When people think of spring cleaning, they usually think of going through their closets, cleaning out the garage, or sorting through the stuff they’ve tossed in the basement over the year. But spring cleaning isn’t just about cleaning. It’s also about doing minor repairs and sprucing up your home. One task you may want to add to your spring cleaning list for this year is painting. Whether you need to touch up your bathroom or want to repaint the exterior of your home, there’s no better time to do it than during the spring.
Interior Painting Tips
When was the last time you repainted any of the rooms in your home? It may have been years. Some people never repaint. Unfortunately, that can become noticeable over time as paint gets scuffed up and begins to show its age. Even the best interior house paint won’t last forever and will need to be redone eventually. You might also decide you want to take your décor in another direction. If you’re ready for a change, here are a few spring cleaning tips that can transform the interior of your home.
Combine Cleaning and Painting to Save Time
If you’re going to be cleaning your home, why not paint while you’re at it? You’re going to have to give a room a good cleaning before you paint anyway because you don’t want dust and other grime getting under the paint. Even areas you’re not painting could be a hazard. For example, if you don’t clean a ceiling fan before you paint and then turn it on, the dust on the blades will get scattered across your fresh paint.
If you’re planning on painting the windowsills, floorboards, ceiling fan blades, crown molding, or other parts of the home where dust tends to gather, do it now while you’re also cleaning those areas. Doing both now saves you time later because you will only need to clean once.
Spring cleaning is also a good time to paint inside because you’re moving furniture around to clean under and behind it. Again, if you’re already moving shelves away from the wall to clean behind them, why not go ahead and paint at the same time? It means you won’t have to take everything off those shelves and move them later.
Change the Mood of Your Home
Changing up your paint colors in your home can transform how different spaces feel. Painting your kitchen a light color will make it feel bright and airy. Revamping your entryway by repainting, adding a small table with plaints, and removing clutter can make your home more inviting. You could even expand on its functionality by adding an entryway cabinet or a series of hooks for jackets. While you’re cleaning and repainting, think about the functionality of a space. Now’s the perfect time to add hooks, cabinets, shelves, and other things that can improve how you use a space.
In the bedrooms, you can be a little more colorful. You can still go with lighter colors if your bedroom doesn’t have a lot of windows, but you can also use darker, warmer colors. Pick an interior house paint that expresses your personality or a shade that you find soothing to help you sleep.
Some people change up their décor during the spring. They put away heavy blankets and bring out light, bright colors. Painting during this transition can help you see your home with both your fall and winter look and your spring and summer décor. You can determine a paint color that will work with everything while still reflecting your personality.
Giving your home a makeover at the beginning of spring can help set a new mood for the rest of the year. It can turn areas of your house that you once avoided or found boring into fun spots you want to spend time in. Between the fresh coat of paint and the decluttering that comes with spring cleaning, your house will feel like it’s transformed.
Exterior House Paint Options
Now that you’ve thought about painting the interior of your home, let’s think about exterior house paint options. There are many options here. You can go with a stylish grey or a bold red. You can even paint your house black! The only thing you may have to worry about is if you live in a neighborhood that has an HOA. If that’s the case, the HOA may have approved colors you can use on your home. If you don’t paint your home one of these colors, the HOA can fine you and require you to pay to have the home repainted. Be sure you understand the rules in your neighborhood before you start painting.
Add Pops of Color
If you’re in the clear or know what exterior house paint colors you can use, it’s time to start thinking about how to make your home look unique from the outside. In addition to painting the siding, you can paint the brick, the window shutters and sills, and much more. Some people consider painting the porch to make it stand out and make the entrance to their home look different. Other people might do the second story is a slightly different color to give the house some character. As long as there’s no HOA to tell you no, you can do whatever you want.
Painting the front door is another fun way of adding a pop of color. Here, you may want to look at colors on the opposite side of the color wheel. These colors typically work well together. For example, if you’re going with a blue color for the body of your home, you could pick a yellow shade for your door. That will really make it stand out. Black doors are also very popular, especially if you have a white house. You could even match your shutters in that case. If you’re not sure about a color combination, you’ll find various tools online to help you. Some apps even let you upload a photo of your home and apply different colors.
Clean Up Your Landscaping First
Before you start, though, you may want to follow some spring cleaning tips for your yard. Take the time to clean up any flowerbeds and other landscaping that’s close to the house so you don’t have to work around it when painting. Trim hedges, take out any bushes that have died, and trim back limbs. In addition to making it easier for the painters, this also makes your home look more attractive.
This is also a good time to think about your spring flowers. If you plan on planting anything new, this is a good time to do it. However, you may want to wait until after the painters are done if your flowerbeds are up against your house. That way, there’s no risk of them stepping on your freshly planted flowers.
Don’t Forget to Repaint Your Shed or Other Outbuildings
House paint isn’t just for houses. If you have a shed or other outbuilding, now’s a good time to give them a fresh coat of paint, too. You can paint them to match the house, or you can paint them a complementary color. Paint your doghouse, your children’s playhouse or tree house, and even any bird houses you have. Creating a cohesive look for all of these structures, no matter their size, can greatly improve your home’s curb appeal.
The Final Spring Cleaning Tip: Hire a Painting Professional
There are a lot of great spring cleaning tips for organizing the interior and even the exterior of your home, but if you’re going to do any painting, don’t ignore this one: hire a professional. Painting your house is a major undertaking. Even doing one room is going to take some time. You need to move everything away from the walls, protect the flooring, tape down the baseboards and door/window trims, and more.
While you can certainly do it yourself, it’s going to take a good amount of time. Professional painters can handle it more quickly and efficiently because they paint rooms every day. They have the tools and equipment needed to make short work out of even the largest space.
When it comes to painting the exterior of your home, you definitely want the experts. It’s not easy to paint a house, especially a two-story home or one with lots of windows and other features that you may not want paint on. Working with a team that knows how to paint a home correctly will save you a lot of stress.
JLM Painting is that professional for homeowners in and around Petaluma, CA. Our team can handle everything from helping you choose a house paint to painting your door or shutters. We work with residents and businesses, plus we’re familiar with HOAs and the rules they have for exterior paint colors.
Whether you need to repaint your bathroom, want to paint multiple rooms, or want us to redo the entire exterior, JLM Painting will provide a fair quote and a realistic timeline that will minimize any disruption to your daily routine. Contact us today to learn more and to discuss your next painting project.