Step-by-Step Guides

Don't replace it, repaint it. How to paint IKEA melamine, laminate and wood furniture with Little Greene's self-priming Intelligent paints: a light key, two coats, no primer.

How to paint skirting boards properly: the right paint and finish from Little Greene, Paint & Paper Library and Farrow & Ball, step-by-step preparation and painting, and the common mistakes to avoid.

How to paint MDF for a smooth, lasting finish: preparing faces and thirsty cut edges, choosing a primer, and the right eggshell or satin, for flat-pack and custom joinery alike.

How to store leftover paint so it is ready for touch-ups: sealing the tin, labelling it, the right temperature, how long paint keeps, and how to check it before you use it again.

Why colour matches of Farrow & Ball shades rarely look right on the wall, and a simple step-by-step way to choose, test and buy the genuine colour with confidence.

How to test paint colours in different light: prepare proper sample boards, check them in the morning, afternoon and evening, under your own lamps, and compare before you commit.

Covering navy, charcoal or deep red with a light colour? The primer strategy and coat count that actually work, with Farrow & Ball, Little Greene and Paint & Paper Library.

Can you paint over wallpaper? When it works, when it does not, and a step-by-step guide to preparing, priming and painting papered walls so the finish lasts.

How to paint a front door that lasts: choosing an exterior eggshell or gloss, preparing the timber, painting the panels in the right order, the weather to wait for and colours that wear well.

Double drenching uses two related colours on every surface of a room. How to choose the pair, where each colour goes, and a step-by-step guide to painting it well.

The right finishes and colours for metal radiators. How to prepare a previously painted radiator, which paint to use from each brand, and why it must be off and cool before you start.

Walls, ceiling and woodwork in one colour, with the right finishes. Which matt and eggshell to use from each brand, the colours that drench well, and the rooms that suit it best.