Painting a room is all about having the right tools for the job. These 6 items are my tried and true painting tools that I reach for every time I paint a room or project.

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Over the past few years, I’ve painted my fair share of rooms.

You see, when we moved into our townhome, all of the walls and the ceilings were “Antique White.” Or, what I would like to call “yellow.”

See for yourself…

This was not what I was expecting when I first heard that everything in our new home would be painted a version of “white.” I thought we would be starting with a blank slate.

That bad paint threw me off at first. I walked into our bright white kitchen and immediately regretting my choice of cabinet color. I doubted that I made the right decision and was so upset!

But, the problem wasn’t my design choices. It wasn’t the cabinet color or the countertops. Nope…it was the paint.

Thankfully, paint can easily be changed. It’s one of those projects that you can do in a weekend and it’s not even that expensive.

After we moved into our home, we got to work right away painting like crazy!

Painting a room can seem like a daunting task. But really, it’s not very difficult at all. Actually, if you pop in your headphones and get to work, it can kind of be relaxing. It’s one of those mindless activities!

The key to making painting as easy as possible is having the right tools. As I’ve painted more and more rooms (and ceilings and trim), I’ve figured out what my go-to tools are.

They are the items I reach for every time I start a new painting project.

My 6 Must-Have Painting Tools

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Angled Paint Brush

This short angled paint brush is my go-to tool for edging. It’s perfect for getting into tight spots and the short handle makes it easy to hold.

When I first painted our kitchen, I taped everything off and then used a brush to edge. When the paint was dry, I peeled off the tape and I had a mess! The tape didn’t really help at all and it took so much time to set up. I ended up having to fix all of the trim that I got paint on.

Since then, I’ve never used painters tape. All I do is use this brush to edge or “cut in.” It takes a little bit of practice but I think it’s so much easier and quicker than having to tape everything.

Rollers

We keep two different types of rollers on hand in our home. The first is a standard size paint roller. The second is a smaller foam roller.

The standard paint roller is for painting the walls and the ceilings.

The smaller foam roller is for painting trim or smaller areas.

Trays and Liners

We have maybe two paint trays in our home. You need paint trays for rolling paint.

But we also keep about 10 tray liners in our home at all times. That’s because I hate cleaning up paint trays. I would MUCH rather just use a liner and throw it away when I’m done. Grab a few of these and you will thank me when it’s time for cleanup.

Handy Paint Pail and Liners

When you are cutting in, edging, or just getting into a smaller area to paint, carrying the paint can around isn’t really practical or helpful.

We love love LOVE our Handy Paint Pail. It’s super easy to carry around when you are painting — it even had a hand grip. The most ingenious part about it is actually pretty simple. There is a magnet on the inside wall of the pail that will hold your paintbrush to the side. So, no more fishing for your brush is a bucket of paint or laying your brush down and getting paint everywhere. This thing is so helpful!

It also has liners that we like to have in stock in our home at all times. Because again, cleanup is a pain. It’s much easier to use a liner and then just throw it away.

Kraft Paper and Tape

While I don’t find it necessary to tarp off your entire room when painting, I do always keep a roll of kraft paper and some painters tape on hand. Sometimes when we are working on smaller paint projects, it’s nice to be able to roll out some kraft paper and make a workspace for yourself. That way you don’t have to worry about getting paint everywhere.

I also like to sometimes have a section of kraft paper underneath my paint tray when I’m painting a room for any stray paint dripping.

And while I don’t tape the trim in the room when I’m painting, I still like to keep painters tape on hand in case I need to cover up something in the room like hardware or a light fixture. It’s also really handy for taping down that kraft paper so it doesn’t move or blow away if you happen to be painting outside or in a garage.

Paint Sprayer

My latest favorite painting tool is actually this paint sprayer. It’s perfect for smaller projects or for painting things that have a lot of detail and would be difficult to use a roller on. This paint sprayer is kind of addictive to use. And watching the paint go on evenly is kind of satisfying.

The paint sprayer is perfect for getting a smooth, even finish to your painting project. I would highly recommend it if you’re ever painting cabinet doors, shutters, or other items in large quantities.

The only downside is, of course, the cleanup part. The paint sprayer does require a lot more attention to detail when cleaning in order to keep it in proper working order. But in my opinion, the sprayer is totally worth it!

So there you have it. My 6 must-have painting tools. I never start a painting project without having these items on hand.

Painting is actually an easy DIY project, especially when you have the right tools. The only hard part is when it’s time to clean up!

You can follow along as we transform (a section of ) our basement into my modern and bright creative home office via the links below:

Planning a Modern and Bright Creative Home Office {One Room Challenge Week 1}

How to Build a Desk using IKEA SEKTION Cabinets {One Room Challenge Week 2} 

The Best Removable Wallpaper Patterns

How to Install Removable Wallpaper {One Room Challenge Week 3}

6 Must-Have Painting Tools (You’re Here)

How to Paint IKEA SEKTION Cabinets {One Room Challenge Week 4}

The Best Craft Room Tables

DIY Bookshelves for a Built-In Desk {One Room Challenge Week 5}

Modern and Bright Creative Home Office Reveal {One Room Challenge Week 6}