People are often surprised that I actually know how to paint, and that I do paint a lot. 

I really, really love all aspects of it. I can twirl a sash brush with the best of them and roll (or preferably) brush a wall to perfection. On my wedding day, although a beautiful dress from egg was worn - I did find paint on my hands. Oh, how we laughed.

To paint well you just need two friends - preparation and patience. Do not lean into the exciting but chaotic acquaintance of rushed and unreliable. Almost all complications arise from this approach. Plaster that is not fully dry will fight back, dirty woodwork also. 

Here are some winning tips on how to build the best foundation for your painting journey. Think of this as part one. 

Clean

Wipe or vacuum, then simply wash the surfaces with warm water and white vinegar. There is stuff everywhere in the air, you don’t want it laying under your freshly painted wall. 

Then get rid of any historical or current unpleasantness. Old lumps of paint, holes, foreign particles etc. For wood or metals surfaces, sand, fill and then sand again. A slippery and sadly dirty skirting won’t like paint just being slapped on. It must be able to grip the new paint, not slide against it.  Check the old surface. If you think it might be oil paint on the doors or skirting, or old lead paint, you’ll need more prep. How far you are happy to go depends on you and your time – but there are lots of solutions. 

Save for the future

This will make you so happy in a year’s time. Find a clean, sealable container. Open your paint tin. Then stir it slowly but thoroughly – pigment settles and you will need to redisperse it for even colour application. But don’t whip it into a frenzy, which means setting down the drill paddle. The bubbles it creates in paint are fixable but can set you up for a difficult start.

Then decant enough paint into your container for future touch-ups. Seal, label with the colour and finish and the date. Tuck it away in a nice dry and temperate spot. You will never need to buy sample pots again and you will always be able to touch up with the same tin of paint you started with. This really is my favourite piece of advice.

Tape and cover

Cover anything you don’t want paint on. Good quality tape and your choice of covering material. We use drop cloths combined with newspaper as everything can be washed or recycled.  For me this is my least favourite part but once you have flicked paint onto a very nice frock you readily submit to the mantra of preparation, preparation, preparation. 

Choose your kit

Good brushes of varying sizes that you then treat with respect. Sash brushes for sashes and other tricky bits are my new best friends. A radiator brush if you have paintable radiators is literally life changing. But do treat them with respect – then you don’t have to change them. If you like to roll, then you need to use a short pile for our paint. Don’t be tempted with long pile. They are made for ‘contract’ style paints which are a whole different thing.  A decorator friend put me onto Purdy mini 6.5" sleeves which I love as they are narrow but long. But you need to find one that suits how you like to paint. I also like a longer roller handle. Again personal preference but I find it really useful.

You also need a pail for decanting the paint into and painting from. This avoids using your tin to wipe your brush on, which means you will always be able to seal it perfectly. Paint on the edge of the tin also dries out and falls into your wet paint, which can then end up on your wall…

And then paint trays. If you already have some plastic trays, try not to buy more and don’t replace them unless you have to. Like plant pots from a nursery, keep reusing and reusing until they give up. Give them a really good scrub so they are spotless before you begin, then make sure you scrub them clean after every job. If you are fresh to painting, then there are many options to choose from, but try not to use anything that is single use.

And then we paint – but this I’ll cover next week.

 Cassandra x