Five handy tips to help with painting walls

1. A wall colour you don’t like is hard to live with and as there are so many different colours and finishes to choose from, it’s important to try a new paint first. It is a good idea to apply a little of a new colour to each wall, so you get the full effect and can see how it looks at different times of the day. Printed colour charts aren’t accurate, so don’t rely on them, and the same is true of paint colours viewed online - always try the paint in the room it’ll be used in.

2. Once you’ve found an emulsion you like, you’ll need to work out how much to buy. The paint tin will have information on coverage, and you can use an online paint calculator to work out how much paint is needed per room. These calculators take into account things like the size of the walls, windows and doors, but not the type of emulsion you’re using or the state of the walls themselves.