Where to start painting a room: the right order

The right order for painting a room is this: first the ceiling, then the walls and, last, the skirting boards, frames and doors. Always paint from top to bottom, because paint can drip and splatter. That way, what you paint later corrects any mess made earlier.

First, the preparation

Before opening any tin, prepare the whole room: empty it or cover the furniture, protect the floor, repair holes and cracks, sand and clear away the dust. Only start painting when everything is ready and dry. If you prepare and paint at the same time, dust from sanding falls into the fresh paint.

Step 1: the ceiling

The ceiling comes first because it splatters the most. When you paint above your head, drops fall onto the wall and the floor. If the walls were already painted, you would ruin that work.

First paint the corners and the line next to the walls with a brush.
Then use the roller, with an extension pole to make it more comfortable.
Work in strips starting next to the window, so the light shows up any flaws.
Apply the second coat only when the first is dry.

Step 2: the walls

Once the ceiling is dry, move on to the walls. Start with the corners and the areas next to the ceiling, using a brush. This strip is called cutting in. Then paint the rest of the wall with the roller.

First cut in around windows, doors and light switches.
Roll on the paint in a W shape, from top to bottom, one area at a time.
Smooth it out with vertical strokes, without pressing hard.
Keep a wet edge: roll over the neighbouring area before it dries. That way no join marks are left.
When you finish one wall, move on to the next.

If the room has two colours, paint the lighter colour first and let it dry well. Then protect it with tape and paint the darker one.

Step 3: skirting boards, frames and doors

Skirting boards and frames usually take a different paint, one made for wood or for gloss. Leave them until last, once the walls are completely dry. If you paint them first, the wall paint will mark them. Stick masking tape between the wall and the skirting board to get a straight line.

Doors can be painted on the same day or another. If you can, take them off their hinges and paint them flat, so the paint does not run.

What about clearing up?

At the end, remove the tape carefully, when the paint is touch-dry but not yet fully hard. If you wait too long, the tape can pull paint off with it. Only then take up the floor protection and put the furniture back.

Wait at least a day before pushing furniture against the painted walls, because the paint is still soft in the first few days, even if it seems dry.

Tip: Paint with the window open and good light. Natural light shows up flaws and areas where you have put on less paint. In poor light, you only see the defects the next day.