That being said... I have tried REALLY hard to do just that! Because I know, as a DIY crazed maniac, I wish there were more detailed, and TRUTHFUL posts all about the process.
The first thing we did when we got the keys was purchased gallons of paint, many many gallons of bright, happy, light, white paint.
Here is what I have to say about paint. It is worth EVERY penny to get the good stuff. I used to think paint was paint. It didn't matter what brand it was, and you could easily get away with using the cheap stuff. I learned in our last house that this was NOT true. I tried to use a cheap Walmart paint to paint our nursery and it took 6-7 coats. I am not even exaggerating, it was ridiculous! Once I was done painting that room (days later) I was NO money ahead, in fact I think it ended up costing me even more.
I didn't want to spend ANY more time painting than I had to, this go round. We had so much to paint, basically the entire house, cabinets, etc... So I didn't want to mess around. We bought all the house paint at Home Depot and we used Behr (Silk White). I love it! It brings SO much light into the house.
Here are a few rules I think are crucial when wanting to get the most out of your paint (and not waste your entire life painting one room)
1. PRIMER - primer is SO important, especially when you are painting over dark colors. Dark colors will bleed through more intensely without a primer, and you will end up needing more coats without it. The primer we used was
It is a really fantastic primer. It covered our dark colors really well. I was covering deep blues, dark hunter greens, browns, etc.
2. DON'T SCRIMP - The way I look at it is you can spend $40 for a gallon of paint that will really get the job done, and get it done quickly and beautifully OR, you can buy a $20 gallon of paint, and have to go back for more, and then another one... etc. So $40 for the good stuff upfront, or $60+ for the "meh" stuff when all is said and done. I will even help you out, I'll just tell you one of my new favorite paints is BEHR Marquee. It is seriously so incredible. The first coat I used of this, I almost cried I was SO happy. We originally started painting the house with just a regular "premium Behr" paint, and once again... I learned that it is totally worth every penny to buy the really good stuff. I painted our entire guest room with ONE coat (on top of the primer obviously, never skip that primer). But you guys c'mon... ONE COAT! I seriously almost started to sob out of joy and relief.
3. ROLLERS MATTER - Just like the quality of paint matters, your roller and brushes are going to matter JUST as much. We discovered that one of our favorite paint tools is the High Density Foam roller. We loved these rollers for a few reasons, first of all the end of the roller has foam covering it as well, making it perfect for corners. It is also, just as it says, high density foam, and it covers thick, consistent, and creamy.
4. CLEAN AS YOU GO - I know most people probably will disagree with this, and think I am completely crazy, but I will say it anyway. I prefer (in most cases) NOT to tape, but rather to keep a wet rag close by. When you get some paint on a light fixture, tile, appliance, or WHATEVER (with the exception of carpet and other absorbent things) it is so much easier to just wipe it up right away rather than having to chip it off later. I also HATE tape because I feel like it is always a surprise underneath when you don't get the line just right, or the tape takes off the paint or finish. I just really prefer the clean lines of cleaning as you go! (This obviously wouldn't apply if you were painting designs on the wall, this is mainly for quick all over paint).
Here are some (not all) before and after pictures of the painting (keep in mind, these are not AFTER "after" pictures, the house still has a LONG way to go.) Also please don't judge some of the picture qualities... my poor phone :(
Dinning Room
Guest Room/Office
Girls' Bathroom
Dinning Room
Sunroom turned Playroom:
Please feel free to ask any questions, or give any feedback you may have. I am so glad you stopped by and I can't wait to share more of our home and our projects with you.
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