How To Paint Trim Like A Pro
We actually get a lot of edging, cutting in, and trim-painting questions so we figured we’d share our secret… this amazing little short handled 2″ angled brush:
Whipping it out to clean up the baseboards and paint a crisp line where the walls meet the ceilings in our recent bathroom striping project reminded us just how stellar this little guy really is. Things were so smooth and fabulous that I ended up touching up nearly every baseboard in the house while I was at it. It’s kind of addicting when things are so easy.
So here’s the scoop: it’s available at Duron and Sherwin-Williams stores and it’s called the Premium XL Tight Spots 2″ Angle Short Handle Brush (with comfort grip- ooh la la). I should also clarify that we don’t work for Duron or Sherwin Williams, nor are they paying us to write about this magical little brush, we’ve just tried a ton of products and approaches to cutting in, edging, and painting trim and this baby is by far the easiest to control. In short: the short handled easy-grip design makes staying in the lines like loving Nate Berkus (read: super easy).
Before we discovered this miracle worker we tried painter’s tape (time consuming and not as crisp) and cutting in by hand with a regular angled brush (better but still a bit nerve-wracking and not at all error-proof). Enter this lifesaver, stage left. Rooms that once would have taken a full day to paint the baseboards, trim around the windows and crown molding with tongue-sticking-out-intensity can now be completed in less than two hours (and my tongue remains in my mouth). Really. It’s awesome. And it’s only… wait for it… $4.99.
Life is good.
So there you have it, our secret to avoiding wall paint on the baseboards, trim paint on the walls, wavy ceiling edges, and everything else that threatens to sabotage a good paint job. What about you guys? Do you have any secret home improvement weapons? Do tell.
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Comments
Hey Johnna,
We haven’t completely eliminated the need for painters tape (in fact we used it to make those bathroom stripes) but we don’t regularly use it for ceilings and baseboards anymore. This brush is quicker and produces smoother results than the semi-reliable blue tape (and there’s a lot less waste!).
xo,
s
Hm… I didn’t think it was possible to do trim without painters tape! Perhaps I’m just too impatient to take my time painting. Thanks for sharing the awesome tool though!
Hey Laura,
That was totally me. And the beauty of this brush is that it’s so easy to control you have to TRY to go out of the lines. The angled bristles and the short handle make it so easy to make a nice smooth line between the trim and the wall (smoother than a tape line) and it’s so much faster than taping the room off first. Definitely give it a whirl!
xo,
s
We will have to give this a shot on the next project! My bf is a huge fan of the little pad on wheels for getting a great line without paint on the ceiling (as long as you are super careful not to get paint on the wheels). We are thinking of taking on a beadboard project in our small dining room. Any helpful tips?
Getting ready to paint the trim in my living room today–will have to stop and grab this brush. It sounds amazing!
We found a sweet tool for our ceiling, window, etc., edges: Shur-line edger pro (http://www.amazon.com/Shur-Line-01000-Paint-Premium-Edger/dp/B000WOMYIU). I was dubious but it came with a paint set we bought (our first time painting and we’re tackling 60% of our new house… yikes!!) and my hubs gave it a whirl. One word: amazing. Oh, and fast. Love it!
My house was built in 1914 and has TONS of wood, moldings, built-ins, the works. I love it, but the thought of painting made me want to die. I am also a “no tape” painter. I have found that good quality, short handled brushes make ALL the difference. And practice. After edging my whole house, I don’t have to stick my tongue out as far. I am about to do my bathroom this weekend where there are some intense angles and corners. I may have to pick up that little guy to try him out!
Hey Vanessa,
No beadboard tips here (we haven’t taken that on yet) but we’d love to hear from anyone who has! Any tips guys? Do tell.
xo,
s
THANK YOU SHERRY!!!!
What a blessing…I am the WORST taper EVER…my husband always has to do it for me. Now maybe I’ll be able to paint on my own! Not that i don’t love his company…he talks to me the whole time – but we know who is better with a paintbrush and roller and who is better with a baseball. There are some battles you can’t fight.
Imaging how much money you’d save not buying that roll of tape just to do a room! I love this story!
xo
Johnna
The best paint brush I’ve ever used, bar none, is the Purdy XL Cub. I bought it because I painted my kitchen cabinets, and I was going to do the insides of a couple of them. I’d seen a few blogs where peeps had done it, and I really liked the look. Anyhow, there were lots of corners involved, and tight spaces, and I figured my usual 2½” sash brush would be getting in the way.
I’m about to tackle the trim in my foyer, and I think I’ll use it there too… and you’re right about painter’s tape. It takes longer to use it, and once you figure out how to hold the brush correctly, you have to go out of your way to mess up. (A tip for your readers – try holding your brush like you hold a pencil… and hold it sideways!)
Purdy brushes rock!
Thanks for this tip Sherry. I just might have to go and buy one of these. We painted an accent wall and the corners need to be redone. This brush might just do the trick. We also painted the risers on our stairs white and we used the blue tape. Well 25 year old steps and blue tape doesn’t always work. Now we have to clean up the stairs because the white paint bleed through onto the stained steps. Ugh! Any tips for getting the paint off of the stained steps? Please!
So excited to read this post today! I am a teacher and one of my summer projects while off school is to repaint my baseboards, trim, and interior doors a bright white…they are currently a yucky off-white color. What kind of brush do you recommend for doors that have lots of grooves (and therefore can’t use a roller on)? Also, any tips on picking a good white that will look crisp and clean?
You couldn’t have posted this at a better time – I have to paint the trim in my bedroom TONIGHT if I want to be able to set up our new (to us – actually my grandfather’s) bedroom suite (queen-sized bed for the first time in our married lives!) this weekend. I might just squeal with happiness if I really don’t have to use painter’s tape!! Holy cow, I can’t even imagine. I’m stopping by Sherwin Williams on my way home, and I can test it out with training wheels on the window I already taped last night. Do you wash and re-use this guy over an over again, or buy a new one every job or two? I’d expect you to wash and re-use, but the pic above is new in its packaging, so I had to ask.
