How to Paint Everything but the Walls in Your Home

When we think of paint, it’s usually centered around the walls of your house. When a new family member arrives, we paint the nursery. When the kids leave home, we change up the living room wall colors. The bathroom and hallways may even get a new coat of paint every few years to keep things looking bright and clean. 

Paint is your friend for so many more home beautification projects, however. Today, we’ll show you all the ways a fresh coat of paint in your new favorite color can liven up your interior in several unconventional ways. From an afternoon of creativity to a season of an overhaul, we’ve got a painting project for everyone.

Creative painting projects to liven every surface in your home

So, now that we’ve established that paint is not just for walls, where else can you make an artistic statement with interior and exterior paint? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Painting Window and door frames

We love to brighten an otherwise neutral, “blah” wall by highlighting the trim around your windows with a contrasting color. Depending on how detailed you are, you can create a bright and eye-catching color palette around windows and door frames in every room.  You’ll need to do a bit of cleaning and scraping of old paint, as well as roughing the gloss so that new paint will stick to the old surface reliably. It’s smart to decide on your color strategy for each room you intend to paint. 

Perhaps you’ll choose a single color to unify a particular look on all your trim. Or, if you have a unique view outside a specific window, you might select trim colors to frame the view as a picture. For all the particulars of how to complete a window or door trim paint coat, check out this article. 

Fireplace brick and stone

If your hearth is looking a little grungy, sooty, or otherwise old and tired, create a magazine-worthy picturesque, homey fire scene with a new paint scheme. 

The brick around your fireplace and mantle is pretty easy to clean with a scrub brush and mild soap solution. Before tackling stains with your brush, give a thorough check of the entire brick surface for crumbling, cracks, or other damage. If you notice a need for repairs, call a professional before applying new paint.

Paint your brick exterior

Hot tip: Painting over bricks is one of the least expensive and most dramatic ways to improve the look of your home. However, ensuring your bricks are in good condition now will save a ton of money and time later. Do your homework and ask an experienced painter for an inspection before picking up your paintbrush for the best results.

If you’re painting exterior brick, the experts at Select Painting recommend that you be sure there are no moisture issues like mildew or efflorescence before cleaning and painting. Even if you still want to DIY, have a professional you trust on speed dial just in case you find yourself in over your head.

Paint over wallpaper? Yes, you can!

Ugh! That decades-old yellowing wallpaper with the bird-and-butterfly design and shiny silver accents is so, uh, charming. We’re sure the last owner (even if it was you) got a lot of mileage out of what was once a top-shelf design trend.

However, removing wallpaper is not a project for the faint of heart or lack of arm strength. Instead, follow these steps to begin your wallpaper-update.

1. Check the walls for nicks, dings, scratches, electrical plate covers, and any other surface irregularities.
2. Prime the walls with an oil-based primer to create the best foundation for your new paint. You will have to allow the last coat of primer to cure for 24 hours for a reliably prepped surface.
3. Fill any holes, scratches, or uneven patches with drywall coating. Sand for smoothness when dry, and wipe away dust with a dry cloth.
4. Prime the drywall patches with the same oil-based primer used on the rest of the wall.
5. Consider using a texturing option to hide significant flaws in the walls.
6. Choose and apply your new paint, cutting in from the sides with an angled brush, and filling in the body of the walls with a roller.

What about the furniture?

You may love your dining room table and the memories created around it over the years. You may also be ready for a change. Why not paint your table and give it a new life from which to create more special moments? Here’s how to makeover your furniture with confidence.

1. First, sand and sand again. For paint to adhere to a surface, Remove any gloss or shine. Depending on the size of your piece, you may benefit from an electric sander blended with  hand-sanding for details like table legs or any intricately carved areas.
2. Avoid damaging your piece by lightly sanding all over without the need to strip the surface completely. Remember, you want a roughed-up texture that’s uniform and free of dust or other residues, so wipe your piece thoroughly with a soft cloth, like tack cloth.
3. Always prime your furniture before applying the final paint coat. The primer gives your new paint a firm foundation with which to adhere.
4. Now it’s time to paint. Be sure to protect floor surfaces with a quality drop cloth. As you’re painting, have a brush or a sponge nearby to catch drips from bends, curves, and corners in your wood. You can always apply a second coat if needed, but drips will last forever.
5. Protect your hard work. After the final paint coat dries, carefully and slowly apply a thin layer of glossy water-based protectant. Moving too fast with this step creates bubbles, so take your time, and less is more.

Let your creative paint flag fly

As you can see, the only limit to your painting prowess is your imagination and motivation. We hope this article gives you an inspirational start to beautifying and updating everything in your home with paint.