How to Easily Paint a Living Room

If you have never painted walls before and yours are ready for a fresh coat of paint, you might be wondering how to paint a living room. Where do you start? What tools do you need? What paint color should you choose?

Glidden Spred

Step 1

Choose Your Paint Colors

The first, and possibly the most important, step to paint a living room is to choose your paint color or color scheme. The paint color in your living room can affect the way you feel every day. Since you likely spend a lot of time in this room, it should be a color that makes you feel happy and relaxed. Of course, it should also complement the rest of your living room decor, so take that into consideration as well. Ready to get started learning how to paint a room?

Paint Tools

Step 2

Buy Paint and Tools

After selecting your paint color(s), the next step is to buy the paint and all the tools. Essential tools include painter's tape, a 2" angled paint brush, a roller, and a paint tray. Other things that might be helpful are drop cloths and a small step ladder.

Painting Living Room

Step 3

Prep the Room

When learning how to paint a living room, you need to know that the pre-painting prep work is important. Begin by taping off anything you don't want to get paint on, such as baseboards and window trim. Remove anything that can be removed, like light fixtures, switch plates and outlet covers. Finally, cover any furniture with drop cloths to protect it from dripping paint.

The walls may need to be wiped down with a damp cloth, and be sure to fill any nail holes. Once that has been done, you are ready to use primer (if needed) and start painting. Glidden^® Premium Interior Paint Primer can help you shorten painting time.

Painting Living Room Wall

Step 4

Paint

Begin by 'cutting in' around the edges of a wall using the 2" angled paint brush. Fill the paint tray with paint, load the roller, and begin rolling until the wall has been covered in paint. As soon as you finish painting the wall, while the paint is still wet, remove the tape so it doesn't get stuck when the paint dries. Move on to the next wall and repeat until the living room is painted.

It is best to repeat with at least one more coat of paint to get the ultimate coverage, or more if needed. If painting over a dark color, it is best to cover it with a primer first before starting to paint. Also, note that darker colors often require more than two coats to achieve the best results.

Be sure to let the paint dry fully before putting anything back on the wall, like switch plates or wall art.

Now you know how to paint a room, and are, hopefully, no longer feel intimidated by the process. While it does take some time, it is pretty easy to paint a living room, even if you have never done it before.