Learning How to Paint

Last week my parents came to visit and we put them right to work (at their request)!  We decided to dive into the guest bedrooms and get them painted. 

We’ll need these rooms ready for when we have guests stay with us this summer.  These rooms will also double as our office spaces.

Here is a blow by blow of how we learned to paint.

Step 1:  Pick out your paint colors. 

We jumped right in and picked out colors based upon our own visions for our office spaces.  We weren’t trying to match them to anything. 

I choose a cheery yellow Valspar paint called Carolina Inn Lobby Yellow.  Hubs went with an Olympic paint in a blue green color called Acapulco Cliffs.

We picked up paint samples the night before my parents were due to arrive and painted a few spots on the wall to see what we thought. 

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t thrilled with the way my sample looked on the wall.  It looked kind of pastel yellow, which was not what I wanted.  I stuck with it because I didn’t paint any other sample colors and I didn’t like any of the other yellows on the paint chip cards.  I had a feeling that it might work when it was all said and done.  It did – I love it!

Hubs went with a bolder blue green color.  It intimidated me at first because it was so bold.   Once all the walls were painted I fell in love with it.  It draws you right in! 

 Step 2:  Tape, Tape, Tape

My parents don’t usually tape when they paint but we decided we would.  I’m not very good with straight lines.  I can’t even cut a piece of paper straight.

Here’s my advice on this:  Tape your rooms the day before you intend to paint.  We didn’t realize how long taping could take.  Taping around the baseboards, door frames, windows, and ceiling is quite the process.  Hubs is a champ for taping the ceilings from the ladder.  His arms hurt real bad after that.

Step 3:  Get painting lessons from your dad (or someone else with experience).

Thank you dad!  Dad spent a few minutes showing Hubs and I the ropes of cutting in and rolling paint. 

I am the roller in our relationship and Hubs is the cutter.  After rushing each other a little bit we found a good pace and got to work.

Step 4: Stand back and go “whoa”

It’s kind of unreal how much color can change a room.  I’ve lived in so many apartments with white walls.  Choosing a paint color was difficult but so worth it.  Now that the color is on the walls I’m just itching to get them set up and decorated.  I’ve probably been on Pinterest too much…but I’ve got lots of ideas of how I want them to turn out!