Whether you’re a newbie to the painting and decorating world, or you’re just after a few wallpaper and painting tips to help make life a little easier, we’ve got you covered. In fact, we’ve been making our own paint since 1973, always testing it against the leading brands to make sure it’s the very best quality, so we like to think we’ve learnt a thing or two over the years we can share with you! Join us, as we run down some of our favourite wallpaper and painting tips and tricks.
Painting tips and hacks
Use household objects
Getting the right decorating tools for the job is essential for the perfect finish, but you don’t always have to splash the cash. In fact, some things you probably already have lying around at home could come in very handy too with these painting tricks!
Broom handle – don’t have a paint roller extension pole to hand? A broom handle will do the trick just as well!
Fabric softener – struggling to get your paint brushes looking like new again? Try soaking them in fabric softener, rinse in warm water then marvel at your super-clean brushes (they’ll smell great too!)
Rubber bands – simply wrap a rubber band around your paint pot so it sits across the top and use it to wipe off excess paint from your brush back into the pot. No more mess, and you won’t lose as much paint around the edge of your pot either!
Hair dryer – so masking tape is a great one for helping you cut in but it can be tricky to pull off again when you’re done. Use a hair dryer to heat it up a little first and it should come right off (just be careful not to let your hair dryer overheat)
Cling film – need a break to put your feet up for a moment? Simply wrap your roller or paint brush in cling film to stop it drying out for when you’re ready to use it again
Fabric softener – struggling to get your paint brushes looking like new again? Try soaking them in fabric softener, rinse in warm water then marvel at your super-clean brushes (they’ll smell great too!)
Rubber bands – simply wrap a rubber band around your paint pot so it sits across the top and use it to wipe off excess paint from your brush back into the pot. No more mess, and you won’t lose as much paint around the edge of your pot either!
Hair dryer – so masking tape is a great one for helping you cut in but it can be tricky to pull off again when you’re done. Use a hair dryer to heat it up a little first and it should come right off (just be careful not to let your hair dryer overheat)
Cling film – need a break to put your feet up for a moment? Simply wrap your roller or paint brush in cling film to stop it drying out for when you’re ready to use it again
Make a plan
This may sound like a boring one to begin with but having a plan of how you’re going to paint a whole room is a must to not only save you time but also money. Here’s our tried and tested method:
1. Clear away any furniture possible, using dust sheets where you can’t move furniture out. Cover the floor with dust sheets (cardboard also works a treat instead for this and it won’t get tangled up as you move about either!)
2. Fill any cracks or blemishes in your wall/ceiling then sand back when dry
3. Paint the ceiling – a good rule of thumb with decorating is always to start at the top and work your way down. Choose a colour to complement your wall paint (hint: it doesn’t just have to be white!)
4. Get to work on the walls – clean walls down with sugar soap then use a brush to cut in around the edges, working from the top down. Switch to a roller to quickly cover the walls
5. Freshen up wooden window frames and doors with a couple of coats of paint
6. Don’t skirt around the skirting! Last but not least are the skirting boards. Fill any cracks then sand back for a smooth finish. Get the low-tack masking tape out so you don’t ruin the new finish on your walls, then paint the skirting with a couple of coats of interior wood paint
2. Fill any cracks or blemishes in your wall/ceiling then sand back when dry
3. Paint the ceiling – a good rule of thumb with decorating is always to start at the top and work your way down. Choose a colour to complement your wall paint (hint: it doesn’t just have to be white!)
4. Get to work on the walls – clean walls down with sugar soap then use a brush to cut in around the edges, working from the top down. Switch to a roller to quickly cover the walls
5. Freshen up wooden window frames and doors with a couple of coats of paint
6. Don’t skirt around the skirting! Last but not least are the skirting boards. Fill any cracks then sand back for a smooth finish. Get the low-tack masking tape out so you don’t ruin the new finish on your walls, then paint the skirting with a couple of coats of interior wood paint
For more tips on painting a room, check out our guide to painting walls and ceilings.
Wallpaper tips and hacks
Measure and measure again!
It’s always better to measure twice and buy once! Measure the width of your room, remembering to add on extra for any chimney breasts or odd shapes. And then measure the height of your room, not including skirting board but adding on about 15cm or so extra just in case you need some extra wiggle room.
Work out how much wallpaper you’ll need
Okay, so not so much a wallpaper hack but a definite must before you start any wallpapering project.
• Divide the width of your room by the width of the wallpaper roll (usually 53cm) – this will give you the number of ‘drops’ you need
• Multiply the height of your room by the number of drops you need and you’ll get the total number of metres you’ll need from your wallpaper
• Be sure to check this against the size of your wallpaper roll as sizes do vary
• Multiply the height of your room by the number of drops you need and you’ll get the total number of metres you’ll need from your wallpaper
• Be sure to check this against the size of your wallpaper roll as sizes do vary
If you’re struggling, there are plenty of wallpaper calculators online too!
Always buy extra
If it doesn’t look like you’re going to have much wiggle room with the amount of rolls you’re buying, always buy one extra just to be on the safe side – you can always return unused rolls as long as you keep your receipt if you need to.
Buy from the same batch number
To avoid any small differences in pattern or colour, make sure to always buy from the same batch number where possible.
Looking for some more wallpapering hint and tricks? Take a look at our step-by-step guide to hanging wallpaper.
Upcycling tips and hacks
Use egg cartons to elevate photo frames
Find it fiddly and tricky upcycling things like photo frames? Simply balance them on top of some broken up egg cartons and you’ll be able to reach down to paint the sides no problem. This works perfectly whether you’re using spray paint or a brush and paint.
Wallpaper doesn’t just have to be for walls
It might be called ‘wall’paper but we say rip up the rule book! Why not use it to transform tired furniture as well? The results are stunning! Use wallpaper on bookshelves, doors and drawers for a pop of colour in muted rooms. As a little inspo, here we’ve used Superfresco Palm Leaves wallpaper to bring this old wooden unit bang up to date.
For even more inspiration, shop our full paint range.
And there we have it – some of our favourite wallpapering and paint hacks. So why not give it a go? Got any must-have tips of your own that are too good not to share? We’d love to hear them. Drop us a line on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
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