Here’s another question: what about getting in corners created by the window sill? If I still have to tape for a couple of corners I won’t complain. We’ll see how it works tonight I guess…
THANK YOU!!! It’s almost eerie sometimes how perfectly the timing of your posts mesh with my DIY home improvement needs!!
Meredith- Of course we wash and reuse (which is oh so easy with latex paint). The only reason we had one laying around in packaging was actually because it was an Easter gift from John’s cute mom who knows how much we love those brushes and picked one up for our “Easter Basket.” It was a small miracle that I remembered to take a picture of it still in the packaging for this post! It should work pretty wall in those windowsill corners (the bathroom stripe project dealt with those areas and we were able to maneuver without blue tape using the brush- so hopefully it’ll work for you!).
Rebecca- And 2″ angled brush will do the trick for your grooved door. I would actually roll the door first and then use a brush to get into the grooves so you’re not painting the entire surface with a little brush. As for our favorite white paint, it’s Benjamin Moore’s Decorators White (we keep a gallon of semi-gloss around for furniture projects, trim, etc. Hope it helps.
Jen Z.- So sorry to hear about your paint bleed issue! I think you could hit up Lowe’s or Home Depot and explain your situation and the person at the paint desk should be able to show you to a product that will lift the paint without lifting the poly on your stairs. You can also try a Magic Eraser and see what happens…
xo,
s
I’ll try the Magic Eraser first. Hadn’t thought about that. If that doesn’t work, off to Lowe’s we go. Thanks.
Alas, the perfectionist of the house (can you tell that isn’t me?) will just NOT allow anything to be free-handed. The man has gone around every inch of this house with a mini watercolor type brush (think: kid-sized small) touching up invisible imperfections.
For anyone else living with such a lovably crazy person (note that I’m SO INCREDIBLY NOT recommending this for everyone as it’s insanely time consuming and only like 1% of the population could ever tell the difference) the only sure-fire way to get a CRISP line where two paint colors meet? After you tape, paint the “wrong” color over the edge of the tape. THEN, after that dries, paint the right color. Painting the wrong color over the edge first seals the tape up – absolutely no jaggedy weird seep-through funky lines. I guarantee it will be crisp. The effort is almost not worth it though. ;)
I just discovered your blog yesterday through The Nest. It’s fantastic! I already have so many ideas of what to do with our home. Of course, my husband and I are renting right now and therefore don’t have much to work with, so I’m stockpiling ideas for when we own our home and can do whatever we want to the walls, floors, etc. I’m looking forward to checking in with this site frequently. Thanks and keep up the amazing work!
Good question, Brooke. We’ve got a good answer for you courtesy of our good friend Katie over at All Bower Power. She just did a step-by-step instruction on brush cleaning this week. You can check it out right here: http://allbowerpower.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/howtocleanpaintbrush/
-John
Lindsay, I’m with you on the watercolor brush. I love painting and hate taping so I always grab a tiny, narrow art brush for edge work.
It normally works out great, until my most recent project. I dusted the walls of my new bedroom before painting and I guess the dust hadn’t settled yet because while rolling paint onto the walls, a sneeze came out of nowhere and boom! An entire smudge of blue-grey paint on my white ceiling. Now I’m spending far too much time trying to find the right ceiling color so I can do a touch-up. Dang! ;)
I’m actually doing some edging this afternoon so I may have to pick one of these bad boys up. Thanks for the tip!
{ Lindsey }
http://greatfullday.blogspot.com
This comes at the perfect time!! My husband and I are working on getting my inlaw’s old house up for sale and have to paint all of the trim/windowsills and it’s been taking us forever with the brush we’ve been using. I can’t wait to pick this up before painting some more this weekend – hopefully it will make our lives a lot easier!
Ok, I’m so off to the store right now to buy that brush! I’m the queen of cutting in here at Casa Fudge and we’re tackling the guest room tomorrow, that will be a handy baby to have! Thanks for the tip.
Brush cleaning tip:
BEFORE you start painting, wet the brush with water completely, then squeeze it out. Starting with a wet-ish/damp brush means it absorbs less paint and makes washing easier. It won’t mess with your paint either.
THIS DOES NOT WORK WITH ROLLERS. Don’t even try.
You must have a steadier hand than me b/c it doensn’t matter what brush I’m using – I always make a mess. I just carry a wet rag with me everywhere.
A wet rag is a fantastic tip! Thanks for that reminder Mrs Limestone. For those who just can’t stand taping off, it’s a great little quick-fix if you stray from the lines (one swipe with a wet rag and off you go).
xo,
s
I also swear by the Shur-line edger (http://www.amazon.com/Shur-Line-01000-Paint-Premium-Edger/dp/B000WOMYIU) mentioned by a previous commenter… if you haven’t tried it yet, you absolutely have to… words do not describe it’s power. anything that has a slight edge (ceilings, doors, windows, moldings, baseboards)… just slide it along and it covers evenly and crazy fast… i can’t imaging painting without it. of course, a small angled brush is still a must for corners and the actual baseboards or molding.
Seriously? I’m painting trim tomorrow. How did you know? Now I am not dreading it so much. Off to Sherwin Williams I will go. Thanks for the tip!
Hi Sherry,
I’ve been so enjoying your blog for a couple of months now. Any tips for rolling paint, selecting colors, finish (flat, egg shell, satin, semi-gloss)? Perhaps an upcoming post? I am in the middle or painting our living room and hall. Initially I planned on a tan and chocolate color combination. Tan in the hall and on two living room walls and chocolate on the other two living room walls. I will also be bringing in light blue accents (pillows, vases, etc). I bought what I thought was a tan creamy color and it looked lavender on the walls. I freaked out. Not at all what the paint chip looked like. Thank goodness I started in the hallway. I went back to the store and had more tint added to the paint. Now I have a mocha color. This is okay for the hall but not the living room. I may have to consider the Valspar Honey Milk you used in your bathroom for the light tan color. I also have a problem with the roller lines showing (perhaps a some wallflowers are needed).
Any tips would be greatly appreciated. I’ve lost my confidence but am learning from the experience. Making sure I get colors I really like is taking more time than I like so I was hoping to get a bit of advice. I hope to share the finished room with you. Your site has been so inspiring! Thank you.
