Hey friends! Thank you so much for the kind comments on my newly painted living room bookcases. I’m really loving the way this room is starting to feel more like our living room as opposed to the living room we inherited from the previous owners. It’s just so much fun injecting your own personal style into a space. I’m still a long way from calling her done, but some progress is better than no progress. That’s what I keep telling myself anyway.
I’ve spent the better part of the past couple of weeks with either a paint brush or a paint roller in my hand, so I thought I’d pop in today to share a few of my personal favorite painting tools as well as a few painting tips that seem to work for me.
I’m certainly not a professional, but I manage to get ‘er done with these tips and tricks.
1. I’d like to dedicate a love song to this angled brush. Seriously. No really. I’m serious. I love this brush so much. This 2 inch angled brush made by Wooster can be found in pretty much any hardware store that sells paint, and you can also buy it on Amazon. It’s usually around $5 or so. It makes cutting in and painting trim work a breeze. I never tape anything off. There’s no need to when you’re using this brush. The short handle fits in your hand just perfectly and gives you maximum control. I could go on….and on, but I think you get it now. It’s good. Get one.
2. Paint rollers matter. That’s why I use purdy rollers. You want good results? Use a good roller. I swear by Purdy rollers, and no one is paying me to say that. But if they’d like to…….I’m all in.
3. Mini foam rollers are perfect for painting bookcases or anything where you don’t want to see roller marks. I also swear by them for painting a ceiling. Yes, it will take longer to paint a ceiling with a mini foam roller, but it weighs so much less than a traditional roller that it will save you the neck cramp and arm fatigue making it completely worthwhile. I also really love them for painting doors…..again they are so great for painting in situations where you want a smooth finish with no roller marks.
4. I prefer plastic drop cloths. They don’t weigh anything, so they’re easy to move around. They’re so much easier to work with than a canvas drop cloth. Plus they’re much less expensive.
5. If a project is going to take a couple of days I don’t bother washing my brush or roller in between work days, instead I wrap them tightly in a plastic grocery bag and put them in my refrigerator. It keeps them from drying out and saves me the trouble of having to clean up before my project is completely finished.
6. Coffee is my spirit animal. 😉
7. Last but not least, a product I love that is not pictured here is Floetrol. It’s a latex paint additive that is fantastic for any job where you want to completely eliminate any and all roller or brush marks. It’s great for cabinetry, doors and wainscoting. It does increase your drying time so you do have to wait longer between coats, but it works like a charm. For my bookcases I skipped using floetrol because I found that the cabinet doors looked fine just from using a foam roller, but my original plan was to add floetrol to the paint on my third and final coat.
So there you have it a few of my favorite painting things and tips. Do you have any tips, tricks or favorite painting tools to share? If so, please share in the comments section down below!
Almost ready to put our living room back together……just in time to whip out our Christmas tree!
Ok, so be real here…. do you clean your rollers or trash them after your project. I DESPISE cleaning rollers. Please make me feel less guilty.