How to Paint a Room

Move all furniture out of the room or push it to the center and cover it with plastic sheeting. Remove wall decor, curtain rods, and switch plate and outlet covers — drop the screws into a labeled ziplock bag so you don't lose them. Lay canvas drop cloths over the entire floor, overlapping the edges by at least 6 inches so paint can't seep through the seams. Press the drop cloth edges tight against the baseboards.

Fill any nail holes, dents, or cracks with lightweight spackle using a putty knife — press the spackle in, scrape flush with the wall, and let it dry for 15-30 minutes. Once dry, sand each patched spot with a 120-grit sanding sponge until it's smooth and level with the surrounding wall. Wipe down all walls with a damp rag or sponge to remove dust, cobwebs, and grease — paint won't adhere properly to dirty surfaces. Let the walls dry completely before moving on. If the room still has wallpaper, that comes off first — see removing wallpaper and prepping walls.

Run painter's tape along the top edge of all baseboards, around door and window casings, and along the ceiling line where it meets the walls. Press the tape edge firmly with your fingertip or a plastic putty knife to seal it against the surface — this prevents paint from bleeding under the tape. For the cleanest lines, apply tape to clean, dry surfaces and remove it while the paint is still slightly tacky (not fully dried). Don't leave tape on for more than 24 hours or the adhesive can pull off paint when you remove it.

Apply primer if you're painting over a dark color, covering new drywall patches, or blocking stains (water stains, smoke, marker). Use a brush to cut in the primer around edges and corners, then roll the rest with a 3/8-inch nap roller. One coat of primer is usually sufficient — it doesn't need to look perfect, just provide even coverage. Let it dry for 1-2 hours before painting. If you're simply repainting a similar light color over existing paint in good condition, you can skip primer entirely.

Dip your 2-1/2-inch angled sash brush about 1/3 of the way into the paint and tap both sides gently against the inside of the can to remove excess — don't scrape the brush across the rim. Paint a 2-3-inch band along the ceiling line, inside corners, around door and window frames, and above the baseboards. Use smooth, steady strokes and feather the inner edge (the side the roller will reach) so there's no hard paint line. Work in 4-6 foot sections and move quickly to the roller — you need to roll into the cut-in paint while it's still wet to avoid visible "hat banding" where the brush marks meet the roller texture. Once you trust your hand, the cut-in technique gets you a clean line with no tape at all.

Fill the paint tray well about 1/3 full and roll the roller through the paint, then back and forth on the tray's ridged ramp until the cover is evenly loaded — no drips, no dry spots. Start about 6 inches from the cut-in edge (never start in a corner with a full roller) and roll upward in a smooth stroke. Then roll in a gentle "W" pattern to distribute the paint, and fill in the area with even, overlapping vertical strokes. Work in 3-4-foot-wide sections from top to bottom, always maintaining a "wet edge" — lap new paint onto paint that's still wet to avoid roller lines.

Let the first coat dry for 2-4 hours (check the paint can label for recoat time). Most colors need two coats for full, even coverage — which is why buying by the paint quantity calculator rather than by eye matters — especially lighter colors over dark walls or deep/saturated colors. Before the second coat, inspect the walls under good lighting for any thin spots, drips, or roller marks. Lightly sand any drips or bumps with 150-grit sandpaper and wipe with a damp rag. Repeat the cut-in and roll process exactly as before. The second coat goes on faster because the first coat has sealed the surface.