Hey Tracie,
First a word of warning about the colors you mentioned: Valspar’s Honeymilk looks almost white (it’s the lightest cream ever) so if you’re looking for a tan you should go a bit darker. As for finishes, we always go for flat in all rooms except for the bathrooms/kitchen (flat paint hides imperfections best, but in the kitchens and bathrooms we do semi-gloss for wipe-ability). As for your roller lines showing, you either need another thin and even coat of paint since you might just not have enough on the walls to hide the inconsistencies or you’re putting too much paint on the roller and applying way too much pressure which is causing the lines. The roller should glide over the wall so you shouldn’t have to press very hard which will always result in those annoying lines. But don’t dismay, anyone can paint like a pro with a bit of practice! You’ll definitely get there and you’re learning so much as you go! Good luck with everything.
xo,
s
SERIOUSLY. . . .you seriously posted this the DAY I finished 3 rooms of trim? How disheartening. A week ago would have been much better!! :-)
Thanks so much! I am in the middle of painting horizontal stripes in our laundry room now! Well, actually I had gone about half way and just about given up until I saw how great your results came out! And… now that I know your secret tool, I am inspired again!
This is a very amateur question, I’m sure, but do you have to sand down the baseboards before applying a new coat of paint to keep it from peeling (like with refinishing furniture)? What about interior doors?
Hey Rebecca,
No it’s a great question and we’re so glad you asked! There’s no need to sand baseboards or trim like you do when you’re refinishing furniture (unless the paint is already peeling or cracking and you’d like to smooth things out before applying fresh paint). Most likely your baseboards are in great condition and you can just repaint them for a totally crisp and updated look. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I will run out and get one of these babies…
Now, do you have any tips for painting stripes on a wall textured by a 3 year old (yes, I do have a fixation on the mess the previous owners left us, why do you ask?)
Every single time, the paint seeps through the tape.
I am planning to try Lindsay’s idea above, but I am not sure even that will work with wonky texture ;-)
Thank you so much for the post! I’m looking to paint my medium wood colored window trims and baseboard trims white. Do you use this particular brush to paint hard to reach places like behind the toilet tank (do you take down the tank to paint)?
I don’t use painter’s tape either. I also find it to be very unreliable. Every time I would pull the tape off, I would either have paint all over the trim that I would have to touch up with a brush anyways, or the tape would peel my fresh paint off the wall. I love cutting in using my trusty Purdy angled paint brush. I have been using Purdy for a few years now, and I won’t use a brush of any other name. Although your little brush sounds like it works great. Might have to give it a try sometime.
Sophie,
Lindsay’s tip is actually one I’ve heard many times so I would definitely recommend it. Plus if there’s any minor seepage you can always use a small brush or even a flat paint pad to touch things up afterwords. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hey Alicia,
I actually used my little short-handled brush to get behind the toilet with absolute success. It’s super versatile and works almost everywhere. I would definitely give it a go!
xo,
s
Great tip, thanks y’all. Anything to get rid of painter’s tape on trim. ANYTHING !
Kate
Perfect timing, Sherry! I just had my bedroom painted this morning (*blushing – yes a painter did it*) with Behr’s Pale Cucumber and I was totally shocked at the color that came out! I’m staring at a Seafoam Green room! So, now because my husband won’t let me pay to have it painted again, I have to repaint it myself, trim and all, but I have no idea how long it will take… It’s a 13′x11′ room. Can you give me some insights on how you guys pace yourself, please? In addition, what greenish color would remedy my little mess (ceilings are sloped with exposed original brown beams). Thanks so much!
A 2″ brush is a beautiful thing. We don’t use painter’s tape much anymore either. To the readers who are wondering, the key is to push the brush down and go across the edge/molding/trim in one straight motion and you’ll get a straight even line. The angle keeps it straight. Also, I find it easier to paint the trim first, then the edge the wall with the paint color.
Hey Beatrice,
Try Benjamin Moore’s Par Four. The key is having enough khaki or grey in the tone so that it’s not too minty or pastelly (of course you’ll want to take the swatch card home and look at it in your room morning noon and night before picking up a gallon to be sure that your lighting situation supports it). Fingers crossed that it does the trick. As for painting your 13 x 11 room, it should take no longer than an afternoon if you set your mind to it. Rolling the walls and painting the edges will go faster than you think and you’ll step back and be done in no time! Good luck…
xo,
s
Wow, sometimes your posts come just at the perfect time. I’m getting ready to paint a bunch of trim in my home next week (we painted the walls when we moved in almost five years ago, but didn’t take on the trim b/c we didn’t want to tape everything off again!). I called my local Sherwin Williams store this morning and they have the brush. I suspect that you just saved me a bunch of time – thanks!!!
I have brand new carpet in my home, and while the carpet turned out beautiful, the baseboards got a bit banged up during installation. Is there a trick for painting the baseboards without getting paint on the new carpet?
Hi Sherry,
I found your blog a few months ago, and have been a regular reader since! We just bought our first home (a little 1956 rancher) and are in the midst of updates.
I saw a kitchen update from last week or so in which the couple used Valspar’s Ultra White on their cabinets. We are painting our cabinets white, and so we grabbed a couple gallons of that color for the cabinets and all the trim in the house. In your opinion, should this work, or would BM Decorators white be a better choice? I am still really unsure on how to pick the “correct” white. :)
Thanks!
Thanks Sherry! Off to the store I go to get my little swatch card and my new trim brush! :)
Yeah, I actually stopped taping, too, after seeing all the pros on HGTV just using a brush. Taping is a pain and a waste of paper. I use a high-quality 1-inch angled brush – it was like 7 bucks or something at Home Depot. I get high accuracy with the 1 inch. I just do the trim part and then come back with a 2 inch (angled or not) brush to get the part in between the roller and the 1 inch brush area.
Well, I feel much better about “cheating” by skipping the taping step :) Sam and I quit taping with painter’s tape several years ago after being **frustrated** too many times by paint seeping beneath the tape and ruining the finish. I have a fairly steady hand with a normal 2″ angled brush, but it does take more time than I’d like. Sounds like maybe I need to run down the road to the local Sherwin Williams ;) I’m gearing up to paint the entryway and kitchen trim after we finish the exterior painting, so this is a great tip for us right now!
