How to Paint a Hallway Blue

Visit a paint store and collect several blue paint swatches of varying shades and colors. Take the swatches home and look at them in the hallway you plan to paint blue. Only looking at the swatches in the paint store will not give you an accurate idea of how the colors will appear in your hallway.

Consider several factors about painting a hallway blue. If you already have decorations for the hallway, select a blue that matches directly or is in the same color palate as the decorations. Consider the lighting situation in the hallway; if the space has windows and plenty of natural light, you can afford to use a darker shade of blue. If the hallway is dark, such as a basement hallway, a light blue will help brighten the area. Additionally, elect to use brighter blues with narrow spaces. Dark blues are often suitable in wide hallways.

Remove all the light switches and wall jack plates in the hallway with a screwdriver. Removing these items is quicker than taping around them; once you remove them, you can paint right up to their edges with ease.

Apply painter's tape along any trim in the hallway that you do not wish to paint. Typically, trim runs along the bottom of the walls and around doors and windows. Some homes have trim at the top of the walls, too. The painter's tape should butt up against the edge of the trim and pressed down firmly.

Place drop cloths on the floor to prevent primer and paint from dripping. You can buy painter's drop cloths at paint stores or use old sheets or curtains for the job.

Fill a paint tray with primer and roll a paint roller in the tray until it picks up the primer. The priming process is especially important if the hallway has a dark existing color or if the shade of blue you've selected is light. If you plan to paint a blue-black shade, for example, this dark color will work with minimal or no priming, regardless of the existing color of the wall. Roll the roller so that the primer is not dripping and apply the primer to the walls. Use a paint brush to apply primer in the areas along the trim that you cannot easily reach with the roller. Allow the primer to dry for the length of time specified on the can and apply a second coat, if needed. Clean the paint tray, roller and brush.

Pour the blue paint in to the paint tray and apply the paint with a roller and brush in the same manner you applied the primer. Allow the paint to dry the specified length of time between coats and apply additional coats, as needed. The darker the paint, the fewer coats you will need. Light paint often requires several coats.

Replace the light switches and wall jack plates when the blue paint is completely dry and remove the painter's tape. Touch up any areas around the tape with a fine-tipped paint brush and remove the drop cloths.