Tips When Using White Paint

White paint, probably more than any other color, can subtly establish the tone for space's design direction. It may transform into anything from appealing and warm to wonderfully minimalist by combining lighting, accessories, furniture, and artwork. Here are the Dos and Don's when using white paint:

Don't: be shy about approaching the person behind the counter at the paint or hardware store.

Begin with a simple yet crucial question: Are you looking for a true white or an off-white? Are you unsure which one is which? For example, a gray, yellow, pink, or blue undertone will be seen in an off-white, whereas a true white will not.

Do: Try out your ideas on the walls you'll be painting at home.

If you enjoy how a specific shade of white appears on a store's color card or in a catalog shot, that can be an excellent place to start. However, you must test the color on the wall. The most important thing is to look at it in the daylight and the evening because the color tones will alter in direct sunshine versus at nightfall. Those small paint chips you get at the supermarket aren't going to suffice.

Don't: Use one paint from floor to ceiling.

You'll notice a typical pattern in many traditional spaces: off-white walls with dazzling white trim, molding, ceilings, and doors. That isn't to say you have to do it as well. Keep in mind that the ceiling, walls, and trim are commonly painted in different finishes, whether you continue with the more traditional approach or consider going monochromatic.

Do: Invest in your rollers and brushes.

For the most satisfactory results, invest in high-quality paint tools. Don't spend your time with low-cost rollers because they're the ones that lose the most fuzz and lint. This implies that as you apply paint to the wall, the roller fibers will stick to the wall and spoil your job.

Don't: Forget to clean and dust the surfaces you're going to paint.

Wipe down the surface you're painting and any nearby areas where you'll be using painter's tape. Drywall dust, sawdust, and everyday house dust travel rapidly and widely in a home, preventing the tape from entirely sealing and resulting in ugly texture under paint.

Do: If possible, apply one coat of priming and two coats of paint.

The verdict on priming is that just because you can skip it doesn't mean you should, especially with white paint being so forgiving. You can have high and low areas in the shine, as well as an uneven color. If you don't, you'll see flaws like nicks, bubbles, and ripples. You'll see it if you don't paint it over with two coats of paint.