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5 Must-Have Painting Tools

Here's the brain and the brawn you need to pull off a killer inside paint job.

Written by Ann Wilson

Painting Made Perfect

Painting a room, applying a new hue to a piece of old furniture and touching up chipped woodwork are some of the simplest, most cost-effective ways to freshen up a tired space. Luckily for us, a slew of new products—from an innovative storage system to earth-friendly paint— make tackling interior painting projects even easier and, dare we say, enjoyable.

1. Paint Testers

Selecting the correct paint color got a whole lot easier with Glidden's Paint Testers. Equipped with a brush and enough paint to cover 2 square feet, these samples give an accurate rendering of what colors really look like when they draw on your wall. Paint Testers are available in 282 premixed Glidden paint colors. $2, homedepot.com.
Glidden Paint TestersGlidden[+]

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After applying paint to a wall, check to see how the dry finish appears in natural morning and afternoon light, and how it looks after dark with overhead fixtures and lamps switched on.

2. Multipurpose Pail

If you're hauling paint up a ladder, you want a container that's sturdy. The HANDy Ladder Pail is that and more. Each pail has a fixed bracket that attaches to your ladder, a magnetic holder for your paintbrush, and a built-in paint-roller grid. $15, handypaintpail.com.
HANDy Ladder PailHANDy Paint Pail[+]

3. Zero VOC Paint

Finally, a zero-VOC paint line that releases no polluting volatile organic compounds and very little odor, while offering an array of color options. Benjamin Moore's Natura interior acrylic latex is available in the company's 3,000-plus color and limitless range of custom-mixed hues. The Natura line includes a primer and paints with flat, eggshell or semi-gloss finish. $50 a gallon, benjaminmoore.com.
Benjamin Moore Natura Interior Acrylic Latex PaintBenjamin Moore[+]

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Have primer tinted the same color as your chosen wall color to maximize coverage in fewer coats.

4. Leftover Paint Storage

Keep paints handy and reusable by storing them in the Paintsaver modular system, which features seven transparent, wide-mouthed containers equipped with handles and easy-twist caps. The small, medium and large containers fit inside a storage unit complete with a tray, funnel, labels and marking pen. Each system measures 12-in. x 12-in. x 13 1/4-in. $40-50, thepaintsaver.com.
PaintsaverPaintsaver[+]

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Store leftover paint in a cool, dry area where it won't freeze. Keep it away from heat sources and direct sunlight.

5. An Easy-to-Pour Lid

We love SHUR-LINE's Paint-Can Lid because it allows us to get the most out of a gallon of paint, which stretches our decorating dollar. The tight-fitting lid keeps paint fresh between applications; the lid's flexible spout makes pouring paint a no-drip process, and it folds flat for stackable paint-can storage. $3, shurline.com.

Prices and other details were accurate when we published this article in Winter 2011.

SHUR-LINE Paint-Can LidSHUR-LINE[+]

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Dab a dallop of paint on the can's label or lid and write the color name in permanent marker. This ensures quick visual identification if you need to run out for more paint.

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