How to Prep for Painting like a Professional

Hello there! I wanted to share some kitchen progress today! The last time I worked on this room, I’d just painted one section of my kitchen cabinets. And then I stopped because it was so much work! Lol! I decided to paint the biggest wall in my kitchen for a fast win!

Except, it wasn’t quick at all. This project took me one full day and 8 coats of paint in some spots. The part that took the longest is the prep. I guess that the previous owners didn’t in caulk before we moved in so there were huge gaps everywhere, plus a million nail holes in the walls, and the walls were covered in spider webs #glamorous

But, I’m dedicated to redoing this house correctly, so I put in the time prepping the wall BEFORE painting. Getting this step right is the difference between a beautiful paint job and a sloppy one. Its taken me time and trial and error to get these right, so I wanted to pass on my wisdom.

how to prep for painting like a professional

1. clean

First things first, get the wall clean. You want to do this so that your paint sticks to the wall. To clean, I usually get a wet rag with a little dish soap on it. I’ve also used a Swifter on the wall too so you don’t have to get on a ladder to get the top of the wall or the ceiling!

If you’re painting your baseboards like I did, make sure to sweep the floor too.

2. caulk like your life depends on it

I believe in caulk! It makes SUCH a difference in how finished a space looks! If you have cracks between your molding and the wall- caulk. Or between your cabinet and the wall. For this step, I use caulk, plus a caulk gun, and a caulk finishing set.

I used to use my finger dipped in a bowl of water to smooth the bead of caulk, but I recently tried a caulk finishing set. Essentially, its a $2 rubber tool so your finger doesn’t get dirty or scraped up as you push the caulk into the crevice. I love using it for a cleaner application!

If I’m caulking before a paint project, I use caulk to fill nail holes. If I don’t need to caulk, I just use some Dap nail hole filler.

Pro tip- if you don’t use your full bottle of caulk and want to save it for your next project, just screw in a long screw into the opening. This keeps your caulk nice and fresh (and doesn’t dry it out).

3. sand if needed

In my last house, I painted my baseboards and didn’t bother sanding before I painted. I used black paint over white paint and they chipped ALL of the time (thus looking awful). If you have a shiny paint or finish that you’re trying to cover, sand it first.

I used my trusty $30 mouse sander on the baseboards, beadboard, and door molding and was done in 5 minutes.

4. use painter’s tape (the thicker the better)

If I don’t want to get paint on something, I like to use painter’s tape. For the kitchen, I taped over the floor, the counter top, the backsplash, and an outlet. I prefer thick tape over skinny tape to give myself a better margin of error.

5. remove everything you don’t want paint on

Before painting, I like to take off outlet and light switch covers. This wall had an old phone jack so I took off the cover. This way you can completely cover the old paint color and you don’t get paint on anything you don’t want to. Or you can take this as a chance to replace outlet covers if they’re damaged.

You’ll also want to take off drapery rods and any nails in the wall. Remember, its these details that give you a professional finish! Plus, I find it nice to have a literal clean slate in a room.

In college my dad gave me this screwdriver with a Phillips and a flat head. Its been going strong ever since! For paint prep its perfect since you usually need both types of heads. Here’s a similar screwdriver to what I have. Plus it’ll probably last you your whole life 😉

6. drop cloths

For the last step, I like to spread out drop cloths where paint might hit the ground, a counter top, or a piece of furniture. I bought an inexpensive drop cloth forever ago that I like. But now, whenever I have an old towel or floor mat that I’m ready to get rid of, I re-purpose it to be a drop cloth. Yay for free!

I’ll be honest, I’m a bit of a messy painter, so if I get a few splatters, they usually end up on the drop cloth and I don’t worry about it! Which is much better than messing up my floors with paint!

Now that you’re all prepped, you can get to the fun part- painting!

after

Here’s the wall after I painted. Every time I can paint over brown in this house, I am super happy! The light reflects so much better with white paint and with this being a dark room, that’s important.

Since the room is dark (you need the light on at all times of the day if you’re in the kitchen), I ordered two sconces for the back wall. The wall I painted has a bump out on it from an old chimney. Instead of messing with it, I decided to hang a gallery wall to help it blend in a bit.

Eventually, I’ll be replacing the big table with a smaller one that is more suited for the tight space. I’m also planning on building in some banquette seating so we can remove one chair to make the walkway a little easier to walk through (things are cramped now!).

But for now, here is where we are:

table / agate print / sconces / peonies print / Olivia print / butterfly print / rug / dining chairs are discontinued

You can see how cute the wall is looking with the painted cabinets! Now I just need to finish painting the rest of the room!

I still haven’t mastered photographing this room- it is so dark (a big reason for getting the sconces). Also, I need to buy cord covers which will help too.

I’m super happy with the progress I’ve made in this room! Honestly, a clean white wall feels like a big step towards this house being my style. And I figure, you’ve got to take your wins where you can!