I am not a paint prep type of person. Some may call it impulsive, I like to say I see a window of time available and I will seize every moment of that time to get the work done, not prepare for it though. If you’re like me, and don’t like the prep work involved with painting then some of these painting hacks and tips might be for you.

1. Brushes – the brushes you use can and do make a difference. I’ve tried them all and some of the most expensive ones leave stray bristles and drip like crazy. These are my new favorite brushes and I don’t think I can ever go back to another brand.
2. Touch Ups – Say goodbye to saving 36 cans of paint in the garage for the ‘in case I need to touch up” moments. These touch up pens are what I’ve always needed. You can fill them, label them, and save them. The box says they’re good for up to 7 years and while I can’t attest to that just yet, I can say they were so easy to fill, clean, and I’m just ecstatic to have a small stash of these for each room. And let’s be real, the wall color will probably change before I reach that 7-year window.
3. Outlet + Switch Plates – When you add color to the walls there are details that may have been overlooked before..like outlet and switch plates. When my walls were white, they all just blended in but now with color, these paintable switch plates and outlet covers were a must. Prime them first (my favorite primer is Styx brand) and slap on a few quick coats of your wall color. *Bonus tip, when you have the switch plates off, write the paint brand and name or color code on the back of the switch plate. That way if you get rid of your cans and need to color match another day, you will have this info handy). These switch plates are under $3 a piece and really make those sometimes unsightly things blend right in.
4. Painted Door Hinges? One of my biggest pet peeves is painted hardware. While it is possible to replace the hinges on the doors, that is a BIG project I currently don’t want to take on right now. This tip might get some hate, but I used good ol’ Rub n Buff to bring back the metallic to the hinges that were painted (several times) over by the former owners. I wanted a polished gold look to match our Emtek door hardware but it’s available in several finishes and only takes a few minutes to apply.

Links:

• Best Paint Brushes ($59.99 for set of 5)
• Paint Touch Up Pen ($19.99 for set of 3)
• Paintable Outlet Covers ($3 each)
• Rub n Buff in Polished Gold