Bank holiday weekends are a highlight of the UK calendar – days when most of us are off work and we can do what we please! If you’re into painting, or just starting out, they provide the perfect opportunity to get creative. So how do you decided what you should spend your time painting?
The big questions is, how long have you got? To make things easier, this article provides inspiration for jobs taking 1-2 hours, half a day, a full day and even multiple days. We’ll also run through a few tips to make the most of the time you have this bank holiday.
Painting project ideas to fit your free time
🕒 1-2 HOURS
Sometimes the smallest projects can be so satisfying. You might want to give an item a new lease of life, blend something in or add a pop of colour (our Rouge Resurgence article might inspire you). Whatever the case, a quick paint job is a super easy and cost-effective way to spruce up something that you’ve had around for ages, or even picked up from a charity shop.
Lamps
Prime candidates for a quick project are lamp bases. It goes without saying that you must unplug your lamp before prepping and painting!
Plant pots
Plastic plant pots are really easy to paint – a little trickier if they have a plant in them, but not impossible! For porous materials like terracotta or concrete, they really need to be empty as it is best to seal inside and out prior to painting. Take a look at our plant pot video guide for everything you need to know.
Table legs
When you’re short on time, another approach is to paint only part of something. For example, you’d be amazed at the difference painting just the legs of a table can make. The picture below combines two such projects, with Santorini Trim Paint on the lamp base and Blackjack from the Lazy Range on the table legs.
🕒 HALF A DAY
Got the bank holiday morning free before taking the kids out? Or a long evening after running some errands? Here are some great projects to fill that time with fun!
Doors
Try a front door makeover to boost kerb appeal, a back door upgrade or a tired bathroom door revamp. Door projects are simple with a big impact. It’s best to tackle exterior doors earlier in the day to ensure sufficient drying time before overnight closing is required.
As soon as there is new paint on the door, the surround can suddenly look scruffy, so it’s a good idea to think about painting this at the same time. Painting a door the same colour as the frame can give it more stature, and make a small door appear wider.
Radiators
When is the best time to paint your radiators? When you aren’t using them! It’s easy to forget about radiators during the warmer months – but this is the best time to get a makeover done and dusted.
It’s not a great idea to paint them when they’re needed for heat because they need to be stone cold during painting and for a minimum of 48 hours afterwards (otherwise the paint may not cure effectively).
Find radiator painting tips and inspiration in our article on how to paint radiators
Chest of drawers – sometimes!
Some chests of drawers are quicker to paint than others. Here are a few things that can add time to the project:
- Bigger chests of drawers, of course.
- Those with lots of panelling or beading.
- Difficulty getting the handles off.
One solution is to not paint the whole thing – just do the carcass or, alternatively, simply the drawers. For example, take a look at this revamped chest of drawers with McFee Trim Paint on the carcass.
🕒 A FULL DAY
If you’re lucky enough to have a full day set aside for painting, you have the opportunity to ramp things up a little. Here are some ideas of what’s possible…
Simple chairs or stools
Always a great change up for your space, painting indoor or garden chairs is a fun way to inject some personality into your space. A set of bar stools is another prime candidate for freshening up. Plain chairs without too many spindles, slats or detailing can be painted in a day – like the example below in bold, beautiful Blackjack.
Add a feature wall
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – feature (or accent) walls are a fantastic way to update a room. The amount of painting time may not take a whole day, but remember that you need to move furniture and mask the surroundings.
Allow a day and you should be able to put your feet up at a reasonable time without rushing around. For feature wall tips and inspiration, have a look at our article on painting an accent wall.
🕒 MORE THAN A DAY
Really looking to make the most of the opportunity you have this bank holiday weekend? It’s time to tackle furniture sets or even entire rooms…
Whole rooms
You’ll probably be able to redecorate a small room in a couple of days – but larger rooms will take longer. Painting both walls and woodwork takes extra time, especially if you’re using different colours and/or finishes.
A great way to cut down time and effort is to use the colour drenching technique. This is where you paint all or most of the room in the same colour. If you’re using the same paint, you don’t have to worry about masking and cutting in on walls and woodwork!
You can even do the ceiling the same colour if you’re feeling brave! Luckily, our Chalk Wall Paint is robust and scrubbable, so it works just as well on wood work as it does on walls.
You can find out more in our colour drenching guide.
Table and chair sets
It will take time to revamp anything more than a table or a couple of chairs, particularly if they have fiddly bits like a lot of slats. This applies to both indoor dining sets and garden furniture, as below.
Remember that you’ll need extra time for wooden garden furniture that has been rained on. You’ll need to wait until the wood has fully dried out before starting to paint. It will help if you move it undercover or inside a few days before you’re planning to paint – if you have space, of course.
Time-saving tips for bank holiday painting
Bank holidays don’t come around as often as we’d all like, so it’s important to be economical with time. Here are some time-saving tips for your painting projects:
- Water-based paint – Water-based paint tends to dry quicker than oil-based. They’re usually low odour too, so you don’t have to put up with that lingering painty smell for days after the bank holiday weekend.
- Self-priming paint – A self-priming paint will mean you can skip the primer and undercoat, saving you time and money.
- Self-sealing paint – You can also look for self-sealing paint, which eliminates the need to spend time applying a top coat.
- Drying times – Bear in mind the drying time of your paint. Drying time can extend the hours your project is hanging around, while you wait between coats. That said, you can spend some of that time having a cuppa and watching the TV to keep your bank holiday painting manageable!
- Preparation – Remember that, if you are painting something that is very dirty or in poor condition, this will add to the time it takes to prep in readiness for applying paint.
Paint for your bank holiday and beyond
If you’re spending the bank holiday with a brush, roller or sprayer in hand, Frenchic can help you get more done in the time you have. Our paint products are self-priming, eliminating the extra time (and money) spent on a separate coat of primer. They also adhere to a wide range of surfaces, so you don’t need to spend hours searching for the right products.
But that’s not all. We also have a massive collection of helpful guides and inspiration to give you ideas and help you get the best results on every project. Use the search function today for tips on whatever you’re painting, or find your nearest Frenchic stockist to get better acquainted with our fantastic product range.
