How to Paint a Room Like a Professional

Painting is the highest-impact, lowest-cost home improvement available to you — and yet most DIY paint jobs look unmistakably DIY. The difference between a professional result and an amateur one is almost entirely in the preparation, not the painting.

Remove everything from the room that you can. Push furniture to the center and cover it with drop cloths. Remove outlet covers and switch plates. Clean the walls thoroughly — painted walls accumulate grime and grease that prevent paint adhesion. Fill nail holes and cracks with spackling, allow to dry completely, and sand smooth. Tape all trim, ceilings, and baseboards carefully — good tape and careful application is faster than cutting in freehand and yields better results.

Primer is not optional for significant color changes, new drywall, or any surface with stains. Skipping primer to save time or money almost always results in more coats of paint and a less durable finish. Use a tinted primer close to your final color for better coverage and truer color.

Roll paint in a W pattern and work in sections, keeping a wet edge to prevent lap marks. Cut in along tape lines and edges with a good quality brush before rolling adjacent areas. Two thin coats are always better than one thick one. Allow adequate dry time between coats — most paints need at least four hours, often more depending on humidity. Remove tape while the second coat is still slightly tacky to prevent peeling.