Ten ways to freshen up your home with paint

Painting is an achievable D.I.Y. job – even for beginners – and it’s not only relatively easy but it’s also affordable. It provides an instant reward when the project is finished – important for a novice!

New painters should take time to read the backs of the paint tins. They include lots of useful information, such as what surfaces they are appropriate for, details on preparation, coverage rates and general tips. And if you have any further questions, ask one of our helpful Team Members in store or check out some of our painting tutorials online. And it’s not just about the paint – invest in quality equipment too. From bushes to rollers, masking tape, and even drop sheets – good quality tools will help you get the perfect finish.

Beginners might also like to start with a small job – ideally in a less public space, such as a bedroom. By the time you reach the living areas and other more public spaces in your home, you’ll be an expert!

Here are some great D.I.Y. painting projects that will freshen up your home beautifully.

Upcycle furniture with paint

A quick paint job is a fabulous way to upcycle furniture. Whether it is a piece languishing in your living room, or a Facebook Marketplace bargain, a quick coat of paint is a simple and easy project. The key to a good job is all in the preparation. Make sure you strip back any old paint and give it a thorough sand. If you suspect the furniture has been painted with oil-based paint (common in old pieces), you might need to use a binding primer to ensure that the new paint sticks to the surface.

Paint your trims

Re-painting trims – door frames, skirting boards and windowsills – is a fast and effective way to freshen up a room. It’s a smaller job that might only be necessary in high-traffic areas and is especially true of busy family households where kids might be running up and down hallways or pushing furniture against walls.

Before you start painting, it’s best to give the areas a quick clean (sugar soap is ideal) and a light sand to remove any loose paint. Gloss paint is perfect for trims as it’s easier to wipe clean, but if you have any bumps or damage, a semi-gloss might be a better option as high gloss paint can highlight imperfections. The sheen on gloss paints can make colours appear darker, so it's important that you test colours before you paint.

Paint the kitchen

It is amazing how much a paint job can revive a kitchen, and it’s especially effective if you have a well-designed cooking space, but outdated colour scheme. A fresh coat of a bright white can lighten up a kitchen, while a darker shade can make the space more dramatic and is perfect for kitchen islands or low cabinets.

Timber kitchens are ideal for painting, but laminated cabinets, benchtops and tile splashbacks can all be painted. It’s recommended that you remove the doors if you want to paint them, for the best coverage.

Paint a feature wall

There’s nothing like a splash of colour to refresh or liven up your home, especially if you are not confident about adding full-on colour throughout. Have some fun looking at the paint colour charts in store and use some sample pots to get a clear idea of how a feature wall might look in the light of your home. If you are making a dramatic change, you might need more coats and it’s a good idea to tint your primer if you want a darker hue.

Paint the bathroom tiles

If your bathroom tiles are still in good condition – or you are not ready for a full reno – you might like to consider a weekend project of painting the tiles. It’s the perfect way to freshen up a bathroom without compromising the waterproofing or incurring plumbing expenses and problems. It is important to note that you need to use specialised tile painting products rather than general house paints and ensure that you prepare the surfaces properly. Make sure you pay close attention to the instructions included on the paint tin.

Paint the garage floor

Spruce up a neglected part of your home by applying a new epoxy floor finish to your garage. An epoxy floor has the appearance of polished concrete and is durable, easy to clean and resistant to stains and spills such as motor oil, paint, lubricants and more. They also look great and will give you the opportunity to do a good tidy-up of the area.

Paint your home’s exterior

Boost your street appeal (and your home’s value) by adding a fresh coat of paint to the outside. A modern colour combination can take your home from daggy to desirable in a weekend and with surprising ease.

Brick homes might just need a refresh of the trims and perhaps a front porch, while a weatherboard or rendered home can get a total makeover.

Paint the front door

Make the first impression of your house a dramatic one with a freshly painted front door. Whether soft and subtle, or bold and brave, you can achieve a real difference to the front of your home in just a few hours. High gloss paint is best for front doors as it is more resilient to fingerprints and dirt, but the colour choice is totally up to you! Yellow doors are becoming more popular, but a red statement is always a classic.

Paint the fence

Finish the job and frame your house with a freshly painted fence. Timber fences will always benefit from an extra layer of paint for protection, but even brick fences can look good after a paint refresh. Spray painting can make the job easier and faster – and make sure you choose a resilient paint suitable for outdoor use.

Oil the deck

Adding a coat of decking oil is one of those jobs we all tend to put off, until we end up getting it done – and wonder why it took so long to get around to it! Depending on the size of your deck, this is a job that can be done in just a couple of hours and it has such an immediate result. If you do it regularly, you might only need one coat, but two is ideal. Regularly oiling a timber deck – at least once a year – will help to make it last so much longer and look great. For best results give it a good clean first with a specialised decking cleaner.

Looking for your next paint project?

We’ve got a great selection of paint projects full of helpful advice, tips, tricks and video instructions to help make your next D.I.Y. project a success.