6 Easy Painting Projects You Can Do in a Weekend

You'll feel accomplished and your home will look refreshed by the time Monday comes back around.

If you lead a busy life, taking on major DIY projects can be a challenge. But that doesn’t mean you can’t beautify your home with the time you do have. According to interior designer and HGTV host Shay Holland, there are plenty of weekend projects you can do easily and affordably with a can (or two) of paint. “Tackling bite-sized painting projects is a way to make steady progress toward upgrading your space when you don’t have the time or energy to paint whole rooms.”

Here are six painting projects you can do in two days or less, along with some helpful tips to ensure you do it right.

Meet the Experts

• Shay Holland , interior designer and HGTV host
• Siobhan Alvarez-Borland , DIY and lifestyle expert

Trim, Mouldings, and Ceilings

You don’t need to paint an entire wall to make a big impact with color. “One way to inject freshness is to introduce a color on the trim, molding, and ceiling that is a shade or two lighter or darker than the walls—similar to pairing new shoes or a trendy handbag with an older outfit that still has a lot of wear left,” says Holland. You can also go even bolder, with a contrasting color on the trim, molding or ceilings, if that's more your style.

Related: 6 Ceiling Paint Colors That Will Transform Your Room

Closets

Don’t let the big spaces have all the fun with paint. If you have a bedroom closet or even an entryway closet for coats that you’re trying to level up, consider painting it. Holland says she's working on a design project where she's color-drencing a small bedroom closet, painting the trim, ceiling, walls, and shelves all in the same color.

You can choose to paint the closet the same color as the surrounding room, if you want a more cohesive look. Or, you can opt for a color that’s totally different from the surrounding space to make your closet feel special and to add a surprise pop of color.

Powder Rooms

Painting a powder room shouldn’t take too long. After all, they're generally the smallest rooms in the home. Just keep in mind that while the paint job itself is quick, the prep work isn’t something you can skip. “For powder rooms and small bathrooms, I recommend starting the night before by wiping down the walls, baseboards, and floors,” says Siobhan Alvarez-Borland, DIY and lifestyle expert.

Also, you may need to move, adjust, or remove fixtures such as sinks, toilets, and vanities in some bathrooms, although some may be easier to paint around. Still, completing this project shouldn’t take more than a weekend.

Laundry Rooms

If you aren’t the biggest fan of doing laundry, adding some colorful paint to the laundry room could make the chore a little less daunting. Luckily, you can probably get away with keeping your washer and dryer in place during this painting project, but Alvarez-Borland still suggests doing a deep cleaning before you get out your primer and brush. “One of the most valuable things you can do for any home project is to map out the list of what needs to be done in advance so that your project can be expedited," she says. "It’s easy to forget that this is a high-traffic room, and layers of dust, grime, or other things can negatively impact your paint job.”

Dining Rooms

Painting a kitchen can be a Herculean task. A dining room, however, is quite a bit more straightforward. But it’s important to get this room right, so Alvarez-Borland advises painting multiple light coats rather than trying to fully cover a wall with a single coat. “It takes thicker coats longer to dry, which could result in you realizing an additional coat is needed but no time is left for the project,” Alvarez-Borland says. So, a bit of patience can actually save you time on this project.

Furniture

If you're looking for a super approachable painting project that takes very little time to complete, consider giving a piece of furniture a refresh. “You may not even want to paint the whole piece of furniture," Holland says. "For example, painting just the back walls of a bookcase or glass-front cabinets creates an eye-catching accent, even on a tight budget.”

Better yet, you may not even need to hit up your hardware store for a new can of paint. “Weekend paint projects are also a great way to use leftover paint," Holland says. "If you have a quart of a color from another room in the house, add a dash of color to just the kitchen island or the fireplace surround.”

Just be sure to go with furniture that can be repainted, such as pieces made from solid wood or wood veneer. And don’t forget to sand and prep the surface first.

Related: How to Paint Wood Furniture Like a Pro

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