Painting Ideas & Inspiration

Explore inspiring painting ideas that will drastically make your home more efficient & appealing.

Looking through the kitchen at a two tone door

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Two-Tone Kitchen Pantry Design

A design-build duo gives their pantry a simple yet striking two-tone paint treatment.
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Choosing the Right Paint Color for Your Home

An expert painter advises us on how to pick the right paint colors for a home's interior. Learn about paint finishes, undertones, and more.
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Best Bold Paint Colors for Your Home

Learn how to apply bold paint colors in your home from designers.
A ladder and covered objects in a room being prepared for painting.

Easy Guide to Paint Finishes

Trying to choose a paint finish? Read this guide to learn how to pick the right sheen to make your next interior paint project pop.
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7 Ideas for Color-Blocking Walls with Paint

Get inspiration and instruction for this easy yet impressive paint technique to add interest to your interiors.
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Creating Moods with Paint Colors

Here’s how designers think about choosing and using the right shade of paint to achieve the perfect look (or mood).
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How To Choose Colorful Finishes for Your Home

Learn how to choose colors and subtly mix finishes for your home from design pro and Clare founder Nicole Gibbons.
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A Guide to Eco-Friendly Paints

Are you looking for a safer alternative to traditional interior paints? Read this guide to learn how to choose the right type of products for painting projects that will yield great results with a less negative impact on the planet and your family’s health. Here’s what you need to know about buying non-toxic paint safe for you and the environment.
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The 5 Best Painter’s Tapes (2024 Review)

Painter’s tape helps you stay in the lines while you’re painting your home’s walls. In this review, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the five best painter’s tapes on Amazon to help you find the product that’s right for you and your home. The products included in this article are available at various home improvement stores, local home centers, and online retailers like Amazon.
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10 Stunning Bathroom Paint Colors

Learn what to consider when painting a bathroom and how to choose the right color.
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Paint it: Take a shine to the ceiling

Luscious color overhead in a light-reflecting finish can give your entry—and spirits—a lift.
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Celebrating Craftsmanship: The Principles of Painting

Ask This Old House painting expert, Mauro Henrique sits down to talk about how he got into painting and what he loves about it.
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17 Beautiful Painted Furniture Ideas

Looking for a unique statement piece? Check out our visual guide for painted furniture inspiration to suit your individual style and decor.
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Polyurethane vs. Polycrylic: Which Should You Use?

As tough as wood is, once it’s converted to some house part—a chair, a door sill, a cabinet, a floorboard—it needs to be protected against the elements and general wear and tear. When it comes to wood finish, which should you use? Read this guide to learn more about the differences between polyurethane and polycrylic.
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What is Varnish?

Learn about varnish, a protective wood finish. Discover its types, uses, and tips for preserving your wood surfaces with This Old House.
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Everything You Need to Know Before You Pick a Paint Color

Whether you’re looking for a soothing hue for your living space or want some drama in your dining room, don’t pick a paint until you’ve read our expert advice
Fire place with a hearth painted using green milk paint.

All About Milk Paint

Milk paint has surged in popularity due to its eco-friendly properties and gorgeous finishes. Read on to see if it works for your project.
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Trend Meets Tradition | 2020 Idea House: The Cottage on the Cape

Here’s how a selection of historically inspired colors became the palette for our coastal-chic Idea House.
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Update a Mudroom Door with Bold Paint

Portals become all the more transportive in eye-catching color—especially when it’s expertly applied.
Kitchen with white cabinets

The Best Primer and Paint To Transform Kitchen Cabinets

This guide showcases creative kitchen cabinet makeovers and provides recommendations for the best paints and primers to achieve the look.
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How to Paint a Mandala on a Deck

Mandala designs have increasingly been on the rise in the Western world for a few years now. They’re everywhere: on apparel, linens, in adult coloring books, and are especially popular as tattoo designs
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Wall Colors You Can Use To Help You Improve Your Sleep

Learn more about color psychology and determine which shades can help you get a better night's sleep by following our bedroom color guide.
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Choose the Right Type of Paint for Your Bathroom

Bathrooms are constantly exposed to water and humidity, so selecting a moisture-resistant paint is crucial.
Popcorn ceiling painted white.

How to Paint a Popcorn Ceiling

If you're interested in painting your popcorn ceiling, read this guide to find out everything you need to know.
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How To Paint Random-Width Stripes

Make your walls pop by painting random-width stripes. Here's how to use this paint technique to make a focal point in any room.
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Prep for Success: Tips for a Pro-Level Paint Finish

You’ve heard the saying before: Fail to prepare—prepare to fail. But whether it’s because prep work is viewed as an unnecessary expense or it just boils down to impatience, many home improvers fail to properly prepare their surfaces before applying paint. We sat down with TOH painting pro Nick Slavik to find out how important it is to take the time to prep and prime.
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Safer Ways to Strip Paint

Two nasty chemicals are gradually leaving store shelves. Here, a look at less hazardous ways to get rid of old paint
A bedroom with a green accent wall behind the bed.

How To Choose a Stunning Accent Wall for Your Home

Accent walls give your room visual interest and breathe new life into a space with a pop of color. Here's everything you need to know.
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How To Paint a Colorful Door Accent

Learn how to a bedroom door into a colorful, creative door accent and a standout piece of decor in this helpful guide.
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Home Decor Upgrades Inspired by Patriots Team Colors

If you're a diehard Patriots fan and are looking for fun ways to incorporate their classic color scheme in your home, we've got you covered.
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Painter’s Tape Alternative

Now you can mask off any surface!
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Charleston-Elliotborough House Exterior Paint Colors

We remodeled two houses during our Charleston 2018 TV season. Many fans asked for the exact colors of the Elliotborough exterior, and here they are
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Paint a Supersized Stencil Pattern

A large Scandi-inspired stencil pattern and a soft two-tone paint palette offer a fresh take on the wallpaper look