How to Paint Over a Dark Color on Your Walls

Moving and painting often go hand in hand. It’s totally natural to want to put your own personality and character into your new home, and there’s pretty much no easier way to make a dramatic difference than by giving the walls a fresh coat of paint. When things get a bit more complicated is if you want to paint over a dark color with a lighter one, though it’s still a simple (if slightly more time-intensive) task to accomplish on your own.

Below, we’ve shared some of our best tried and true tips for when you’re looking to paint over a dark color but don’t know where to start. So grab your paintbrush, plenty of primer and let’s get to work.

To Paint Over a Dark Color, Start with a Plan

Lightening up a wall color is a major DIY transformation. That’s good news for the overall effect that you’re trying to achieve, but not so good of news when it comes to the amount of work that it will take to get there.

When you’re going darker with a wall or going neutral to neutral you can usually get away with a coat of primer and one or two coats of high-quality paint. When you want to paint over a dark color and go lighter, you’re going to have quite a few steps to get through before you can start to layer on your new hue. The more drastic the difference between the current shade and the shade you want to achieve, the more steps it’s going to take.

To save yourself time, figure out exactly what you’ll need to do—and exactly what you’ll need to do it—before you get to work. If you’re here reading this then you’re already on the right track, so follow along closely for a smooth and stress-free process.

Pick Up the Right Supplies

  • Sand paper and spackle – Make any necessary repairs to your walls before you get to work. You’ll have a lot more success painting over a dark color with a lighter one if you start with a smooth surface. Fill in any holes, nicks, or cracks with spackle, then sand when dry to even it out.
  • Primer – This is not the time to try to cut corners with a primer/paint combo. Get a high-hiding primer in a similar tone to the new color that you’re going for, and note that you may have more luck going with a gray-tinged primer instead of a white one, especially if you’re ultimately aiming for a bright, warm shade. Going with a darker primer will mean fewer coats later on, and will also help prevent the original color from flashing through.
  • Roller – A short nap roller is the way to go here. Too thick and your coverage will get splotchy, which will just end up creating more work for you in the long run.
  • High–quality paint – It’s never a good idea to skimp on the quality of your paint, but especially when you want to paint over a dark color and go light. The better the paint, the fewer overall coats, even when you’re making such a big transition. It might be a little bit pricier at the outset, but you’ll end up saving money by not having to buy so many gallons.

Prep and Prime

Get to Painting

  • Get enough paint on your roller. Heavy coverage is always preferable to thin coverage and will mean fewer coats overall, though don’t lay it on too thick since then you’ll end up with blobs and drips. Submerge your roller and then use the angled part of the roller tray to wipe off any excess.
  • Go in a zig-zag pattern, and not up and down. Aim to roll in an “M” or “W” shape, which will help ensure complete coverage and prevent streaks from showing up when the paint dries.
  • Do the edges with every coat. We know this is time-intensive (especially when you’re looking at three, four, or more coats of paint), but if you don’t stay consistent with your edging, you’ll end up with a noticeable border around the room that’s a touch darker than everywhere else. Use painter’s tape or a paint edging tool to save yourself time, or test out your cut-in and feathering skills.
  • Let the paint dry fully in between coats. Depending on the circulation in the room, this could mean waiting several hours from coat to coat or waiting for a full 24. In general, the more time that you can give each coat of paint to dry the better. A still-tacky layer of paint won’t provide an optimal surface for the next coat to adhere to, which could mean you end up with an uneven finished product.

Covering Up Dark Walls Without Paint

Not a fan of your home’s dark walls but not able to paint? If you’re renting—or just not in the mood to undertake such a labor-intensive painting project—you’re not totally out of luck. Consider using removable wallpaper instead. There are plenty of peel-and-stick options. They look luxurious. And, they won’t permanently affix to the wall, so you can easily swap them out.

Artwork and Tapestries

Another option is to use artwork and tapestries to take the focus off of the dark color. It won’t be quite as drastic as a full cover-up, but it will make sure that any dark walls aren’t so overpowering in a space.

With a little bit of creativity, it’s pretty simple to find a solution for dark walls. And if you do decide to paint, know that you’ll only have to do all the work once. If you decide to go dark again, it’ll be easier to make the opposite transition.