What order to paint a room in (and why it matters)

Painting in the wrong order means fixing drips on surfaces you thought were finished. Here is the sequence the trade uses.

There is a reason decorators always work in the same order. Gravity and overspray mean that if you finish one surface and then paint above it, you end up with drips and speckles to fix. Follow the sequence and each stage protects the last.

The order

1. 1Prep the whole room first — fill, caulk, sand and clean everything before any paint goes on.
2. 2Ceiling. Start at the top so any splatter lands on walls you have not painted yet.
3. 3Walls. Cut in the edges with a brush, then roll the main areas while the cut-in is still wet so it blends.
4. 4Woodwork last — skirting, then door and window frames, then the door itself. Any dust or drips from the walls are dealt with before you lay the finish coat.

A few things that help

• Do all your cutting in and rolling wet-on-wet on each wall to avoid visible joins.
• Keep a damp cloth in your pocket for immediate mistakes — wet paint wipes, dry paint sands.
• Mask where two colours or surfaces meet if your hand is not steady, and pull the tape while the paint is still slightly wet.

Get the order right and the room almost paints itself. Come in for the brushes, rollers, trays and sundries that make the day run smoothly.