Thanks :)
XO,
Jacci
Hey Rebecca,
Eeks be careful with the new carpet! You can either lay down a tarp or use a piece of cardboard to block the carpet as you go- but be careful not to get paint on the back of the tarp of the cardboard or you’ll be dragging it around! Using a small brush (even the short handled one above) will help you stay in control and avoid any drips or carpet mishaps. Hope it helps! Good luck…
xo,
s
One of the best tips I ever learned from a Pro painter was to paint the trim first. In fact, paint the trim first and allow the paint to get onto the wall a bit. Typically you paint trim with a semi-gloss paint. Now when you paint the wall it’s much easier to free hand a clean line along the trim that was previously painted. Next time you paint give it a try, trust me you’ll be sold! Have fun painting everyone!
Years ago, while standing in line at the Lowe’s paint center, a lady suggested this very paint brush to me and I have never looked back. I started by just using them for the cutting in, but I quickly learned that they are great for nearly every project involving a brush. I used them to not only paint all the trim and windows, but also our kitchen and bathroom cabinets because the tiny handle really reduces hand fatigue that you get from gripping around the handle of most brushes. These things are terrific!
Thanks for sharing!
Carly and Sherry,
We used Valspar’s ultra white on our kitchen cabinets and they look great! We’ve used in on the trim in a few rooms as well.
I was a little worried it would be too “white” but it’s not, and it’s a great contrast with our wood counters and slate floor.
Thanks so much!!! I went and bought a little short handled Purdy brush and used it when I painted the kitchen this weekend. The edges look great and I didn’t use a single piece of blue tape!
Ok I am totally going out and buying one of these today!!!!
And I won’t take offense to Lindsay’s remark. :) Your crazy lovable man isn’t the only one who uses a tiny kids paint brush to paint the edges of the baseboard. I probably spent 3 hours on my stomach going around my living room with that thing!!! And my lines are still crooked!! It drives me crazy!
Now ya tell me! lol…..I considered taking a saw to my long handled cutting-in-brush every time I banged it in the corners. I just finished my painting projects (for the time being) but I’m going to pick up one of those brushes for the next time I decide to change my wall paint.
I really want to thank you two for sharing all the good tips you’ve learned. I just love your blog and tho I’m more of a color girl than a white painting gal, I’m always inspired by coming here. I have one question tho….maybe I’ve missed it somewhere, but it’s this: where do you store all your tools and supplies? I imagine you guys have GOBS of stuff/supplies/tools! do you keep paint in the garage? It’s really hot here so I have to keep the paint in our utility room….ohhhhh,, I’m starting to see the benefits of painting mostly white lol
love yas!
Hey Tracy,
We actually keep all of our paint in our detached garage since we’ve heard that it can offgas VOCs so you don’t want to keep it in the house. Although the garage can get a bit cold in the winter all of our paint has survived (or at least the few colors that I’bve reopened for touch-ups) so it really works for us. As for where we store most of our tools, check out this post:
http://www.younghouselove.com/2009/04/how-ya-bin/
The answer might surprise you.
xo,
s
Thanks for that tip, I will have to pass the info on to my painter… my hubby!
oooh…I despise flat paint. If you bump it with anything you get marks on the wall and the Magic Clean Eraser or a rag removes flat paint from my (plaster) walls rather than removing the offending mark. I use eggshell finish in all rooms except the bath and kitchen – it still covers imperfections but is easiser to clean.
I’ll have to try this brush since one of my goals in the next week is to touch up the trim in the house. Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for the storage tips link!! I can’t get over how incredibly organized you are ~ and I just LOVE the tools in the kitchen. I’m off to find my own kitchen tool box spot. Thanks again for sharing all your great tips and ideas.
We are about to paint & I’m starting the search for this brush! Sounds like it will be a life-saver. One other paint question – going from the living room to the hallway (hallway runs perpendicular, you are about staring into the guest bath), should we paint the inside of the doorway the color of the living room or the hallway?
Hey Julie,
You could really go either way in this case. Actually, in our house we have some trim around thresholds like this so we paint the doorways white to match the trim. If that’s not the case in your house, the safer bet is to paint the doorway to match the hallway color (since we assume there’s more hallway wall than guest bath wall). But again, you’d probably be fine going either way. Perhaps just picking your favorite color of the two even!
Happy painting!
-John
Hi Sherry!
I just wanted to tell you that we took your suggestion about that great brush from Sherwin Williams and tried it out. We’ve had awful experiences using painter’s tape around the trim, windows, and doors, and because we were painting a fairly deep color (New York State of Mind, Benjamin Moore paint) over a Porter paint neutral (the builder’s choice), we were pretty nervous about the whole thing. Well after a whole weekend of painting, I can tell you the paint lines look AMAZING! We couldn’t believe it! It took us maybe half the time to paint the room than usual (it’s a medium-sized room with cathedral ceilings), and the WHOLE TIME we talked about how great the brushes were! Thank you so much! And I agree with your comment too, btw. I’ve already thrown trim paint into a cup and run around the house gleefully touching up every piece of trim in sight! :-) I’ll send before and after pictures once the room is all done!
Best,
Kristen
Is this brush available online anywhere? I called two Sherwin Williams stores here in Seattle and neither carry that brush… Do any other stores have them? Can’t find a Duron store here.
Hey Juliet,
I actually just saw a very similar short handled brush at Home Depot called “Performance Select” (2 inch angled brush for close up trim). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
This may seem like a weird question…but here goes! I usually paint my trim first and then paint the walls. I have an edger I use for the areas close to the trim. But it doesn’t give me a crisp line like I would like. Is there anyway you could acutually post pics of how you hold your brush while doing trim?? I would really appreciate it!!
Hey Melinda,
We’ll definitely put it on our request list but that’s a bit long so it might be a ways off. The only way to describe our process is to paint the walls first so that any wall paint that gets on the trim can be easily cleaned up with a fresh coat of paint on the trim which creates that crisp line you love. Most experts do things in this order so hopefully that will help! Holding it correctly will be natural once you have it in your hand- and it even has an easy-grip handle. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hi Sherry! Thanks for the trim tip! I know you painted over a lot of different color baseboards and trim in your home…I’m getting ready to ask my new landlord if he would mind if I painted over the forest green trim in the living and dining room with white. Because the green is so dark, do you think one coat of the Valspar’s Ultra White would cover it? Or do you have any other recos?
