It’s really amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do for a home. With a few coats of a new colour, you can completely transform your home. Whether you’re looking to freshen up your space for a new season, get it ready to sell, or just want to experiment with a new colour, paint is an easy and inexpensive way to do just that. Take a look at our 5 favourite ways to transform your home with interior painting.
1. Kitchen Refresh
For many homeowners, the kitchen can be a real pain point. From not having enough space to move around, to hating the outdated appearance, kitchens can take a lot of heat. While changing the colour of your kitchen won’t yield you any more space in your cramped layout, it can help create the appearance of more space. There are two key areas where a fresh coat of paint can make a big difference in the kitchen: the walls and the cabinets.
If you have a small, dark kitchen, a lighter colour will instantly help open up your space and make it appear bigger. Even if your walls are currently a light colour, years of cooking and day to day life can make them appear dirty and dingy. Consider adding a fresh coat, even if it is the same colour to help make your space look new again.
If you’re looking to make a really big transformation that doesn’t come with the price tag of a full kitchen remodel, consider repainting your existing cabinets. It’s amazing how changing the colour of your cabinets can drastically improve the look of your kitchen. Add in some inexpensive new knobs and pulls and you’ve basically got a new kitchen.
2019 kitchen trends are all about having fun with colour. Experiment with a tuxedo look (different colours on upper and lower cabinets) or go all out and paint both upper and lower cabinets the same colour. Try repainting your walls to contrast your new cabinets and see what a difference it makes.
2. Step Up Your Stairs’ Style
Stairs see a lot of traffic and as a result, they’re often an afterthought when it comes to design. If you’re bored of looking at old carpet or generic wood, consider having your stairs painted. There are countless inspirational pictures online, so you’re sure to find something to suit your style. Will you go with a fun stripe pattern? A different colour on every step? Or maybe something dark and dramatic?
While not every home is suited to having rainbow stairs, refreshing your steps with a neutral colour can also help to open up your staircase. You can create the feeling of more space and higher ceilings by repainting them in a light colour with a high gloss finish. This will help light reflect off your stairs and make the room appear slightly larger. Whether you go wild or keep things tamer, updating this unexpected area is a great way to transform an otherwise boring and overlooked area of your home.
3. Add an Accent Wall
An accent wall is one of the quickest and easiest ways to totally transform a room with paint. Plus, it’s one of the top design trends for Spring 2022. An accent wall helps give visual interest to a room and creates an instant focal point. Want to take your accent wall a step further? Ask your painter to get creative and plot out a pattern for them to follow. It’s nothing a pro can’t handle with a little painter’s tape and a ruler. Speak to your pro about creating something really special such as a geometric pattern like the one pictured above.
4. Transform Your Furniture
From dressers to chairs to dining room tables, most pieces of your furniture can be painted and be totally transformed. Looking for something that will really make an impact? Try going for a monochrome look like the homeowner’s above did. This home opted to paint their shelving unit the same colour as their accent wall so that everything blends together seamlessly. Not only does this make the room more visually interesting, but it also helps to create a cohesive look.
Go through your home and look at the pieces that could be painted. Updating an old bookcase or a dated dresser is an easy task and relatively inexpensive. If you don’t have a project big enough for a painting company, you could always have a handyman take care of these tasks for you.
5. Don’t Skip the Trim
Over the years, paint gets old and tired looking. If you’re already done the interior painting, consider updating your trim as well. Refreshing the trim with a new coat of bright white will help make them seem new again. In fact, painting your window trimmings in a bright white colour can help make the room look sunnier as the light reflects off the white paint.
If you want to add an unexpected pop of colour consider painting your trim in a contrasting colour like the picture above. The subtle use of colour on the window trim gives this room visual interest without overpowering it. If you want to try modernizing your home, go for dark blue or black on your window trim. Try it for yourself and see what a difference it makes.
Below are the average costs of Paint & Wallpaper services across different cities in Canada:
| City | Average | Minimum | Maximum |
| Barrie | $3,801 | $300 | $30,000 |
| Calgary | $3,701 | $100 | $50,000 |
| Edmonton | $3,538 | $100 | $40,000 |
| Hamilton | $4,126 | $100 | $40,000 |
| Oshawa | $3,198 | $200 | $50,000 |
| Ottawa | $2,880 | $100 | $40,000 |
| Toronto | $3,901 | $100 | $50,000 |
| Vancouver | $4,997 | $120 | $50,000 |
*Costs based on 13,969 verified Canadian homeowner reviews as of March 2022
Remember, the best thing about an interior paint project is that it can always be painted over again. If you decide to go all in with a colour and then decide later on it’s not for you, simply repaint and try again. If you love the idea of transforming your home with paint but don’t want to spend the time doing it yourself, connect with a painting company. The pros will be able to help consult on colour choices and be able to finish the job in a fraction of the time. Now all you have to do is decide which room to paint first.
Article Updated June 2022.
