Interior Paint Refreshing Ideas

Nothing can change the look of your home’s interior quite like a fresh coat of paint. It can brighten a room, add exciting accents, and transform your living space into a completely different environment.

At Painterati, we’ll work with you every step of the way through your interior updates. We’ll discuss interior paint ideas, colors and finishes—including Creative Custom Services—to help you create the interior of your dreams.

The Basics of Interior Painting

There are some key differences between exterior and interior paint, namely that the latter is made to be scrubbed and resist staining, whereas the former is made to prevent fading and mildew growth.

That primary differentiation is due to resin, a compound that binds pigment to the surface it is painted on. Resins used to bind exterior paints must be softer to resist peeling, chipping, and fading from the sun. Resins used in interior paints are more rigid, which reduces scuffing and smearing.

You may be wondering, “How long does it take to paint a house interior?” The answer depends on a variety of factors including the size of the space you want to paint, prep work, whether or not you will paint the ceiling and trim, as well as time allotted for cleaning and touch ups. Generally speaking, a 20-foot by 15-foot room with 9-foot ceilings takes approximately eight hours.

Once that paint is applied, how long it takes interior paint to dry also depends on a variety of factors including application, humidity, and ventilation. Roughly speaking, you can expect interior paint to dry in around six to eight hours if it’s oil based and one hour if it’s latex based.

When it comes to the price of painting your house’s interior, you’ll need to factor in the size of the room, cost of the paint, and whether you hire a painter or go the DIY route. The average cost to paint the interior of a house falls between $1.50 and $3.50 per square foot. You can expect to pay between $380 and $790 for a 10-foot by 12-foot room.

How to Choose Paint Colors for Your Home Interior

With so many interior paint colors to choose from, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Don’t be! Start with the overall feeling you want for your home and your favorite color(s). You can also consult the color wheel for ideas.

For a cohesive color palette, we recommend you use no more than five distinct colors throughout your home. For example, a white, a neutral, and three colors. An accent wall painted a striking color can add interest and serve as a unique focal point.

The Best Colors to Paint Interior Doors and Trim

It’s easy to forget about doors and trim, but you can get creative here too. Painting a door and its trim the same color as the walls or one color lighter or darker creates a sleek, seamless look. You can make small spaces feel larger by choosing classic, neutral palettes such as creams or whites, while larger rooms can handle doors painted with a bolder color—just make sure that color fits into your overall scheme.

Regardless of the color, we recommend paint with satin sheen for interior doors and trim, as handles and surfaces become grimy quite quickly. Satin makes it easier to wipe down and remove buildup and shows fewer imperfections than a semi-gloss or gloss. 

Painting Ceilings

White is the most common ceiling color because it reflects light and brightens a room. But dark ceilings can provide a cozy, intimate feel. Regardless of the color, ceiling paints are specially designed to provide a uniform surface that has the ability to hide and obscure stains and spots or other imperfections for a clean finish.

If you have a popcorn ceiling, you may be wondering how much it will cost to remove it. While this textured feature was once a popular option, today it can make a room look dated and old. To remove the popcorn ceiling, expect to pay between $1 to $2 per square foot, or around an average of $1,500 per room. As with everything else, this cost depends on a variety of factors, including the size of the ceiling and the possibility of asbestos, which requires specialty removal.

You can paint interior ceilings after popcorn removal once you apply drywall mud and sand it flat to create a clean surface.  Another popular option is to apply a knockdown texture, which is often less expensive than creating a smooth surface and still adds a fresh and modern look to a room.