want is better than buying paint off the shelf, it goes on better and you can choose whichever colour you want - from the actual pantone chart, farrow&ball or match it to your sofa. Water based gloss is also loads easier to use but takes about 3 weeks to properly harden so you need to be very careful with your wooden surfaces until then.

I have always done my own decorating but due to health reasons I paid for 6 rooms to be done, they are really well decorated - but I just know I could have done it slightly better myself- though to be fair it would have taken me weeks rather than days.

But a nice podcast, and some peace and decorating is so enjoyable...well I find anyway

Make sure you clean the walls well beforehand too, especially if there are any greasy marks - they'll ruin the new paintwork quite quickly.

Don't paint around a light switch. Switch electric off. Unscrew wall plate and use a small roller to paint behind. Let it dry then give the second coat again and let it dry then screw back on the wall.

Painting is really easy. If you feel really unsure watch a few videos online. I'd say make sure you do good prep and make sure you cover things well! I'm drippy when I paint!

Remember that you don't have to do it all at once. I find doing two rooms at a time the most efficient because you can do the second one while the paint in the first one dries. I tend to lose heart a bit during the boring edging bits, but then I remember how much money I am saving by doing it myself!

Do it! Just take it slow and don't skimp on the prep (which is the longest bit). And then show us some photos! nosy

I love painting, I find it really therapeutic emulsioning walls.

Have a go! Old shower curtain or sheets on floor and furniture and crack on. If you hate it there's little lost, you just choose a different colour.

Use testers and sheets of A4 for a day or two before you buy your big tins just in case you don't like the colour in different lights.

Oh and beware of the "oh sh!t" moment you'll get with adding any colour after pale. Reserve judgement until it's finished and dried or you might panic and backtrack. I did our previously nearly white bathroom a deep teal sort of shade and it looks fantastic but I really did panic about 5 minutes in!

For a really good finish

Sugar soap the walls first

If you are painting the ceilings do these first then the walls

Preparation is everything, use tape, newspaper, plastic sheets to cover everything that you dont want paint on.

Sugar soap is a good call! I buy it pre-prepared in a spray bottle and just wipe down the walls with it and a big sponge: the same kind of sponge you’d use to wash a car.

I have a different view from everyone else it seems - painting is doable but takes absolutely forever to prep and for everything to dry etc and you’ll be doing it every weekend for weeks. If you can afford to pay someone then do it, your time is valuable.

I hate rollers. I Always use a decent quality emulsion brush if I have to paint. Better finish and less waste.
Painting is easy but boring. I prefer wallpaper

Dust sheets ( especially plastic ones ! Cheap from Screwfix) will save your sanity.

Painting is a pretty easy, quick and very satisfying way to change your home! I've always done my homes myself, and have done a few small jobs for other people in my time off! Get frog tape to mask tricky bits, get some decent brushes and rollers and go for it!