Hey Tara,
I think you’ll probably need two coats but the second coat goes on super fast because with the first one you have to be sure to stay in the lines yet cover every edge with a perfect coat while the second coat can be brushed on the majority of the trim quickly (and doesn’t need to be applied as particularly since covering most of it with one sweep of the brush will look good enough). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
My husband and I are thinking of painting all the wood trim in our house (including doors and window sills, too). I know this is a HUGE job, but I think it will look fabulous. Anyway, I’m wondering if anyone has any tips. Has anyone ever removed the trim first and then painted it and then put it back on? Also, any suggestions for white paint? We painted our kitchen cabinets white, but I’m not sure if we should use the exact same color. Also, is it necessary to seal them with some kind of clear coat?
Hey Rachel,
We like Benjamin Moore’s Decorators White for the job, and have never removed trim since using the brush above gets a nice clean line in a snap. And you’re right about it making a huuuuuge difference. Good luck!
xo,
s
Vanessa – Layla over at the Lettered Cottage does beadboard in her kitchen. Check it out at http://theletteredcottage.blogspot.com/
I am embarrassed to ask this question because it shows I am such a newbie painter :) Do you have to use primer over the old coat of paint on walls before painting new? How do you know when to use oil-based primer vs. latex primer? How do you know when to use oil paint vs. latex paint?
Hey Mary,
Primer is never necessary on walls unless the paint color you’re covering is super dark and you’re going lighter (red to cream for example) or if the walls have terrible grease or crayon or grafitti stains. In all cases we recommend oil-based primer because it’s super durable and strong (if you’re going to take the extra step you might as well use the good stuff). As for paint we always recommend latex since it’s less stinky and dries more quickly for a seamless finish that’s less likely to get scuffed or smeared (since it cures faster). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
What about primer on trim? I thought I read a book that said if you have oil paint on the trim, you need to cover it with oil primer before painting latex on top of it?
Yup, if you have oil-based paint on your trim you’ll have to prime with oil-based primer first, but very very few people have oil paint on their trim anymore. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Help! We just painted our dining room a deep fabulous red. I used blue tape along the crown molding and the chair rail. We did a good job along the chair rail, but when I removed the tape from the crown molding, some red paint got onto the trim. Can I simply paint over the red with my white trim paint? Will I have to repaint the entire crown molding? Thanks!
Good question! You should be able to just spot touch things up (although it might take two coats for total coverage). Just make sure it’s the same sheen as the trim (aka: don’t use flat white wall paint if the trim is white semi-gloss). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Thanks for sharing with all of us. I’m just starting a new painting project and the Sherwin Williams stores in Orlando don’t seem to carry that brush-eek! Hopefully I can find something similar or order it online somehow. :)
Hey Karla D,
Any short handled angled brush that’s of a reasonably high quality should do the trick- just in case you can’t hunt down the exact same one. Hope it helps! Happy hunting…
xo,
s
A.W.E.S.O.M.E. That’s all I’ve gotta say about that brush. You have saved me hours. I can’t thank you enough! (I was telling all of the girls about it tonight at dinner) :)
Ok, so I always get so inspired after reading this blog (my fiance and I just bought our first house) and I decided that I want to paint the wood trim in our house (maybe not in the whole house, in our master at least). So I wandered up and down the paint aisle today trying to figure out which type of paint to use, and which color. Is there a brand or specific trim paint that you know works well? Do we need to do anything to the wood first? We’re such home DIY newbies!
THANKS!!
Hey Mandie,
Here’s a brush that we like for painting trim (check out the comment section to see how many people have tried it and loved it). As for the paint, you can snag Benjamin Moore’s Decorators White in semi-gloss (always paint trim with semi-gloss so it’s wipe-able and super long lasting). And there’s nothing you’ll need to do to the wood trim first as long as it’s not splintered and cracked (in which case you’ll want to sand a bit and maybe use some wood putty to fill in the cracks). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hey guys – I’ve used this brush you recommended for both my living and dining room. I love it! The price is my favorite part, I think. I use it to get in the corners, and then follow behind with a tiny touch-up roller (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgy/R-100135170/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053) to make the edging blend seamlessly with the rest of the wall. Thanks for the tip!
How were you able to cut in a straight clean line? I have a Purdy nylox Sprig flat myself?
Thanks,
Steven
With this brush! The short handle helps you keep control of the line so it’s effortlessly straight and perfect! Read people’s comments above- it really is an amazing little time saver. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Can I see a close shot view of the cut? Also using your pinky also helps to guild you.
After reading this post right before painting my kitchen, I had to run out and pick up this brush. I did indeed cut in all the walls in my kitchen (at the ceiling, above and below the chair rail, and at the baseboard) without a single mess-up. And it looks like a cleaner line than all the other rooms in our house where we spent hours taping everything out. And I just painted our bathroom and used this brush for cutting in at the ceiling and along the tile; then used it in my office for repainting all the trim. I now have four of these brushes, and can’t recommend them enough! Thanks so much for the suggestion.
Thanks for all the helpful advice! I plan on painting all the baseboards in my house, but I have carpet in most of the rooms. Do you have any tips on how to keep the paint off the flooring as you paint the trim?
Thanks!
Hey Jenney,
Unfortunately we don’t have wall to wall carpet so we don’t have any firsthand advice. We would probably try laying down a piece of cardboard to protect the carpeting and somehow using tape around the edge (where it meets the wall) so you can hopefully get a clean painted line on the baseboards without getting any on the carpet. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I love this site! I picked up the brush today after looking at a few different stores. I had better luck at a traditional Sherwin Williams store. I initially went to an old Duron (now Sherwin Williams/Duron) store but they didn’t have it. It could be coincidence but I thought it may help others that have looked but had trouble finding the brush.
Hi! My husband and I are getting ready to paint our ugly 80s oak trim a nice, crisp white. Do we need to sand and prime, or can we just go ahead and do two coats of white latex?
