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My Mom Painted Our Entire House, and She's Spilling Her Best Painting Tips

These mom-approved steps will ensure a flawless finish

Materials needed to paint an ombre wall

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

When I reflect on my childhood, I can see myself sitting in my Blue's Clues armchair and watching Finding Nemo, splashing around on our Slip-n-Slide, and sitting on the couch in the middle of our living room watching my mom paint the walls around me.

A determined perfectionist, my mom quickly picked up painting skills after we moved into our newly built home when I was three years old. Soon after, I would find her painting a different room every day. She moved with grace from one paint bucket to another, flying through tarp and rollers—and frequently making refill trips to Lowe's. Not only did she complete 90% of the initial paint jobs in my house, she also tackled endless repaints for almost every room over the years. My bedroom alone received four repaints, and I have her to thank for my endless color indecision.

Watching her so closely over the years, I picked up a few painting tips and best practices to ensure a flawless finish. These are some of the best painting tricks I learned from my mom—and if you want to nail a first coat or a repaint, then keep reading.

Proper Setup Is Everything

Mom never tackles a painting project without the proper preparation. If you want to avoid splatters hitting your hardwood floors or staining tile, heed her best practices.

To start, move all large furniture pieces that sit up against the walls into the middle of the room. Cover these items in a large, plastic tarp, as well as any exposed flooring close to the wall. Use painter's tape to cover baseboards and window trim, but don't worry about taping the edges—she has a trick for that.

Prep room for paint with drop cloth

The Spruce / Margot Cavin 

Edgers Are Your Friend

My mom's favorite painting tool that you absolutely need in your arsenal is an edger. This wonderful device includes a flat surface that you cover with paint, and you can drag this across the edges of the wall for a clean finish. No more splatters or drips on your molding or white trim, the edger is here to save the day.

This versatile tool is easy to use and affordable, and you can find it at any hardware or paint store. There are versions attached to an arm or handheld. If you're using a handheld edger, be sure not to get paint on the bottom rollers—if you do, you'll wind up with paint where you didn't want it.

Paint edger tools applying white paint along wood trim

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Don't Oversaturate to Avoid Drips

There is a proper way to saturate the roller in your tray, and my mom taught me her go-to technique after one-too-many soaked rollers hit the wall and sprayed paint splatters on our sofa. After dipping your roller through the paint a few times, roll off the excess on the back of the tray to avoid any drips coming down the wall—thank me later.

Paint roller and paint in tray

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Take Breaks, But Don't Interrupt Your Groove

There is one part of my mom's process that proves to be the most productive way to complete a room: only take short breaks. Of course, if you are feeling fatigued, need a snack, or simply need a break to sit and admire your work, absolutely do so. Long breaks or throwing in the towel early, though, might interrupt the certain "flow" that comes with painting a room.

My mom would always complete the initial painting of all four walls (minus the edging) before breaking for lunch. This method ensures that you actually complete the project, and there are ways to make sure your mind is honed in on the task at hand. Turn on a great playlist, get in your painting clothes, and move with purpose through the room to ensure the cleanest finish.

Paint roller filling in wall gaps with gray paint

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Enlist Help

Though my mom was always down to tackle a painting project solo, I noticed that the more hands are on rollers, the faster the job gets done. Two to three people painting one small-ish room will cut the time in half, making for happier painters and a more efficient completion.