Wall Painting Qs

[hhh]

I'm moving to my new condo and would like to paint the walls....but i don't know much about painting.

Will I need a primer as base coat before i paint the colour onto the walls?

What types of paint should i use (less harm to health)?

Also, how do i match the same colours as i see in Magazines or in real life (e.g., friend's house)?

[Pete_Coach]

Clean all the walls, use TSP and use it as per the package directions.
Fill all holes, patch all cracks, smooth all lumps.
Putting on a primer is always a good idea. You can have the primer tinted to your finish colour, that way you won't have to paint several coats of the finish paint.
Any latex (latex is water base and not harmful) will be fine.
You can now enter the great debate on which brand of paint you should use. I use Benjamin Moore, for no other reason than it works for me.
Here is a little hint, put a few drops of perfume or aftershave in the can and stir it up. It takes the "paint smell" away.
Take the magazine to your paint store, they have a machine that can match the paint chip exactly. Be aware, the colour in a magazine is not a good indicator of what it will look like on the wall. Magazines are notorious for colour touch up and correction to make it look good in photos.

[CSK'sMom]

Don't pick a final paint color from a magazine. They are great for inspiration but not the final shade. Go to a paint store and grab a bunch of chips in the color shades you are thinking about. Take them hope and tape or pin them to the walls in question and live with them for a week. The natural and artificial light in those rooms during the day and night will greatly affect they way your eye reads the color. For instance, the same paint chip will look like 2 totally different colors if your windows are south or east facing. CFL vs. incandescent will also alter the color...

[jjgoo]

get a couple of samples and try out a few before doing all the walls. Light paint always looks good. http://*************/img/260/a08a1012nfeh/smile.gif

[Pete_Coach]

Many paint stores now have these huge paint chips for the most popular colours. They are about 30cm X 30 cm. They also will mix up small pots of paint that you can actually paint on the wall. This is so you can look at it for a few days. Those little paint chip strips are useless to help you determine what will look good.

[Owbist]

Here is a little hint, put a few drops of perfume or aftershave in the can and stir it up. It takes the "paint smell" away.

Ah, what a brilliant idea for those who find the smell of paint offensive. Great tip :)

[deep]

That is a very interesting tip about odour, Pete. I'll have to try that sometime.