I received paint from Sherwin-Williams as compensation for this painting tips post. All views and opinions expressed in the post are my own and no other compensation was provided.
If you follow my Instastories, you saw that a few weeks ago I was working on painting our “junk room” and turning it into an office/man cave for Tim to use. Today I’m going to walk you through the painting process, share before photos, and 5 tips to help you paint!
We picked out our paint colors with the help of the friendly staff at Sherwin-Williams. A new store just opened on 51st Avenue next to our house. We looked at a ton of different paint colors and decided on a brown called ‘Iced Mocha‘ in Satin for the walls in the Emerald Interior Paint.
About the Paint
Emerald® is Sherwin-William’s finest interior paint. Emerald helps hide stains and covers darker colors, allowing you to achieve stunning results in fewer coats. A few other perks to using Emerald is that it’s a paint and primer in one with advanced stain-blocking technology, provides exceptional coverage and advanced washability in all finishes, with outstanding resistance to water streaking and spotting, and it contains anti-microbial agents that inhibit the growth of mold and mildew on the paint surface. It also covers one of the most important things, it meets the most stringent VOC regulations.
We decided to get the Eminence ceiling paint. The Eminence ceiling paint delivers easy one-coat coverage and a bright white finish. A true flat paint that masks minor surface imperfections and achieves outstanding uniformity, providing a look that is fresh and crisp, with high light reflectance.
Finally, for the trim, we settled on an extra white in a semi-gloss in the Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel. A smooth and luxurious finish for doors and trim. The Emerald delivers a finish that withstands wear and tear and goes on in fewer coats. It’s perfect for areas that get cleaned frequently and the interior/exterior water-based urethane modified alkyd with the look and feel of an alkyd/oil finish.
So we thought the hard part was over. Picking paint can be so frustrating for couples! But the hard work was only just beginning. Below are five painting tips that created extra work in the painting process but in the long run made the room look even better!
5 PAINTING TIPS TO MAKE YOUR ROOM LOOK EVEN BETTER!
Clean the Room From Top to Bottom
We cleared the room out and got to work cleaning. I swept, mopped, wiped down headboards, and vacuumed. This helped with dust and dirt getting on the nice clean paint.
Take Off All Light Sockets, Light Fixtures, and Doorknobs
Sure you could tape around these things but it’s so much easier to just take them off. Plus if you ever change fixtures you’ll have a paint line and have to touch up.
Tape Down the Plastic Covering
We got a plastic covering from Sherwin-Williams and taped it onto the floors. This helped from getting paint on our pretty hardwood.
Paint the Ceiling and Trim First
After priming the walls we went ahead and painted the ceiling and trim. They were both white so it didn’t matter if ceiling paint or trim paint got on the walls at that point. It’s so annoying to paint the walls and then do ceiling/trim and then get paint on your walls! So. Much. Touch-up.
Take the Time to Tape Down all Edges
Yes, it’s an absolute pain. But it pays off to take the time to tape down everything when you do finally paint the walls. We had very little touch-up and our meticulous taping paid off!
After three coats, the Iced Mocha looked great! I’m so happy with how it turned out. The color is very warm and inviting and I think it’ll be so cozy for an office.
Now, I don’t have a photo of the whole room yet since I’m doing a full room reveal in a few weeks. You can see the color of the paint and how the wall behind me looks (isn’t the color gorgeous), but you have to stay tuned for the rest!
Do you paint yourself or do you leave it to the pros? Do you have any painting tips? Share in a comment below!
I would love to try painting my home … I am always hesitant that it would not look as finished. Your post gives me courage 😀
❥ tanvii.com
Ahh painting is such a fun, but daunting project! Love the color you chose
So much fun, can’t wait to see the reveal! We always hire a professional because we are NOT good at painting haha. Thanks for sharing!
xo, Lydia
We’ve always painted ourselves, but I gotta say, it’s quite tedious.
I love the color you went with, it’s definitely a cozy color.
I actually totally love painting – and it was one of my favorite things to do when I revamped my cloffice! Love Sherwin-Williams paint! They’re so helpful!
I like that iced mocha paint color, especially the name. Looks like your junk room is definitely turning into a nice office.
I can’t wait to see the reveal! I wish we could paint our apartment!
I LOVE Sherwin Williams! They have been my go-to paint brand for years; through multiple home renovations!!
I have painted walls myself in the past, or had painting parties, but these days I like to leave it to the pros! I’ve also learned the pitfalls of picking trendy paint colors, lol. Awesome tips!
My dad swears by Sherwin Williams. He always recommends them.
We always do our own painting too! I love the colors you picked