How To Paint Over a Dark Colour

Are you getting a little tired of your darker decor and looking to bring a light and airy vibe to your home? Switching things up a little with a lighter paint colour could be exactly what you need.

If your starting point is a darker colour you may wonder just how you can turn it into something a bit lighter. It is quite a leap to go from dark walls which are a deep blue or earthy brown to a more open beige or off-white paint colour.

Well, in this actionable guide, we will walk through all of the steps involved in brightening your home.

Step-by-Step Guide to Painting over a Dark Colour

Clean the Wall

The first step in any painting project is to ensure the wall is clean. Over time your walls can end up having surface contaminants which can affect the adhesion of your new paint. Give your walls a wash with our cleaning agent Maalipesu with a clean cloth.

Make sure it has fully dried before you move on to the next step.

Repair Any Cracks or Damage

Now that your wall is clean you will want to repair any cracks and deal with any blistering or flaking paint. If your wall is in good condition you can skip this step.

If there are any imperfections that you have to deal with check out our guide to dealing with cracks in walls.

Prime the Wall

Next, it is time to prime the wall. This will make sure it is your new coat of paint that adheres well to the wall.

The primer we most commonly recommend is Optiva Primer. This water-based acrylic primer is perfect for the task and is ideal for painting interior walls and ceilings, on plaster (or drywalls). In specific scenarios, such as priming walls in very humid kitchens or bathrooms, we would recommend Luja Universal Primer. This product forms a tight moisture-resistant film that is suited for repeated cleaning, making it ideal for preparing very humid areas like these. However, it's essential to take caution when applying this product, as it may not adhere well to chalky surfaces or dusty areas as well as Optiva Primer will.

• If dealing with new plaster specifically, we recommend checking out our FAQ on this substrate here.

Our pro tip is to get your primer tinted to the same colour as your top coat as it will help immensely when trying to change colour. Both Optiva Primer and Luja Primer are tintable to a wide range of Tikkurila colours, so no matter what you have in mind for a top coat we can match it with a primer.

Need more help on this priming stage? We break this down further here.

Apply your Top Coat

Now that your wall is fully prepared and primed it is finally time to apply your top coat. Two coats of paint should be ample, especially if you have tinted your primer to the same colour as your top coat.

If you are still choosing paint for your DIY project and don't yet have a top coat chosen, we'd recommend starting with a review of Optiva 5 which is ideal for walls and ceilings and dries in a matt finish.

Our full range of wall paints can be viewed online.

Need a bit more help? Try our 5-step paint picker tool. Simply answer a series of questions about your upcoming project, and we'll do the rest.