Don’t paint your room dark without reading this first

So you’ve decided to go dark with your new paint colour!

Excellent 😊. This makes me very happy. Dark colours are just amazing for instantly transforming a space and dialling up the cosy vibes of a room. 

But if this is your first time, then let me share with you a little warning ⚠️

If you’re painting your lovely new colour over white or pale walls this is what’s going to happen…

Don’t paint your room dark without reading this first

 

The first coat will look absolutely, shockingly bad.

You will think you have made a terrible mistake but you haven’t!

You’re just suffering from fist-coat-fear and it’s totally normal. So when this happens to you don’t panic. Here’s what you need to do. 

Be prepared. Expect it to look really, really bad. 

It’s not you and it’s not the new paint colour. It’s just those sad white walls putting up a fight before they’re gone forever and your gorgeous new paint colour is revealed. The first coat just isn’t going to give you perfect coverage, whatever brand you are using. It will look streaky, patchy, blotchy, inconsistent and generally disgusting. But that’s okay. Like I said, it’s perfectly normal.

So when put down your roller stand back and look at the hideous sight before you, don’t have a meltdown. You mustn’t just the colour as you see it now. This is just the first coat. Bursting into tears and changing your mind would be like trying to eat a cake halfway through the baking and complaining it’s runny. It’s just not ready yet! If you are nervous about this stage and think you might lose faith and change your mind then consider this…

Avoid the trauma altogether 

Hire someone to do the painting for you, leave the house and don’t come back until it’s all finished. That way you never have to even know how bad the first coat looks. 

And ps give the painter explicit instructions to NOT send you any photos of the ‘during’ part. 

But if the expense of hiring and professional isn’t an option for you, then try this…

Use a dark-tinted primer

Every DIY shop will stock a generic dark-tinted primer. Get it on your walls before going in with your paint. The dark primer will block over the pale/white walls and give you a lovely dark base to work with. You can then feel very smug when your new dark paint colour looks delicious the minute you start rollering it on your walls. 

But if you can’t be arsed with primer I totally get it, just try not to do this…

Change your mind! 

Don’t even think about it. You’ve not made a mistake. You’ve chosen an amazing colour. Keep the faith. You’ll love it when it’s all done. 

Don’t paint your room dark without reading this first

So what have we learned?

All dark paint colours should come with this warning.

First coat fear is a think, but as long as you are prepared for it you’ll be fine. 

So when your first coat looks horrific, repeat after me….

“I knew this would happen”

“I’ve not made a mistake”

“I’ve chosen an awesome colour”

“I don’t need to panic”

Want to book a one-to-one consultation with me?

Hi I’m Sarah and I love helping people with their interior design projects. I am a qualified designer who can offer face-to-face design services as well as online design services and amazingly useful and inspiring resources. 

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Until next time,

Sarah x