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Painting an entire room—ceiling, walls and trim—doesn’t need to be the daunting task you once thought. With the right tools and some helpful hints, you’ll be painting like you’ve been doing it for years.

Tools and Supplies

When buying your painting supplies, be sure to find the best-quality products. You will need:

• Roller and extension pole

• 3" brush for cutting in

• 2 1/2" brush for trim

• Drop cloths and plastic sheeting

• Caulk and spackle

• Masking tape

• Screwdriver

• Rag for wiping up inevitable splatters and drips

Preparing the room
You should first move all of the furniture in the middle or out of the room. The less clutter you have to work around, the easier and faster your job will go.

Next, spackle the nail holes and cracks. Be sure to sand these areas when the spackle dries. Caulk each gap, including the trim and along the edges. Remove switchplates, window treatments and anything else easy to remove and replace.

Place sturdy drop cloths or plastic covered with old sheets onto the floor. Cover the furniture securely with plastic sheeting.

Finally, tape anything you cannot remove from the walls.

Before you begin

If your room has painted trim, paint the edges where it meets the wall first. It’s much easier to make a straight line with your wall paint rather than the other way around. Do this first so it has time to dry.