Get colour confident with our buyer's guide to interior paints.

WORDS CYBELE MASTERMAN STYLING STEPHANIE POWELL PHOTOGRAPHY JASON BUSCH

Spotted your must-have paint colour in a local eatery or a friend's living room? Whether it was a rough stone finish or shimmer of liquid steel that caught your attention, it's time to collect colour charts. Once you've narrowed the field, grab some sample pots. "I can't stress how important sample pots are – it's risky choosing a colour any other way," says Sharon McClelland from Paint Place. Test the colour on your walls, over an undercoat if the new colour is lighter than the old one, or paint up some cards (some companies now provide pre-painted A4 sheets called brush-outs) and stick them to the wall. Make sure you choose a spot opposite a window to showcase your hue in the changing light, including artificial globes and lamps. Like light, your existing furniture and accessories will also affect your chosen colour, so take some time to live with it and, hopefully, fall in love.

All the trimmings
Chart the paint colours and tints from ceiling to skirting boards. "Nature conditions us to expect the darkest shade at our feet, medium value at eye level and lightest value above us," says Matt Hankin from Taubmans.

The general consensus is no tints for ceilings. "Keep the ceiling an untinted white – it'll last so much longer, giving you at least 10 years, whereas white with a neutral tint can appear dirty over time," says painter Helen Kenyon from Cyan Magenta. If you happen to be blessed with a lofty space, there's no reason you can't indulge in a punchy colour for the ceiling – just ensure it's framed with white.

Enough is enough
To find out how much paint is needed, measure the space, multiply the height and width (for ceilings, multiply the width by the length of the room) and subtract the areas not being painted, like windows and doors. On average, you'll need 60 millilitres for each square metre, per coat. Add 20 per cent for fiddly, porous and rough surfaces and if it's the first coat without an undercoat. Generally, you'll need to allow for at least two coats.

Get ready, get set
Before beginning your masterpiece, make sure the surface is smooth and flake-free. "Put some masking tape on the surface and peel it off. If paint flakes come off, you'll need to sand or strip the surface," says colour strategist Eril Bruty of Haymes. Modern acrylic interior paints often don't need an undercoat, but you'll need to lay down a primer or undercoat if (a) the existing colour is darker than the new one, (b) you're changing from oil-based to water-based paint (or vice versa) or (c) you're painting new or exposed surfaces, like metal or wood, to prepare the surfaces for painting. When you're ready to start, take down furnishings and fittings, lay drop sheets, wash the entire area with a sugar soap solution to clean the existing paintwork and run masking tape along edges and windows to protect them in case you paint outside the lines. It's very important to stir the paint – shaking creates air bubbles that leave pock marks in the surface. Dampen the brush or roller with a little water for water-based paints and turps for oil-based paints.

All systems are go!
Start painting at the top and work down – ceiling first, followed by the walls, doors and windows. Finish with the skirting – that way, any spills can be painted over. When tackling wide areas, think of the old phrase, 'take care of the edges and the middle will take care of itself'. Paint edges and detail areas with an edger brush and fill with the roller. Apply the roller in a zig-zag and smooth over without reloading. At the end of it all, touch up spots with an artist's brush.

Toolbox

Rollers: Look for strong frames with a comfortable grip, aligned with the centre of the cage for even application.

Roller covers: Choose roller covers according to the nap (the roller's surface thickness). The thin, six millimetre option is for very smooth surfaces, like ceilings and flat walls, while the thickest, 20 millimetres, is for rough surfaces. Foam or lambs wool rollers are a good option for home use because they lay down seamless coats, have less splatter, are lightweight and are easy to clean. Mohair covers are best for mirror and high gloss finishes.

Paint brushes: A good quality synthetic brush is a good all-rounder, whereas natural bristles tend to go limp in water-based paints and lose consistency. Look for brushes with different filament lengths, as they pick up paint quicker and give better coverage. Ideally, the brush should feel thick near the handle and taper in slightly at the tip to release paint gradually.

Paint Edgers: An angled brush designed for trims, tight areas and detailed jobs that gives sharp, clean edges.