(NAPSI)—When it’s time to spruce up your home for the holidays, or any sort of party, few things can brighten and revive a room like a fresh coat of paint. To help you save time, recent advancements mean modern paints include primer, dry quickly and feature a stain-blocking formula.

Here are some tips from Aimee Desrosiers, director of marketing at Behr Paints, on how to give your home a new look just in time for the festivities.

1. Plan your project. Leave yourself enough time to complete your project, including preparation, painting, dry time and cleanup. Certain colors require multiple coats, so be certain to add this into your equation. You don’t want to be rushed to finish before guests arrive.

2. Preparation is key. Remove furniture, rugs, wall art and other items that need to be protected or move items to the center of the room and cover with a drop cloth. Remove and store light switch plates, nails, outlet covers and other items so you don’t have to paint around them.

3. Spend a little extra time on preparation. Repair cracks, holes and minor imperfections and sand smooth any patching materials. Surfaces should be cleaned of dust, grime and dirt and allowed to dry, and shiny surfaces should be deglossed. Use the proper type of painters tape for your surface.

4. Use high quality painting tools. Economy rollers will leave bits of fuzz in your paint finish and poor quality brushes will result in brush marks and drips.

According to Desrosiers, BEHR Premium Plus Ultra Interior, the original high-performance Paint & Primer in One, now allows you to paint, prime and protect all in one to help projects get done quickly and easily with long-lasting results. The extra-durable paint film resists stains and scuffs, which are pretty likely when lots of guests come to call.

The paint is targeted for high-traffic spaces such as family rooms, kids’ rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms and hallways. Other added benefits include a shorter dry time and a low VOC, 100 percent Acrylic formula with a mildew resistant finish for increased ease-of-mind when painting.

You can browse a hand-selected, designer-inspired palette as well as over 2,000 colors to find the perfect one for you. Can’t decide between two hues? Go two-toned. Here’s how:

• Divide walls equally into two parts. To inspire your color choice, look at current furnishings, fabric patterns and accent décor. For a harmonious combination, coordinate shades of the same color.

• To help the room feel more formal, choose rich deep colors and dark neutrals and incorporate moldings into your design. A chair rail over the color dividing line is an easy way to add polish, while crown molding visually repeats the space and color division between the wall and ceiling for a complete look.

• For comforting appeal, select a shade with a warm undertone. A minimum of three colors is necessary to complete this look. Choose two colors for your walls and one for your molding. The two-toned wall technique can also make rooms with high ceilings seem shorter or more proportional by bringing the ceiling color down on to the wall.

When you’re ready to get going on your next project, get organized, make a list and look for quality products such as Behr’s advanced stain-blocking formula, available exclusively at The Home Depot stores nationwide and www.behr.com.

For More Information

Do-it-yourselfers can visit www.behr.com to explore design inspiration and order eight-ounce paint samples. Fans can also “like” Behr on Facebook and follow Behr on Twitter. The ColorSmart by BEHR Mobile application is available as a free download for iPhone-, iPad- and Android-compatible devices to help users find the perfect paint color at the touch of a finger. Plus, at www.colorfullybehr.com, Erika Woelfel, director of color marketing, shares her perspective and expertise on all things color.

 

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)