Tips on painting your house and adding some life to it this festive season

With the festive season round the corner, painting your walls can add a dash of colour. Sanitising them can lead to better health and hygiene

A mint-green kitchen, a powder-pink playroom, a grey living room, a light blue bedroom–you can brighten a room, create drama or a relaxed set up, depending upon how you choose to paint your walls.

When was the last time you had your walls painted? Think of all of the wear and tear your home’s surfaces endure daily. From hanging things, absorbing light, to all the dust, dirt and grime, your walls go through a lot. They get dirty with and worn down with leakage, cracks, mold, and fungus. Giving your walls an update with some high-quality paint is an easy way to get your walls clean and ready for the next few years.

After all, people don’t buy homes every day, and painting is a relatively easy and inexpensive change to make your home become appealing. Says 55-year-old Avdesh Sharma, a public sector official staying in Vasant Kunj, “I feel a wall is to a home, what a face is to a person. It gives a great first impression to any visitor. I have always liked airy, well-ventilated spaces, full of light. So, this Diwali we have opted for softer colours like cream, sky blue and light yellow in our rooms.”

Paint companies have been doing up far more homes than ever before, post pandemic. Says Rajiv Rajgopal, MD, AkzoNobel India, which retails brands like Dulux Velvet Touch, Dulux SuperClean and Dulux Weathershield, “For most Indian families who are now spending more time at home, consumption has increased in the home improvement category, including paint. Another tailwind to this is the pent-up demand returning to market, especially now, considering the increasing vaccination spread and consequential decline in Covid-19 active cases. At the same time, the almost normal monsoon, record kharif harvest and increase in Minimum Support Price (MSP) is further driving disposal income and positivity in the hinterlands.”

Paint companies like theirs have been launching an antiviral and anti-bacterial range. Their Dulux SuperClean and Dulux Promise has been upgraded with antiviral and anti-bacterial properties. Says Rajgopal of AkzoNobel: “Virus and bacteria can spread through other external and internal surfaces. Our paints have been tested against human coronavirus NL-63 (99 per cent efficacy) and MS2 Bacteriophage virus (97 per cent efficacy), though not tested for Covid-19. Our recent offering ‘Dulux Better Living Air Clean BioBased’, India’s first bio-based paint (certified by USDA) with 26 per cent bio-based sustainable content, actively neutralises indoor air-pollution and offers health and wellness benefits for consumers.”

Paint your walls

The India paint market has been valued at around $7 billion in FY2021, as per data from TechSci Research, owing to factors such as increasing disposable income, increase in the sale of premium-end products, rising demand for better home décor, and increasing urbanisation. The key players include the likes of Asian Paints, Berger Paints, Kansai Nerolac, AkzoNobel and Indigo Paints Ltd.

In the luxury offerings, Asian Paints has Royale Luxury Emulsion and Royale Shyne Luxury Emulsion, Royale Glitz. Berger Paints has Silk Luxury Emulsion, while Nerolac Paints offers a luxury range of exterior paint colours such as Nerolac Excel range which includes Nerolac Excel Top Guard, Excel Mica Marble, etc. and another range of interior paint--Nerolac Impression which includes Nerolac Impression Ultra HD, and Impressions 24 Carat. AkzoNobel Paints offers a premium range category including SuperClean, and Indigo has luxury interior emulsion and then there is Ralph Lauren and Orikos paints.

Most consumers prefer to buy from paint stores directly, though a few prefer to approach painting contractors. According to a study undertaken by TechSci Research, "Due to Covid-19, the paint market of India has seen an upward surge in online sales and companies continue to sell through e-commerce channels."

To paint or not to paint

When a house owner feels his space needs a coat to make it look fresh and new, is when he can go for painting. Alternatively, he may want to paint his house as part of an overhaul of the interiors.

A fresh coat of paint resolves many issues. Says Varun Baweja, Founder & Interior Designer, Varun Baweja Designs, “Deciding on when to replenish your walls and home depends on factors such as time, fading paint, flaking, the monotony of existing colours, scuff marks, stains and molds, change of interior appeal, water damage, etc. Generally it is recommended to paint the house every 5-7 years.”

Is it okay to do one room at a time or the full house? Says Hardesh Chawla, Founder, Essentia Environments, “It is always advisable to paint the entire house at one go in order to avoid the smell of paint lingering in the air for long. Also, it makes economic sense to get it all done at one go. If you do one room at a time, by the time you come to the last room, the first room might start feeling jaded.”

How does one choose the paints--colour, texture, type and combination? Always go for neutral shades so you can add the desired colours through furnishings, artworks and accessories. This way, you can change the look of the interiors frequently by changing the accent colours. However, if you want to use brighter shades, then you could choose to create a feature wall with it, and then use a corresponding lighter colour for the rest of the walls. As for the textures, satin and glossy finishes result in rich and lustrous surfaces. However, if the base is not smooth, then the imperfections show up through these paints. In cases where the walls are not finished perfectly, it is better to go for matte or semi glossy paints and create a bit of granular texture. You will then have a chic, textured wall. Says Nikhil Agrawal - Founder & Architect, Design Atelier, “Make sure the paint is durable, washable and the finish is smooth enough.”

How do you choose your paints? The choice is affected by a lot of factors such as the colour scheme of your interiors, art and architecture of the space, natural light. Says Baweja: “You only need to get a little creative when picking your paints. For instance, pick up colours that create a relaxed environment for the bedroom or living room and grab attention to the bespoke furniture, accessories, lighting. A striped wall is not only a perfect way to create and add style and elegance, but it is also welcoming and relaxing. Alternatively, get a neutral paint for walls if you have a pastel ceiling. It is an incredible way to add a sense of style, elegance, and colour without stripping your interiors of the soothing mood.”

Dress up your walls

Wallpapers can add texture and dimension to a space, transforming an ordinary room into something special. The wallpaper-versus-paint debate has been going on for quite some time. And both decorating mediums come with a set of advantages and disadvantages. Wallpapers have a longer shelf life, but can’t be used on wet areas, such as the kitchen and bathroom, or the walls with seepage issues.

Among wallpapers, you can take your pick from muted backdrops to geometric prints to a splash of vibrant hues and intricate patterns. Take the case of Artisan Furnishings where the bestselling range of vinyl wallpapers priced at Rs 120 per square foot plus 18 per cent tax, depicts the Chinoiserie theme of Asian life, its flora and fauna.

Wallpapers look good in any space if used appropriately. Says Priyanka Arya, Founder of Artisan Furnishings, “For bigger rooms, neutral or lighter shades of wallpapers give a warm and cosy effect. Wallpapers come in different motifs, styles, patterns, themes, colour tones, and shades, making them suitable for every consumer preference. If you want striking impact in your space, then use bold prints or accent wallpaper on one wall and compliment it with textured painted walls on the other three. If you want a warm effect in your room, then use wallpapers in neutral tones on all four walls.”

Table: Indicative price list of various paint brands

S.No.	Brand	Price (Rs)	Quantity (litres)
1.	Asian Paints-Royale Luxury Enamel	743-9,800	1-20
2.

Berger Paints Weathercoat 1,500-6,150 4 3. Nerolac Paints 1,050-5,000 4-20 4. Dulux Paints-Velvet Touch 620-3,598 1-4

5.

Shalimar-Superlac Advance 900-2,300 4 6. Indigo Paints 240-4,775 0.9-10 7. British Paints 250-8,538 1-20 8. Prestige Paints 7,159-13,469 4 9. Sherwin Williams 1,200 5 10. Jenson & Nicholson Paints 294-6,012 1-20

Source: TechSci Research