Hey Sarah,
If your trim is glossy and shiny you’ll need to prime with an oil-based primer (it wouldn’t hurt to rough things up a bit with sandpaper beforehand) but if it’s matte and dry like ours was, you can probably just go right to semi-gloss white latex paint. Behr now sells paint that has a built-in primer so that might also be an option that’s just one step but more thorough than just using the latex paint alone. Just be sure to use semi-gloss so everything is easy to wipe down and always looks fresh. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
We just completed a project with this brush thanks to your advice. It worked wonders…thanks so much for sharing your painting wisdom!
Woo hoo! This is so exciting! My fiance and I are going to paint our breakfast room and there are lots of windows and baseboards and doors to cut in around. Thanks for the tip!
I’ve seen that brush – but never bought one – now I will! One tip we’ve found that works to get really crisp lines is to paint the trim first(which is pretty easy when you don’t have to worry as much), then when its dried and safe to put blue painter’s tape, put the blue painter’s tape on the trim line and quickly paint over the edge of the tape, so that if it bleeds, the trim color bleeds through… Then, it is easy to paint the walls to the trim and because of the painted over tape – it won’t bleed through – and before the wall paint dries – pull the tape. The Green “Frog tape” might work just as well, but have never tried it….
I am a huge fan of using brushed with short handles (and cannot stand taping off trim). I picked some short-handled brushes that were not exactly like this when my husband and I first bought our house about a year and a half ago. The brushes I bought were on clearance at Lowe’s and I wasn’t sure if I would like them or not, but they are much easier to control than paint brushes with longer handles.
I am going to have to go and buy one of the ones you mention here… We are about to start some repainting.
You saved my sanity today with this recommendation! Thank you. ThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouTHANKYOU.
YAY!
This helpful hint has changed my life!
My husband and I just bought our first house and I am now OBSESSED with this paintbrush (which I bought for HIM for Christmas-hahah).
The Benjamin Moore stores now carry an identical brush (under a different name).
Thank you! You guys are SO inspiring!
Best with your Babe….
So glad to hear that it worked for you (and that BM stores carry something extremely similar). Who knew painting trim could be so exciting?!
xo,
s
Thank you for your wonderful blog and telling us about this divine little brush. I’ve hated cutting in my entire life until now. We’re in the beginning phases of a massive whole house remodel and started painting our guest room on Saturday. I stopped in the middle of the project and went to Sherwin-Williams to buy this brush out of crazed frustration and because I remembered you said it was good. Despite the assistant store manager’s repeated warnings that it was cheap and that I should only buy Purdy, your advice, as always, was better than the so-called experts. This brush is wonderful and I’m going to buy more of them because we have about six miles of windows and trim to paint before we’re finished. Thanks guys!
That’s so great to hear! I’m still using the very same brush from this post (which was created a while back) and it’s still just as good. So glad it worked for you too!
xo,
s
Hi Sherry!
Thanks for blogging about this brush! I hate taping so I think I am going to try to free-hand the trim in our kitchen when we paint in the next couple of weeks.
Question: We plan to paint all the trim, doors, cabinets and walls in our kitchen. In what order would you paint these things? I conflicted if we should do cabinets, trim and doors first then walls or the opposite!
Also, I am such a geek, but how can we send you guys pictures of our budget kitchen makeover when we are done?!
Hey Jackie,
This is one of those chicken or the egg situations so there’s really no right answer. We would start with the walls, then paint the trim and doors, and then finish with the cabinets… but it can really be tackled in any order. Hope it helps! And as for how to send us photos, there’s a button that says “click here to contact the youngsters” on the sidebar which will take you to a page all about emailing us. Good luck with everything!
xo,
s
Thanks Sherry! We are getting started this week and I am excited to see our kitchen transform and get a hideous mustard yellow color off our walls (left by the sellers)!
I also must be blind because I looked all over the blog and never saw the “click here to contact the youngsters” tab, duh!
Hi! What color white did you choose for the trim in your home? I’ve purchased Valspar’s Ultra White, but I’m worried it may end up being TOO bright white. I also don’t want it to look yellow/red/blue/gray… Thanks for the help!
We actually used Freshaire paint from Home Depot in off-the-rack white (we just purchased the white base semi-gloss and didn’t have them tint it with anything). We love the color! So Valspar’s stock white color might work perfectly for you, or you could try the Freshaire stuff we used (bonus: it’s no-VOC and doesn’t smell at all!).
xo,
s
Just a quick FYI for anyone looking for this brush. I was at home depot today and did see one exactly like it. I’m not sure of the brand or if it had a “comfort grip” but there is one there. LOL I guess maybe that wasn’t as helpful as I thought it was going to be when I started typing.
Michelle
Loved the suggestion of this brush! I’ve now painted two rooms with it, and while I still taped off the trim, I free-handed the ceiling line with very few mishaps. This post has inspired me to repaint the trim in our master and I was wondering if you still use blue tape on the windows or just wipe with a wet rag if any paint gets on the glass? Also, to repaint doors (everything is an old cream, so if I go white trim, all doors will need to be painted as well), do I have to remove them? Or can they be painted while they’re attached? Love your blog, I’ve been so inspired to take on projects in our new home!
Nope, you should be able to paint the trim carefully with the doors in place (and then paint the doors as well if you’d like). Just go slow and steady. And as for windows, we’ve actually never taped those off, we just paint away and use a straight razor to get the paint off the glass once it dries. So easy- and such a clean line.
xo,
s
OMG! Best brush ever!!! I’ve been slowly repainting all of the oak trim in our house white… Taping it all takes FOREVER!!!!
After reading this, I ran out today and bought this brush. I love it!!! Wow, what a difference! I just finished a whole room without taping it and it looks fantastic!
Thanks for the recommendation!
Jennifer
Hi guys, I picked up this brush today and love it. We just moved in to a house that has peachy tan walls and instead of just taping samples of paint on the wall, I actually went in and painted patches of different colors (probably a mistake). The darkest color I painted was Soft Chamois by Behr. We ended up picking Glidden Sand White (thanks to your inspiration!) and wanted to ask if you thought we should prime the wall first because of the samples I painted, or can we get away with just 2 coats of latex paint? Thanks!
