Always make sure there’s plenty of ventilation in the room you’re painting and wear protective goggles – after all, you’ll be staring straight up at the paint you’re applying. Always stir your paint well before use and regularly during use too to keep it properly mixed. And, after use, clean brushes or rollers completely and secure any remaining paint safely away from where children and pets can access it. If you want an easy life, then we’d advise using a simple matt emulsion as it will be easy to apply and will give results that won’t show up every last bump and lump in your ceilings. You don’t necessarily need to use a specialist ceiling paint, but if you can budget for one, it’s well worth considering – they may make your life even easier as they’re designed to avoid spatter and dry more slowly for a better finish.

For best results, ensure the floor is clean and apply using a brush or a fully loaded roller, applying evenly and taking care not to overspread. Once the first coat is down, leave overnight to dry fully, before going in with the second coat and leave overnight again. For this reason warm white paints with undertones of yellow or red are generally recommended for north-facing rooms, where they'll look a lot less 'creamy' than they would painted in a room with a south-facing aspect. When using white paint, there are three very important things to bear in mind: first, very few white paints are ‘pure’ white. Instead, they are tinted with other colours to create shades of off-white. So when you choose a white, you have to consider what else is going on in the room. For instance, a blue-tinted white might look great next to blue-veined marble or cool grey stone floors, but it might look far too cold next to a warmer, gold-hued stone or nutty brown timber floor. Imbued with Sandtex’s Microseal technology to provide resilient protection from the worst of the weather, the paint can be applied straight to clean masonry without any need to worry about primers, and with a wide range of colours available to choose from, the number of coats required just depends on whether you’re trying to cover a bright colour with a light one. Best of all, its formulation enables you to cover larger areas with much more speed, saving vital time on jobs. It’s hard-wearing, easy to clean and usually very straightforward to use. While it’s most commonly found in only one or two shades of white, some brands offer a wider range of colours, giving you the option to truly personalise your space.When choosing white paint, we often turn to Farrow & Ball ‘ Pointing’ or ‘ Slipper Satin’ as perfect ceiling and woodwork colours that remain warm and gentle. ‘ Lime White’ from Farrow & Ball is a more sympathetic white for an older house, but it looks its best when there is a bit of green or yellow used as a decorative detail elsewhere in the room. ‘ Slaked Lime’ from Little Greene is a lovely white and can have a similar effect as Lime White in that it’s particularly good when the fabric in the room has a yellow ground colour. If the room you are decorating faces a garden, ‘ Clunch’ by Farrow & Ball can work really successfully on the walls, as it really helps to bring out and complement the greens beyond.” Alex Glover, founder of Austin James fine decorating and colour consultancy If you really have a hankering for gloss ceilings then it’s not impossible, but it will require a lot more legwork and preparation if you want good-looking results. The ceilings will need to be sealed with a suitable sealant, and you’ll want to combine a water-based gloss paint with an extender, a product that dilutes the gloss paint and allows for easier, smoother application. Bear in mind, though, that the glossy sheen will show up every imperfection in your ceilings, so if you want a gleaming skating rink effect on your ceilings, you may need to enlist the help of a professional decorator. If you’re after a modern, non-reflective, non-yellowing matt finish, Crown Matt Emulsion is a good option as it goes on easily with a brush or roller. It has an average drying time of two hours and you can apply a second coat, if required, after four hours. Cathryn Sanders at Earthborn says, 'Whites and off-whites can vary significantly depending on their undertone, with different types of natural and electrical lights impacting greatly on the perceived colour.' Touch dry after one to three hours, the manufacturer recommends two coats, the second applied at least four hours after the first.

For all of your decorating needs, we have a selection of decorating tools and supplies. Whether it’s for a domestic or commercial project, find everything from abrasives to dust sheets.Key specs – Size: 10 litres; Finish: Matt; Drying time: 2-4 hours; Recoat time: 4+ hours; Coats required: 2; Colour availability: 2 Key specs – Sizes available: 5l, 10l; Usage: Exterior; Style: Smooth; Drying time: 3-4 hours; Recoat time: 16 hours; Coats required: 2; Mould resistant: Yes; Colour availability: 27 Mould-resistant and very reasonably priced to boot, it’s no wonder that Sandtex is such a popular choice. For those of you dreading the task ahead, Sandtex is likely to make your job that little bit easier. To get the best from a crisp white paint you need to put in a bit of prep. Charlotte Cosby, Head of Creative at Farrow & Ball, recommends applying a primer and undercoat to make the finish long-lasting and to fill in any small defects. If you're concerned that these extras will bump up the budget too much, then it can be useful to see what relevant home decor discount codes are currently live. While the classic Pure Brilliant White is the obvious option to counterpoint more vibrantly painted walls, Crown also offers its Matt Emulsion in 64 other hues, including the soothing mid-grey of City Break, the murky, misty green of Khaki Twist, and the roaring red inferno of English Fire.

This Dulux paint will usually only need one or two coats, and is ready to recoat after six hours, meaning you can easily complete a decent-sized painting project in under a day. Cleaning up is a cinch, too. Given the great sheen and decent coverage, you may be surprised to hear that this satinwood paint is actually water-based, meaning brushes and rollers can be cleaned with just soapy water. As mentioned above, that will depend on your budget, how much time you have, how much work you are willing to do and, of course, personal choice when it comes to colour. Like all other paint variants, masonry paint comes with a whole spectrum of colour options available. Our Colour Scales collection provides a wonderful solution for creating a light fresh design scheme that gives the illusion of space, ‘Masquerade’ works beautifully alongside ‘Masquerade Mid’ and ‘Masquerade Light’ to create an elegant and welcoming scheme in a small space.' Emma at YesColours adds, 'A south-facing room will need a cooler white to counteract the warm glow of natural daylight, any white with a hint of blue or green is ideal.'

It can be applied with either a paint brush or a foam roller, and getting a smooth surface with no streaks or drips is easy, even for beginners. Although it should always be applied in a well-ventilated area, it has a much weaker odour than other oil-based satinwood paints.