When I took a job with the Appalachian Mountain Club a while back, the idea of living in the woods, taking fees from giddy, tired through-hikers and doing trail maintenance sounded like a dream come true. The reality of the day-to-day was a far cry from what I pictured in my head. That is a wildly random intro with the intent of getting us to talking about painting myths! What caught my (only slightly caffeinated) brain this morning was the concept of what we think versus reality. When it comes to painting, I always assume it will be quick and easy. The reality of it always tends to be a lot more work than I expected and it takes a lot more time to be completely done.

With painting, however, there are loads of benefits. This goes double for those of you thinking of listing your homes for sale this spring. The listings have already started to increase locally and nationally. As the temps heat up, so does the selling market. Beyond all of the (amazing) advice you've been reading over the last few months, today we'll explore interior painting a bit. Partially because it is perfect timing for those looking to spruce things up a bit, but also because I've got a room I want to paint and I'm itching for some motivation!

The first myth that I believed (hook, line and sinker) is that dark colors make a room look smaller. I think the reality of this one is that you can get away with a dark "accent wall", but don't go all goth on us. Having lived in my fair share of tiny places, were they adorned with dark hued walls, I'm sure it would have been even more confining. One place in particular had wood paneling on the walls. After being there for a few months I convinced the landlord to let me paint those walls. It made a world of difference. The beauty of making one wall accented with a darker color is it allows your eye to expand into that "space" creating the illusion of a larger area. It works like a charm! Remember, moderation is your friend here.

As you have read numerous times over the past few years, preparation is an important part (the most important?) of any remodeling project. Painting is no exception. Sanding walls, filling holes, removing wallpaper and taping trim and windows are all critical pieces of the puzzle when it comes to painting an interior room. The better prepared you are up front, the faster the project goes and the better result in the end.

One of the myths floating around out there is that primer is no longer necessary. I understand that the paints we're using today (especially those from trusted brands) cover the wall better and seem to cover blemishes while they're at it. The reality though, is that a coat of primer will level-up your finished project and give it that professional look. "Although painting without primer certainly saves time and money, it hurts the project overall in the long run," notes Badger Peabody & Smith Realty (formerly Badger Realty) agent, Denice Tepe. "Primer allows some forgiveness with inconsistencies on the wall and just gives the whole project a more clean look," she continued.

In the spirit of saving time though, with a good coat of primer on the walls, you can often get away with a single coat of paint. Obviously if there is a super dark color beneath the primer, even that will not be covered. But with most painting projects, the color change is either not that different (just a few shades) or YOU are the one adding the darker color so a single coat of paint (on top of primer) handles the job nicely.

With that said (I'm going to double-back to preparation for a second) don't think you can get away without cleaning your walls. Even the best primer can't stick to grimy, greasy walls. If you've ever worked in a restaurant kitchen you know exactly where I'm going with this. Even though you're not serving 200 dinners a night, your kitchen walls in particular are going to be a bit ickier than the rest of the house. A quick wipe-down with warm, soapy water will not only reveal a dirty bucket of water when you're done. It will also reveal a much more suitable surface for your paint (or wallpaper) to adhere.

As you have likely picked up over the years, I'm a big fan of bright colors and funky designs when it comes to painting the interior of the home. I'm of the opinion that it is your home to do with what you want. Aside from the risk of going super-funky when you're trying to sell, making the house your own is one of the many benefits of home-ownership in the first place. With that in mind, and harkening back to the "accent wall" concept, consider getting creative with your trim as well. There's no rule (that I know of!) that says your trim has to be either white or stained wood. Imagine that nice little touch of color in an otherwise white landscape. I promise it will stand out and you'll love it.

Lastly, I encourage everyone to paint the interior of their home if you are planning to sell. Painting simply refreshes the home, livens everything up and gives the home a more fresh, clean feel and smell. This is a great opportunity to cover up that horrible wallpaper and/or reclaim your (former) goth teenager's room for the benefit of the potential buyers. I think we can all agree that painting the home can breathe new life into it and cover up a handful of bad design decisions from years past. See you in the paint aisle.