Tips for getting a perfectly painted room

(FOX 2) - This week, Jill Washburn, our Jill of All Trades, gives us some of her best painting tips. Jill says painting is the fastest, most dramatic way to change a room.  

First and foremost, Jill says to get the best paint that you can afford. Cheaper paints might seem like they're going to save you money but if you have to apply more coats to get it to cover, you might actually be wasting money - and it's definitely going to cost you time. This is especially true if you're changing the color dramatically. If you're just refreshing your room with a new coat of the same color, you may be able to slide by with a less expensive paint.

Before you start painting, though, Jill says to check your walls for spots that need repair. There are newer spackles available that are super easy to work with. Some will even change color as they dry, so that you know when it's dry enough to sand and/or paint over.  

A light sanding will get the spackle evened out. Jill says to sand the spots until the edges of the spackle kind of feather or fade into the rest of the wall. A quick patch job can go a long way toward making your paint job look great, so it's worth the extra step, says Jill.

Next, you may want to mask off your trim work, so that you can paint right up to it. Jill says that the blue painter's tape works really well and that the green Frog Tape is phenomenal for getting really crisp edges and lines.

Once you start painting, make sure you roll over each small area a couple of times to ensure that you're getting good coverage. Jill says that she often skips the masking step by using the roller and rolling fairly close to the trim work.  

Then she uses a foam paintbrush to get even closer to the trim. Jill uses more of a patting motion with the foam brush, so that she gets the same pebbled texture that the roller gives. 

After that, Jill uses what she calls her secret weapon, which is a fan-shaped artist's brush to get right up to the edges. She uses that brush to get that last little bit painted right up to the trim work.  

It shouldn't take you long to get the hang of using that to get a really smooth line. Jill says that it saves her time overall, rather than having to mask/tape everything off.

Last tip... have a damp rag or shop towel ready for cleaning up mistakes, says Jill. If you catch them quickly, you can just wipe them away and save lots of touch-up time later.

You're ready to start. Happy painting! Using these tips, you should be able to have a great looking room in no time!

PROJECT RATING:  Easy to Easy+

To watch Jill demonstrate her painting tips, just click on the video player above.