Before you start painting, cover up and protect the items in the room from paint and dust that may occur.

Shift all the big items to the central of the room and cover them with a clear plastic dustsheet. The visibility factor of the plastic sheet is crucial because not only will it allow you to keep an eye on the things and locate them as and when necessary, it will also make sure that no one rests on any precious or fragile items.

Exercise extra care when removing decorative items, such as ornaments, lamps or paintings. If any of these have special fixings such as small parts like screws or hooks, consider placing them in a clear plastic bag before taping them to the back of the respective item.

Now that we have shifted everything to the center of the room, it’s time to start preparing the path for painting. It is a good idea to place the clean dust sheets around the edge of the room so as to protect the flooring from the dust and paint. Besides, it can serve as an anti-slip when you are on the steps.

Also, do not forget to protect the light switches or electrical sockets with masking tape. This prevents them from being stained with any paint that may drip in the course of decorating the room.

Do remember to mask along the edges of the skirting, so you are able to paint the entire area without leaving any unpainted lines at the bottom.