How to Paint a Breakfast Nook

Go to a paint store to pick out paint chip colors that appeal to you. Go with warm, bright colors, like yellow or red, to create a cheerful, vibrant atmosphere. Or consider cool colors like green or blue, for a more relaxing, subdued room. Dark colors will make your breakfast nook feel smaller and cozier, while lighter shades will give the space the illusion of being more open and airy. Think about whether your color choices transmit the mood with which you want to start your day.

Get color samples and paint 6-inch-square test patches on the walls. At different times of the day, light streaming through the window and artificial lights can make paint look entirely different on your wall than it does on the paint chip. The only way to know for sure that you are getting the right color is by using test patches.

Live with the paint patches for at least a few days and notice how different they can look at different times of the day or in different light situations.

Select a main color as well as a secondary color. Using two contrasting or complementary colors lends interest so that details will pop. Use the main color on the wall and the secondary color on the bench, chairs, table, window casings, bead board, chair rail, molding or other architectural details.

Remove tables, chairs and furnishings. Remove window treatments, cushions and wall art. Unscrew and remove light and outlet plate covers. Arrange dropclothes and use newspaper and painter’s tape to protect the floor and any nonremovable elements.

Repair imperfections in the walls. Smear joint compound over problem areas with a putty knife to fill in cracks or holes, and then scrape away excess compound. Allow it to dry. Sand the spot smooth with fine-grain sandpaper.

Prime the entire area, as well as all the furniture you’ll be painting. Use a brush to cut in the corners, edges and detailed areas. Use a roller for the flat expanse of wall. Allow the primer to dry according to the manufacturer’s directions. Give the wall a second coat of primer if you feel the first coating is not providing an evenly colored, smooth, blank canvas.

Use painter’s tape to protect adjoining walls, ceilings, floors, molding or any line along the walls at which your primary paint color will stop. Use a brush to cut in the corners and tight areas, and a roller to fill in large, flat wall space. Remove the painter’s tape and allow the color to dry at least 24 hours.

Tape around the remaining areas waiting to be painted, such as the moldings, bead board and chair rails. Paint your secondary color on your furnishings or architectural details. Remove the tape while the paint is still wet to get a clean line and then allow it to dry.

Clean up the nook, replace all your furniture, fixtures and decorative elements.