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Home » Home Improvement » Learn How to Paint a Small Room, the Easy Way!

October 11, 2018

Learn How to Paint a Small Room, the Easy Way!

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Make designing your dream room a breeze with my Printable Room Planner.

Learn how to paint a small room, the easy way! 

Although my dining room isn’t tiny, only the wainscot needed to be painted. I don’t know about you, but I hate dragging out all the stuff for small paint jobs. It seems like overkill. Today, I’m sharing how I avoided the mess to paint my small room. 

The easy way to paint a small room

I’ve been a fan of HANDy paint cup for a while now. Until I found the HANDy paint cup, I used a plastic cup. It didn’t hold much paint and I was constantly worried that I would accidentally drink from it our of habit. Because when you’re holding a cup, it’s normally something you drink. Luckily that never happened.

Then I discovered the HANDy paint cup! I especially love it for using when cutting in near the ceiling. It’s small enough to take up a ladder, but holds enough paint to get the job done without a million refills. Best of all, it has a super convenient magnet that holds the paint brush out of the paint. No overloaded brushes to deal with!

paint brush in handy cup
china cabinet painted white

For my dining room walls, I used the Pro Pail, which I loved. It’s small, but efficient. It would be perfect for painting small rooms like bathrooms or closets! Or even useful for painting furniture, since it’s easy to carry.

One Room Challenge Week 2

Last week, I introduced plan for my dining room that I’m redoing for the One Room Challenge. The One Room Challenge is a challenge to makeover a room in just 6 weeks. I’m joining as a linking participant, along with over 200 other blogger. There are also 20 featured bloggers. Check them out for tons of inspiration.

My goal this week was to get the room painted, which I accomplished. I think I’ve picked out a rug as well. My sale at Sweet Clover is coming up, so this is a really busy week for me. I’m hoping to squeeze in some work this weekend….

teal painted walls in dining room

Between this room and the upcoming sale, my family room is a wreck. We are definitely in the “ugly stage.”

messy family room

How to Paint a Small Room

Supplies Needed

This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing an item through an affiliate link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

  • HANDy Paint Cup
  • HANDy Pro Pail
  • Paint pourer
  • Short handled paint brush
  • Foam roller
  • Ziplock baggies
  • Drop cloth
  1. Prepare your room. Move all the furniture and clean the walls. I like to use a microfiber cloth because it picks up stray dog hairs. Remove all outlet covers. 
  2. Pour your paint into the HANDy Pro Pail.load paint roller in handy pro pail
  3. Load your roller with paint.
  4. Start painting all of the large areas, leaving about 1-2 inches of space around the edges.paint roller in a handy paint pail
  5. Pour paint into the HANDy cup.pour paint into handy cup
  6. Cut in with the paint brush around the edges.cut in with brush
  7. Let the paint dry and repeat as needed. finished paint in dining room

Tips for Painting Small Rooms

  • You can cut in OR roll first. It doesn’t really matter. I normally cut in first to get the harder part out of the way.
  • Using the right paint brush makes the biggest difference for cutting in. A short handled, angled brush works the best.
  • Liners are available for HANDy cup products to make clean up easier. Even if you don’t use them, the paint peels right off the plastic surfaces. (My kids really love peeling paint.)
  • I like to use ziplock baggies for storing my brushes and rollers between uses. Saran wrap also works, but I think the baggies are so much easier. paint in handy cup
  • It’s okay to paint half the room at a time. For my living room, I had to paint it in stages because there was too much stuff in there.

You might also like:

  • How to Choose White Paint
  • How to Paint a Room
  • Install Built-In Cabinets

Pin for Later!

Learn how to paint a small room!
Emy Flint

Emy is a vintage obsessed mama of 2 DIYer who loves sharing affordable solutions for common home problems. You don’t need a giant budget to create a lovely home. Read more…

« Dining Room Before and Plans
Learn How to Shibori Dye Fabric: Tips and Tricks »

Filed Under: Home Improvement, Paint Tagged With: dining room, One Room Challenge, paint, walls

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Susie says

    October 11, 2018 at 8:28 am

    Geez…these products look great! I really need to get one of those goodie boxes. LOL.. But your room is looking good!! So thrilled to follow your progress every week. ~~ Susie from The Chelsea Project

    Reply
  2. Ola says

    October 11, 2018 at 11:00 am

    I also live in a small space, so I know how challenging it can be to paint. This post is quite helpful and covers all the bases. I love that you’re not afraid of color!

    Reply
  3. Tee at Beauteeful Living says

    October 11, 2018 at 7:17 pm

    I love that cup. I use that when I’m painting a room too. I cut before I roll :). I feel you about the mess during this makeover process. It’ll be all worth it soon! 🙂

    Reply
  4. JEWEL says

    October 11, 2018 at 8:22 pm

    I’ve been painting all week. This would have been nice!

    Reply
  5. Jen @ Jenron Designs says

    October 12, 2018 at 10:55 am

    Emy I love the HANDy paint products they are so wonderful and the magnetic brush holder is awesome! I have not used the smaller roller bucket yet but I know we will before we are done, LOL lots of painting!!! Your color selection is amazing as always, so bright a vivid I love it!!!

    Reply
  6. Libbie says

    October 12, 2018 at 7:22 pm

    I could have used these tips while painting my guest bedroom! I’ve put a paint cup into my amazon saves for my next painting job. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Denise says

    October 16, 2018 at 5:48 pm

    Love the HANDY products! The magnet for the paint brush is the best, oh and the handle on the pail too! Love the color you chose! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Leslie says

    October 17, 2018 at 10:46 am

    Great tips! What did we do before the Handy paint products? I know, I used to pour paint into a plastic cup and then my hand would ache!

    Reply
  9. Nicole Torres says

    October 18, 2018 at 8:13 pm

    I love that color, so vibrant. Looking forward to the reveal.

    Reply

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I'm a color loving DIYer who believes that a beautiful home is possible, even on a budget.

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