I have a followup to Sarah’s question on the topic of painting trim. I am I correct in understanding that when paining glossy, shiny (wood) trim it’s okay to skip the oil based primer and use behr’s paint and primer in one? It would be nice to skip a step but am willing to use primer alone if you think it would make the trim look better.
Thanks!
Katie
If you’re painting already painted wood trim and you’re sure it’s not oil based paint that you’re going over you can use the two in one Behr stuff. But if it could be oil based paint on the trim, or if it’s raw or stained wood, the oil based primer is the only way to go to avoid cracking, peeling, and bleed through. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
When you painted the trim in your house, did you first prime it and then paint it? Or did you first do any sanding to ensure adhesion? We just bought a place with off white/tan colored trim throughout the house, and we’re pretty sure (from the same home test that you used for your nursery chair) that the trim has lead-based paint underneath. The top layers are a newer latex, but whoever last painted it clearly didn’t do any prep because it’s peeling off (in large, stretchy pieces!) in a lot of places (though there is more latex under that layer). We’re already planning on using the Lead Out product in an addition that has exposed lead paint, but we’re wondering what our options are with the trim throughout…
If your trim is stained or raw wood you definitely want to use oil-based primer before painting it with semi gloss or glossy latex paint- but yours sounds a lot more complicated with the layers of latex paint and lead. We would recommend asking a paint pro (maybe at a place like Benjamin Moore since we’re stumped. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
OKAY- first things first–Love your blog!! I am a first time home buyer as well and I have dragged my husband kicking and screaming into DIY..(thankfully my dad is able to teach us everything we need to know around the house!!) With that being said I want to paint all the trim in the house white for a very crisp, clean look… all of my trim is Oak, when I tell people I want to paint it they look at me like I’m crazy. I know that I will love the end result…But I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot at resale. Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank-you, and besides my father you guys are my go to guide for home improvement inspiration and advice. Keep up the fantastically amazing good work!
–Mickey
We painted all of our wood trim along with painting the dated paneling and brick and our house reappraised for over 20k more. There are definitely a ton of buyers who prefer the clean and current look of painted trim. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Alright…this might go the way of “lessons learned”…we purchased our first house and set about painting EVERY surface: walls, ceilings, trim. Very exciting, at first. We have a 9-month-old baby, and I was committed to using a no-VOC paint. I did my research, went with Olympic Premium that I had color-matched to some gorgeous BM colors. The walls and ceilings look great. The trim, not so much. We just went with the off-the-rack semi-gloss ultra white. We sanded the trim, and primed with the Olympic Premium primer. The trim has needed at least three coats of paint, and a wall of built-in wood cabinets we painted (using your tutorial) has needed at least four coats in some places. Big sigh. Could this be due to the fact that I used the Olympic primer, and not an oil-based one? Thanks much for any thoughts…a friend of mine is convinced that it’s the Olympic paint being low quality, but I seem to think it’s the primer, not the paint.
We’d guess it’s a combination of both the primer and the paint. Olympic definitely calls for a few coats and the better the primer (oil-based being the best) the better the result. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Yeah, that sounds right. The folks at the paint store I stopped at today also suggested that the trim and cabinets (which had previously been stained) were really sucking up the primer and paint after being stained for so long…like they were breathing for the first time. Who knows…at this point it doesn’t really matter. We’ll use up the Olympic we’ve got, and start fresh with new product once we finish up the current room we’re in. I don’t really question our choice to go with Olympic. It was the right decision at the time, and one that as a new parent, I felt most comfortable with. And really, for the walls and ceiling it’s been WONDERFUL. It’s just the trim and cabinets that have been frustrating. Oh well!
Many thanks – happy 5 weeks to Clara! I swear our boy was just five weeks old.
About a year ago I painted stained wood (glossy) bannisters without a primer. Can I use a primer now and then repaint or must I first remove the latex paint used originally? Love your tips and blogs. Ralph
We would sand everything down (not down to the bare wood, but enough to give it some “tooth” for the primer to stick to). Otherwise the primer will only be as strong as that initial coat of latex that you applied (which could peel right off the wood). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
We have knockdown on our walls and ceilings and I was wondering if you have any tips for making straight lines? (ha!) For instance we painted my daughters a cotton candy pink and didn’t want to paint the ceiling but it looks awful because there isn’t a straight line/edge. Please help?!
Cari- Just tape off where you want a straight line and use paintable caulk against the tape. When it dries it’ll fill the knockdown texture. Then keep the tape in place and go ahead and paint to get a nice clean line!
Sonya- We love Home Depot’s No-VOC Freshaire paint in off-the-shelf white. Just grab a gallon of semi-gloss white from the paint aisle- no mixing required.
xo,
s
This may be a totally naive question but I desperately want to paint all the trim in our house…do we have to take it all off to paint it or can we just leave it on and paint?
We say paint it in place, Ashley. This brush (or painters tape, if you want to be really careful) will help you keep from getting it on the floor and walls. Good luck!
-John
OOH! I SO have to get that brush! I hate cutting in!
In response to Mickey: painting wood trim and re-sale: When was your house built? A good rule of thumb is if your house was built before WWII and the trim is original – DO NOT paint it. If it is wide oak trim, such as a Craftsman house or Four-Square then you will be killing yourself in re-sale since many die-hard purists will pay a premium for original trim in great condition. You will lose a lot in that case because such buyers know that stripping paint away is an excruciating and very expensive endeavor. On the other hand, a non-period house can be painted. Of course if a Craftsman has lost it’s original finish then it is just easier to paint it again because you probably will not re-coup the cost of striping it down and staining it (unless you are a purist and you are doing it for yourself, or if you live in an historic district where such restored houses go for big bucks).
My house is on the cusp – built in 1946 with nice woodwork, but a lot of it had been replaced, so I’ve been restoring it and most of it I’ve painted white, except the dining room which I plan to stain. My living room was really dark (no ceiling lights), and even though I knew it was crazy I painted the mantle and bookcases white (with red behind and above the mantle) just to brighten it up, and wow! That was so worth it because the room looks so much larger and the woodwork really stands out now. If I had a Craftsman I would have hired an electrician to put in some lights instead (too expsensive in 1″ thick plaster in my case).
