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Step 1
Find some drop cloths. Old sheets are great for this, as are newspapers and cardboard, as long as you tape them down so they don’t slide around. You can also buy thick plastic sheeting, which is nice to cover furniture and other items you don’t want to move out of the room.
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Step 2
Get a paint tray – heavier is better, so there’s less chance of it tipping over. And there are these great plastic tray liners, that you can clean and toss instead of having to buy more than one tray or clean it every time you change colors.
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Step 3
Invest in a decent roller frame and cover. Steel frames with sealed ends will be sturdier and keep paint on the roller. As for the covers, synthetic blends with short nap are great for most walls, ceilings and trims, although you can also find fancier longer-nap rollers that will give your wall texture or a faux finish. And an extension rod (not to mention a ladder) can be handy for painting rooms with high ceilings.
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Step 4
Buy a sash brush. These are the synthetic brushes with the angled edge that are great for painting in corners, around trim and doing touch-ups.
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Step 5
Probably the most important piece of equipment you’ll buy is the painter’s tape. This is low-tack tape, that usually comes in a blue color and prevents you from painting over edges, corners, glass or trim. It’s also much easier to remove than masking tape after your project is finished.
