Decorating help - complete beginner

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Hi, I could really do with some simple advice on what I need to paint a bedroom wall. Do I need to do anything before I put the paint on? Should I buy a roller, or a set of brushes? Anything else i should think of? What is the minimum I need to clean everything afterwards? Also, my son would like a red wall, but the samples I have tried (b&q own) have been a bit patchy. Any recommendations? I am a complete novice, so please keep it simple!! Any tips would also be amazing!

Make sure you've prepared the wall properly before beginning to paint. Sand it down, fill in any holes etc (and sand them smooth once dry as well). Check the type of paint you're using -probably emulsion for walls - it should say on the tin/tub if it needs a primer or undercoat. A specialist in a diy shop can help you with that.

Do the ceiling first. Use a roller for most of the flat surface and a brush for the corners and edges. Buy masking tape to put around windows to avoid getting emulsion on them. Most emulsion is water soluble, so you can rinse out your brushes and roller in water. But try to squeeze out as much paint from them as possible before rinsing. Good luck!

A light sanding of any obvious lumpy bits is worth doing (like holes that have been filled).

Brushes for the edges. Roller for the main part. Probably tape for the edges.

Red is quite hard. It will likely take several coats.

Dust sheets for the floors (I have a couple of old duvet covers). Clingfilm to wrap the brushes/rollers between coats. Most paint is water-based these days, so you should just be able to wash everything afterwards - however, I'd suggest scraping as uch as you can into newspaper, and binning before starting to wash.

You need to wash the walls and woodwork with something like sugar soap; it degreases the surfaces so the paint adheres properly. Use decent paint; my go-to is Dulux but there are others. Most paint is water-based, so clean-up is fairly easy - it usually tells you on the paint 'tin' how to do it. Brushes or rollers really comes down to personal preference, but, if you decide on a roller, you'll need a smaller brush to cut-in (i.e. paint around the windows/above the skirting board) Put decent masking tape along the edges you don't want paint on, but don't leave it on for days as it doesn't always come off cleanly. Get or borrow a decent ladder; don't be standing on chairs and the like. Wear old clothes and shoes, because you will get paint on yourself...

Preparation is the key; move as much furniture out of the room as you can, and cover what's left with a dust sheet - old bed sheets are fine. Sand any wood work before painting. Don't put polythene on the floor because it's slippery and moves about. If you can, lift the carpet; they're pretty easy to put back down. I've found that getting everything ready and tidying up afterwards takes at least as long as doing the job! If you need to take a break from painting, put the brush or roller in a plastic bag and tape it closed; it should stay flexible for a while.

I've never painted anything red, do have no advice on that, other than you may have to do more than one coat to get the depth of colour you want - and you may have to put a second coat on whatever colour you use if it looks a bit patchy in places. If you do go with a strong colour, it will be a bugger to cover up if you change your mind.

Bear in mind it will take longer than you think, but you'll save money and feel a sense of accomplishment. Good luck!

Prep is key so fill any holes and sand down any rough or knobbly bits first, then give it a good wipe down with sugar soap afterwards to get rid of all the dust and debris. Get your roller properly coated in the paint and roll smoothly, you don't need to apply too much pressure, in fact it's best not to press too hard otherwise it can get streaky.

This is so helpful. So many small things I hadn't considered, and some bigger issues like the ceiling!! Maybe it will be okay to leave the ceiling as it is for a bit longer. 🤔 Washing the walls I also hadn't considered but they used to have stickers on, so there could be residue there. Thank you so much! Wish me luck!

All of the above + buy the best quality paint you can, no worth buying cheap

Good advice for ceilings and emulsion paint you need the rollers that are a bit fluffy. You can get skinny ones to get behind a radiator too. For gloss paint you use the foam rollers and a brush. If you spill emulsion wipe it up quickly and it will be fine. If you gloss paint on doors and door frames soak brushes in brush cleaner immediately you finish using them. You'll need a paint tray for emulsion paint. B&Q or Wickes sell a pack of a tray with a couple of rollers and a brush.

Personally I would do the ceiling first as if you do everything else, it will probably look worse in comparison! I find ceilings quite easy - you paint the edges with a brush (and round the light fitting), then use the roller to “fill it in”. Have a look for some YouTube videos.

Also, keep a damp cloth to hand for wiping up spills and drips immediately - much easier to do straight away.