Highlights
Most people paint the trim before the walls.
Beginner DIYers may want to paint the walls first.
Painting the trim first makes it easier to get the trim right.
Painting the walls first is great for instant gratification.
The final choice is up to your needs and your specific project.
Do you paint trim or walls first? It’s an age-old question. If you’re planning to paint a room, you’re probably already wondering if it’s better to start with the colorful walls or the complementary trim. While there is no “right” answer, there are pros and cons to each strategy. These simple guidelines will help you decide what makes the most sense for you and your project.
In General, Paint the Trim First, Then the Walls
Most people choose to paint the trim (using painter’s tape to help) before they paint their entire walls. Why? It’s a lot quicker to tape off the trim in a room than it is to tape off the entirety of the walls. Plus, if you make a mistake painting your trim and you haven’t painted your walls yet, you can easily cover it up when you do get ready to paint the walls. By painting your trim last, you have to be exceptionally careful to avoid dripping, splashing, or smearing paint over the surface you just took a long time to paint.
There are some exceptions and reasons people choose to paint the walls first, however. If you need that extra bit of motivation that comes with seeing the entire wall painted before you move on to the more meticulous job of painting the trim, by all means, paint the wall first. In fact, we typically recommend that beginner DIYers paint the walls first instead of the trim for that confidence boost.
We’ll go over some other good reasons why people choose to paint the wall first further below, as well as more reasons why the trim can be a good starting place.
For Instant Gratification: Paint the Walls First
Because walls make up the majority of a room, painting them first will deliver visible results quickly and give you instant gratification. No matter how nice the newly glossy, pristine, brilliant white trim looks, it won’t make as much of an impact as walls that you’ve transformed from deep indigo to pea green.
Such a speedy and dramatic turnaround will likely inspire you to complete the remainder of your project. In addition, after painting the walls, you might decide that you don’t even need to repaint the trim. Refreshing the wall color might deliver enough punch to reinvent your space.
If You’re Unsure About Color: Paint the Walls First
The trim and walls should coordinate in each room, but it’s almost always the wall color that people notice first. With so much surface area, you may not know if a shade looks right until you paint a full wall or even the whole room.
So, if you’re not 100% committed to a wall color, don’t skip to the trim first. When you’re trying to pick the best interior paint color for your space, try a few different color samples. Once you’re satisfied, you can paint the trim in a complementary shade. That way, if you end up disliking the wall color, you won’t have wasted time repainting the trim.
To Follow Convention: Paint the Walls First
Traditionally, interior painting should be done from the top down because paint drips. This method would indicate that you should paint the ceiling first, then the walls, and then the trim. Crown molding, however, throws a wrench in this theory since some trim touches the ceiling, in which case you’d do the ceiling, top trim, walls, then the rest of the trim.
If you like doing things the conventional way, heed the laws of gravity and paint from the top down. For most people, the pattern of painting will be ceiling, walls, then trim. That way, if paint does drip down (which it most likely will), it won’t mess up your work.
To Cut Down on Corrections: Paint the Walls First
In general, you should paint walls using rollers and paint trim using brushes (your final decision on the applicator may come down to the type of paint you choose). Rollers deposit paint on larger areas more quickly but provide less control than brushes. This is the main reason why painters use brushes to handle tight transition areas, such as between the ceiling and walls.
If you paint the trim first and then make a mistake when using your rollers on the walls, you’ll potentially have more paint to clean up than you would if you’d overbrushed slightly. Plus, rollers tend to fling paint droplets into the air (and onto trim).
Lastly, in most rooms, you’ll use higher-sheen paint (such as semi-gloss) for trim and lower-sheen paint (such as matte or eggshell) for walls. So, if you paint the trim first and get some onto the wall, you run the risk of that higher-sheen paint showing through. This even applies if you’re planning to paint the walls and trim the same color.
To Make Trim Painting Easier: Paint the Trim First
Since trim is three-dimensional and most often painted with a brush, it’s only natural to be a bit sloppy when painting trim. If this rings especially true for you, painting the trim first may be the way to go.
When the trim is dry, use easy-release painter’s tape to cover it thoroughly and proceed to the walls. Many professional painters swear it’s easier and faster to cover the edges of baseboards, trim, and crown molding with tape as opposed to the wall perimeter.
Alternatively, use a paint shield to protect your trim paint job when working on the walls, or use an edger to get a sharp, crisp line. To make this process as easy as possible, if you can, paint the trim before installing it (though you may need to touch it up a bit after installation).
If Your Home Is More Like a Construction Site: Paint the Trim First
Walls are more vulnerable to damage than trim at construction sites, so if you’re in the middle of a Fixer Upper-esque home remodel, you might want to hold off on painting those walls right away
If you paint the trim first, the odds are lower that your work will have been in vain. Then, once you’ve finished the majority of work on your home, you can paint the walls as one of the finishing touches.
In addition, construction sites are notoriously dusty. If you paint the walls while materials are still being hammered and sawed, you’ll likely have to clean (and possibly even repaint) them again. It’s much easier and faster to wipe down smaller areas of glossy trim. Of course, it’s best to wait until all construction is complete before tackling any paint job.
Additionally, with construction sites, it’s usually safer in general to call in a pro. A local interior painter will have the expertise and knowledge to get the job done right and safely, meaning you won’t have to lift a finger (at least for the painting part of it all).
Don’t Sweat the Decision
Now, let’s ask again: Do you paint walls or trim first? At the end of the day, whether to paint trim or walls first is largely a matter of personal preference and what kind of project you’re undergoing. As long as you actually know how to paint walls and trim in your room correctly, you’ll do a great job. Whichever you tackle first, know that you can always correct mistakes and the results won’t be radically different either way. So pick up that brush and get to it.
