Decorate your bedroom in a day
BY Ned Browne
1st Jan 2015 Home & Garden
The thought of decorating is enough to bring most people out in a cold sweat, but it’s actually more than possible to decorate most rooms is less than a day. Here's how.
Equipment
You can buy all the things you will need online.
- Fast drying Polyfilla
- Plastic dustsheet
- Old sheets
- Ladder
- Roller
- Roller pole
- Damp cloths
- Filling knife
- A few paintbrushes
- Paint
Getting started
Make sure you empty your room the day before. If that’s not possible due to lack of space, pile everything into the middle of your room.
Ideally, you should tape a plastic dust sheet to the ground and then put an old sheet (or sheets) on top.
Preparation
The biggest mistake most people make is using too much filler, which then takes ages to dry (and has to be sanded before painting, which creates dust too).
Instead, fill all holes and cracks with fast-drying Polyfilla sparingly, and then wipe away the excess with a damp cloth or your hand.
Remember to open all the windows and doors to quicken the drying time. Use the next hour to clean any cobwebs etc. By now, the Polyfilla should be dry enough to paint over.
Which paint to use?
If money is tight and you’re happy with white or magnolia, you can’t beat Leyland Trade Contract Matt Emulsion paint.
It’s inexpensive, available online and has excellent coverage. If money is no object however, Farrow and Ball have a wonderful range of colours.
In terms of your skirting boards and other woodwork, you should definitely go for Eggshell. It’s fast drying, meaning you can do three coats in a day, and the finish is superb.
Action time
- Start by painting the ceiling. Put your roller on the roller pole and roll as much as you can, avoiding the edges and the ceiling rose.
- Then paint the edges/around the ceiling rose with a paintbrush. By now the area you have rolled already should be dry—time for a second coat. The edges/around the ceiling rose should then get a second coat too.
- You should now do the first coat of paint on the skirting boards. Once you’ve done this, roller the walls and paint the edges. The Eggshell should now have dried, so the skirting boards can now have a second coat of paint. Once you’ve done this, you can give the walls a second coat of paint too.
- If you’re lucky (or using Leyland paint) you may only need two coats of paint. If not, it could be a long-ish day. Doing three coats in a day is definitely a test of endurance.
When you’re done
Rollers and paintbrushes are very inexpensive. Throw them away, when you’re done.
If you sit them in white spirits, that’s where they’ll stay until you throw them away. The same goes for the cloths and the plastic dust sheet; bin them.
What next?
Assuming it’s a reasonably dry and warm day, the paint should dry quickly. You may even be able to spend the night in your own (newly-decorated) bedroom.
If not never fear, one night on the sofa is good for the soul.