Priming wood – definitely sand down stained / laquered wood and use either Zinsser’s Fast Dry Oil Primer (I LOVE that stuff) or for really bad wood or very glossy surfaces use Zinsser’s B-I-N. If you are going to paint with latex/ acrylic after that then you have to use Zinsser’s 1-2-3 primer after the oil primer. Seriously, only use Zinsser’s oil primer – Benjamin Moore’s regular oil primer cost twice as much and NEVER cured. Whatever you are painting though, ALWAYS wash the surface thoroughly beforehand – nothing will cause a paint job to fail more than grime and dust (I use Lestoil and water and rinse well).
On new drywall use Zinsser’s base primer/sealer first (2 coats) – it is cheaper and clay-based so it adheres well to the drywall paper and joint compound, and then one coat of Zinsser’s 1-2-3 (tinted if you are painting a dark color).
Ok, I do NOT work for Zinsser, but after the painter did a horrible job on the house I ended up re-siding the front and painting it myself and I learned a lot (I used rough-sawn Eastern White Pine board-and-batten and I sealed all sides before I installed it with Zinsser’s Fast Dry oil primer and then I used two coats of Benjamin Moore’s Fast Dry oil primer tinted to the exact color of the stain). B.M.’s fast-dry primer takes longer to dry and it costs a lot more, so it is only worth it if you are using a stain on top as opposed to a paint.
As for wood, I just bought B-I-N because a year after the new trim went up inside around the new windows (painted white) knots and wood grain are showing through like crazy. Supposedly B-I-N is the only thing that will stop that (it is shellac based).
White trim – all my white trim and ceilings are painted in Behr’s “Pot of Cream.” I brought home every single white paint chip from Home Depot and all the ones that looked good in the store looked HORRIBLE in my house. The one that I thought was too yellow looked white in my house. Pot of Cream is a nice warm white (it doesn’t look like the color you think of as cream, in fact I’d have to say that it looks like the color of the cream at the top of a bottle of raw cow’s milk – white!). All my trim is satin, not gloss. It is NOT very easy to clean – it is washable, but dust adheres to it more than it would to gloss, and since there are a lot of thick horizontal surfaces it is a pain in the butt, especially in the corners.
Help! We primed and painted our trim in our 90s home, and from afar it looks great. But up close, umm not so much. We chose to tape (I like the stubby brush but don’t have a steady enough hand!) and when we pulled the tape off there was a jagged paint line in some areas and uneven paint along the top edge of the trim where the trim meets the wall. Almost as if the trim isn’t flush with the wall. I really didn’t want to go to the trouble of taking the trim off the wall. Can you advise? What am I doing wrong? Thanks!!
Our only advice would be to get a tiny craft brush (at Michael’s not Home Depot) and touch up those jagged areas. Unfortunately when you tape things off that can happen! Definitely don’t remove all that trim- that sounds like a nightmare! You can also ask the paint guys at Home Depot if they have any ideas or new tools that could help. Good luck!
xo,
s
I’m very curious if this brush would be good for painting like borders on my picture frames? And also what kind of white do you get for the trim??
Thanks!
It definitely could work for painting frames, but a smaller craft brush from a store like Michael’s could work too, As for the white trim colors we like, Benjamin Moore’s Decorators White is one of our favorites. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hi guys! Love your blog and congrats on the baby.
You have a really extensive list of how to-s, so I think I probably just need a link in the right direction.
Since my painting experience is so slight, is there a how-to just about basic room painting?
Things like rollers vs. brushes, hard to reach spots like behind toilets, etc?
Any help is appreciated – keep up the good work!!
Hey Adrianne,
We actually receive that request a lot so it’s on our to-do list, but until then here’s our brief summary: we like high quality rollers for smooth surfaces (for flat walls of course, if you have textured walls you should get the appropriate roller) and we only used brushes like the one mentioned here to cut in around windows, trim, ceilings, baseboard, and to paint corners that a roller can’t access. We also use short handled brushes like this to paint tight spots like behind a toilet. We don’t use primer unless the wall is super saturated or dark (ex: chocolate or ruby red) or if we’re dealing with something that could bleed through like wood paneling (which may have been oiled, stained, etc- in which case you need to seal it with an oil-based primer before painting. Otherwise we always just apply two thin and even coats (sometimes three in very rare cases) of latex paint. As for what brands we like, Behr and Benjamin Moore have been our favorites, but we often have colors by Valspar or Glidden color matched to those bases since we like a number of different paint chips from nearly every brand out there. We have wood floors and have been painting so long that we don’t use drop cloths, but you might want to consider using something like a plastic tarp from your home improvement store or large pieces of cardboard to protect your floors (especially if they’re carpeted). We have found that we don’t drip very often at all, and when we do, since our floors are wood and they’re sealed, we can just wipe the drip off as long as we don’t wait too long until it dries (in that case a drip can still be “popped” off but it’s a bit more time intensive and we have to be more careful that we don’t scratch the wood in doing that). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Hello! My husband and I got our first house in mid-July and have been painting every room for the past week and a half, I wanted to give you guys (and the Premium XL Tight Spots brush) major props. I’ve discovered that I love doing trim and my husband is getting really good at using the rollers on the walls. I just wanted to add a silly little tip that’s been super helpful for us. We take a hammer and a decent sized nail and hammer three or four holes in the paint can between the inner and outer lip of the can (the groove the lid fits into) so that after we pour the paint it won’t gather in the groove, but it drips back into the can. It’s been helpful when we’re on the go in all of the rooms and don’t want to buy pour spouts and lids for every paint can in action. Hope it helps any other multitaskers out there!
Thanks for all of your fantastic advice!
~Dayna
Hi. This may well be a no-brainer but how do you clean up the trim when you have wall to wall carpet? What is the easiest way to do this? I enjoy your blog.
We don’t have wall to wall carpets so we’re not experts but we’ve seen people use wide spackle knives or even pieces of cardboard or drop cloths to protect the carpets from paint as they go around the room touching up the baseboard. Maybe you can google around for tips? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
So – call me dense but does this mean that you have eliminated your need for painters tape when cutting out ceilings and corners?!?!?!?
Johnna