Painting the walls and ceiling can be one of the most enjoyable parts of decorating a room. It's an easy way to refresh a space, or add character with a new colour.

To get the best finish, it's worth doing some thorough preparation before beginning and then working systematically around the room. With the right tools even the more difficult tasks, like painting the ceiling, can be made easier and more efficient.

In this guide, we'll be;

• Painting the ceiling, coving and walls in a room
• Using a water-based interior emulsion paint - for advice choosing the best paint for your room, check out our Interior paint buying guide
• Completing these tasks with either a brush and roller, or paint pads

If you're painting on bare wood, plaster or metal surfaces, you'll get a better result if you use a primer first. It provides a surface which the paint can bond to and stops the paint being absorbed. Find out more what you need and for what surface.