So, you need to paint that room. It is so stark white! How can I bring my personality into the room and blend my colors together? Should I pick a "theme" (yes)? Even if the room is small, it can be daunting if you don't know where to begin. It is best to plan for a couple days to paint. Go get a cup of coffee and let's begin....

Remember, if it is a small room, you don't want to go too dark, it will close the room in and most people, including you, won't be comfortable  in the room. It becomes claustrophobic.

Okay, it's your house, your personality. So let's bring it out. Think of the colors you like, whether they be calm and soothing, bold and vibrant or warm and neutral. Are they the colors of  Fall? Summer? Spring? Winter? Do you want other rooms to flow with this room, or do you want the room to stand alone? Do you have a specific color in mind now?

Now lets think about a theme.  Cabin scene? Butterflies? Abstract? Checkers? Do you have a shower curtain that you want to match? Towels? Pillows? Flooring? Tile? Whatever, note: a little bit of color can go a very long way in a room, so don't make it too "busy", it may overload your brain. You want your room to be inviting and comfortable.

Make a list of colors you are interested in, or take the curtain, towels, whatever with you,  - now lets go to the paint store----WOW! Look at all those colors! Don't let them intimidate you - they are paper! Go directly to the colors you have on your list - don't look at any others at this point, you will become overwhelmed, start sweating, your heart will start beating too hard and you will want chocolate to relieve the stress, which will ruin your diet!! I know, I've done it numerous times! If you brought something to "match", I have a word of caution. Most places have a scanner that you can match your item with and it will tell you what colors to look for. I would recommend NOT using these tools. The scanner sees colors that are already in their system and many of them are not really matches. Case in point, I have a beige bedspread that I matched with the scanner. I took the paint home, excited about my new paint, started painting and it turned GREEN! UG. And not a very pretty green I might add. So I had to make a trip back to the store, hoping they could fix it or replace it. I did end up paying for the one can of paint I used, but the other 2 I bought, they replaced. Behind the counter, the clerk has a machine that will match your color EXACTLY. Use this one. Be cautious here too, make sure you like it before you leave. This is a "custom" color and not usually refunded.

Okay, you have found the color scheme you are looking for. They really make it easy for you because they put coordinating colors together. I like Behr paint. You can find it at Home Depot and if you watch the sales, you can get a good deal. Plus in my store, the clerks can and do help you out. If you don't have a Home Depot, most everywhere has these "custom" scanners. Another thing to keep in mind, ask for an 8 oz. sample of paint to take home and put on your wall, to see if you like it before making the total purchase. This is a real money saver!

If you get do find your color match with the paper samples - you are ahead of the game. Take several of these home and tape them to the wall and get a feel for what you want in there. Note: it is always safe to trim out the room with whites, eggshells, creams, or a shade above the main color. For instance, purple with lavendar trim. On the paint sample paper, one end will be a darker hue, the other a lighter hue, stay within these colors if possible.

In a bathrooms and kitchens, I prefer semi-gloss. It is easy to scrub and keeps the room bright with just the right amount of sheen. For most every other room, I prefer Satin. This has just a slight sheen, durable and seems to be forgiving on the walls if there are slight imperfections. Some people prefer Flat paint. This has no sheen at all. I find it hard to keep clean, so if you do use this, use it in a room that is not going have a lot of traffic in, such as a bedroom.

Supplies needed: Invest in good brushes! This is a must. I know the prices are outrageous, but you get what you pay for! Get a 2" angled brush for trims, corners, touch ups, etc... They do make smaller rollers for door trims, these are pretty handy as well! Get some good rollers too. Again, the price can be high, but it's worth it. I have done a lot of painting in my house - as my husband says, we don't need to insulate, because I have painted so much! Okay, I diverse -- Look for rollers that will work on your walls. They have all types. I prefer the "one coat" rollers. They really are "one coat"! Be sure to get rollers and roller pan(s) - as many as you have different colors for. Get masking tape, stir sticks and a paint can opener.

Before painting, take everything out of the room. EVERYTHING you can. Now comes the tedious part - taping off where you don't want the paint. This is time consuming and if you are like me, frustrating because I want to start painting and see the results right away! DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. You will thank yourself in the end. Take your time with the masking, put on some music, get a cool drink, again try to forego the chocolate - plus it makes a mess on the tape! This process typically takes a long time. Don't be sloppy.

Wow, you have worked so hard at this point. Now you may have a piece of chocolate, sit down for a moment and relax, the hard work is about to begin.

I have done the trim first and the big painting second. I have also done the big painting first and trim last. I prefer the big painting first, because I can see the results right away which keeps me motivated. When using a roller, roll in a "W" shape going over several times. If you are using a dark color, chances are you will have to put on a second coat, because you will miss spots. Go ahead - have some fun! I keep a bucket with soapy water nearby for little "oops' " If it gets on carpet, saturate the spot with water, DON'T RUB. Then blot it up with a damp rag. Do it as soon as you notice.

When you are done with the big painting, I get a garbage bag, put the roller in the tray and then wrap the garbage bag around the roller and paint tray. Tie it closed as much as possible. I have kept paint this way for up to a week and it still stays "wet". Be sure you close it up securely. DO NOT PULL UP THE TAPE YET. You may have to touch up later and you don't want to have to redo what you have already done!

Now for the trim. You will have to tape where the trim butts up against the "new" paint. Wait until it dries or you will have problems. Most paint dries with a couple 2 or 3 hours. You can always touch up if needed.  Do a good job. Trim is hard to do and if you do it right and slowly the first time, you won't have to do it again. After this is done, put your brush or small roller in a Ziploc baggie. This will keep it "wet" for a long time too! If you do the trim first - you don't need to tape off where the main color will be, you can slop it on!

The main paint should be dry now and you can touch up or find missed spots. If it isn't, wait until tomorrow - in fact I usually  make a point of doing this because I inevitably have to get everything out the next day when I have fresh eyes and see where I missed.  Have your trim brush/roller color handy for mistakes or touch up. As I said earlier, if you take your time with the trim, you won't have to re-do it.

Most clean up is a breeze. This is where you save yourself some future money. Clean your brushes with hot water and soap. Do a thorough job. Your brushes will last a lot longer if they are kept clean.  After no paint is coming out of the brush and I am assured it is clean, I go outside and shake the excess water out of the brush and lay it on my deck (on paper or plastic just in case) to dry.  As for the rollers. I am lazy and these are a pain in the patoot to clean. I typically throw them away. If you want to clean them, do so, just make sure they are completely clean for the next time!!

For the pan trays you used - Pour what you don't use back into your paint can and securely put the lid on the can for future use if needed. I let the paint air dry in the paint trays for a couple of days and then "peel" the paint out of them. It comes out, most of the time, in one piece.

Are you done? How does it look? Is it warm and inviting? Bold and bright? Just what you were looking for? Now comes the fun part! Decorating!!!! Remember to stay with the same tones that you have picked. You want your room to flow - if you put an odd color in your new room, that will draw all the attention, and your room will be lost. Let the walls do the talking!!

Congratulations!!! I hear chocolate calling....................