Best Decoration Tips Please

[Itsenoughnow]

Hello lovely mumsnetters I am about to start a home decoration project mainly painting walls and wood, I have never tackled any decorating previously so any tips/ hacks appreciated!

You need twice as long to set up, cover everything, wash everything and prep as you think you do.

Always have a wet cloth to hand to tackle drips. I usually buy a pack of those cheap disposable blue cleaning cloths in the supermarket.

Make sure you have something like a small table or chest of drawers covered to put paint trays and cans on.

Otherwise, watching for tips!

Not sure if any of this is useful or completely obvious to everyone except me…

I’ve had some really helpful advice from ChatGPT

I regret buying Dulux 5l matt emulsion on 3 for 2 offer at B&Q because the paint was terrible quality and I ended up buying the same colour in Dulux Trade

I don’t regret buying Farrow & Ball Modern Eggshell, Modern Emulsion or Dead Flat

I regret a roller tray of paint being left where my dog could run through it

I don’t regret buying a paint stirrer as I never have random things lying around that I can use instead

Designers aren’t just making shit up when they talk about north versus south facing aspects changing the look of paint drastically

Prep isn’t just a boring obstacle to get through before the main event of paint brushes etc, it makes a big difference to the end result

I only realised quite recently that you’re meant to cut in a section and then roller before the cutting in is dry, rather than doing all the edges at once

I bloody LOVE a freshly painted room, it’s so worth the time and effort

Good luck! If you’ve never painted before it could be worth starting with an area that no one spends much time looking at.

Great tips so far thanks so much 😃

Preparation is important.
Trade matt white emulsion everywhere.
Paint ceilings in from the window.
Paint in daylight.

Have old rags to hand.
Use disposable gloves.
Wear old clothes.

Cheap cooking oil is good at removing paint from skin. Soap and water removes the oil.

The light in a room makes a huge difference.

Avoid cheap paint unless you don’t mind adding several coats. Coverage is king.
Buy good paint brushes - cheap rubbish will result in you having to add more coats. Hamilton are good available from Amazon or Brewers.
Find a good paint shop with a colour expert who knows what they are talking about.
Test colours in various locations around your room beside the window, in a corner etc
Get a dust mask for sanding
Use Ronseal 2 part filler for wood, Toupret filler for walls.
I use manicurist nail files for sanding, they are amazing for corners, edges and they last for ages

Agree with previous tips. Prep is everything. Use Zinsser products for anything that needs some kind of remedial treatment or prep. They are excellent.

Get a painters tool for opening tins.

If using F&B paint their own undercoat is best, but you can sometimes get away with a color match in a cheap paint as undercoat.

frog tape is worth the money.

I cut in with sash brushes (probably not very professional).

window scrapers are good for knocking any ‘bits’ off the surface and also for getting paint off glass!

I stir my paint with a wooden kebab skewer and wash my roller sleeves in the washing machine.

Follow professional decorators on Insta/Youtube or wherever and watch their videos on how to do things. Personally having refurbed several houses over the year my favourite is Charlotte Decorator on Insta for good advice.

Think about your whole house, not just each room individually. How many rooms can you see off the hallway? Do you you want them to compliment each other? For me downstairs all complement whereas bedrooms are individual spaces where you can do anything.

Then pick up a paint card ie Little Greene Paint company (they'll post one out to you) those colours are laid out specifically so you can either go across the line of paints and everything in that line all compliment each other or vertically they all compliment each other.

Always get a tester pot, paint it on at least 4 or 5 white A4 sheets of printer paper and stick those up in the room you are going to decorate, especially in the corners by the window. Paint looks different in morning light vs afternoon light and look at it when you turn the lights on, harder at this time of year. Easier to remove those pieces of paper than paint over a million colours you try out on the wall.

Secondly. paint tray liners (plastic inserts you put into the paint tray) are fab, no clean up, just dispose. I would rather do that than waste clean drinking water rinsing out a paint tray.

When you start painting, don't do a whole room, start small, practise either somewhere that will be behind furniture or do one wall. Cut in, paint one wall, cut in again, paint the wall again. Perfect your technique on that one wall. I have done the one wall at a time in my bedroom due to the amount of furniture, easier to move it, paint one wall, move it all back, next weekend do the next wall.

I agree with Toupret wall filler, you will need to mix it up yourself, it comes as a powder and you add water. If you have time, buy a small piece of plasterboard from B&Q, bring it home, deliberately damage it, now try to repair it. That is your practise piece. Buy an electric sander (watch Charlotte) for prepping woodwork and walls. Always wear a dust mask.

Charlotte will tell you what paint covers dark woodwork, what stain blockers to use, what brushes and rollers to use, good quality paint, brushes and rollers give a good finish. She also shows you how to clean them (washing machine) and you can learn a lot from watching Insta/TikTok/Youtube.

Avoid cheap paint unless you don’t mind adding several coats. Coverage is king. Price isn't always an indication of quality.
Something like Crown is fine.

Test colours in various locations around your room beside the window, in a corner etc
And check at different times of the day. The colour may look different in different seasons, or when you are relying on electric lights. (This is why I use pure white everywhere.)

Sugar soap is great for prep. Buy the powder and follow the instructions.

Use a paint kettle or roller tray. Close the lid on the actual tin to prevent drying out and any spills.

Yes Charlotte Decorator on Insta is great. I wish I’d had her to help me when I first started doing my house.

I wrap paint brushes in cling film between coats.
If you've been bad and haven't decanted the paint into another container (I use yoghurt pots with lids and I bin them when I'm done, so no washing), your lid might not fit properly. In this case, wrap the can of paint in cling film.
Modern paint products are amazing - you can paint almost anything, just have a google or a chat with your local paint store for a solution.

Draw all over the walls to ensure your sand all over and don’t miss a spot!

Hire a sander with a dust extractor - preferably Festool