A Guide to Painting Wood Interiors

The interior fittings and room trims in your home deal with a lot of daily traffic. Things like windows, doors, and skirting boards get knocked and scuffed over time. But painting interior wood surfaces protects these busy areas and makes a real difference to the look of your room.

It’s quite a straightforward task if you follow some important steps. We've included a practical how-to video as part of this article, so give it a watch to see exactly how it's done or keep reading for a step-by-step written guide.

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How to prepare interior woodwork for painting

Satin, gloss, and eggshell are the most durable paints to protect high-traffic interior woodwork from daily scuffs and knocks.
You must thoroughly prepare the wood before painting by cleaning the surface, filling any holes, and sanding it down to create a smooth key.
Applying a dedicated knotting solution, wood primer, and a suitable undercoat ensures your topcoat grips properly for a lasting, professional finish.

What paint to use on interior wood

Although gloss paint has traditionally been used for skirting boards, internal doors, and windows, you now have lots of different finishes to choose from. The finish you pick depends on your personal preference and your specific project. Here are the three main options.

Gloss: gloss is a very hard-wearing paint with a high sheen. It gives an almost reflective finish. But keep in mind that this high sheen can sometimes highlight imperfections in the wood.

Satin: also known as satinwood, this finish is much less reflective than gloss. It’s brilliant for concealing tiny blemishes. It gives the wood a slightly ‘flatter’, more realistic look and brings out a real depth of colour. When people ask us about the best paint for interior wood doors, we often suggest a satin finish.

Eggshell: eggshell is also known as a flat matt finish. It offers a very low sheen and a completely non-reflective finish. It looks quite similar to standard wall emulsion but is much more durable. This makes it ideal for those high-traffic areas around your home.

How do I prepare wood for painting?

Properly preparing your wood is essential if you want a finish you can be proud of. The preparation you need to do just depends on whether you’re repainting old woodwork or working with new, bare wood.

Before you start, remove as much furniture as you can from the room. Cover your floor and any remaining furniture with a protective dust sheet. If you’re tackling a skirting board, lay down some masking tape to protect your carpet.

Remember to open your windows before you paint them. If you leave them closed, you risk sealing them shut as the paint dries.

Make sure your room is well-lit. This helps you clearly see any patchy areas you might have missed.

While you're painting, take a step back regularly. Look at the wood from different angles to make sure your coverage is consistent. Patchy areas are particularly noticeable if you've chosen a high sheen finish.

For some more in-depth information on this, check out our step-by-step guide on preparing interior woodwork for painting.

How to paint interior wood

Now you’ve prepped the wood and chosen your finish, you’re ready to start painting.

Depending on what you’re painting, apply masking tape to window panes, walls that you don’t want painting, and all locks, latches and hinges. You’ll also want to protect your floors with dust sheets, especially if you’re painting skirting boards.

Make sure to open your windows as you paint so you don’t seal them shut, and to create some ventilation.

If you’re painting all the woodwork in a room, you’ll want to start with the windows, followed by skirting boards and finishing with architraves and doors.

Paint the wood with a wood undercoat, using a small brush to make sure you get into all the crevices and corners. If you're painting the walls as well, it's worth doing the undercoat on all woodwork, including skirting boards and architrave, before you do the topcoat on the walls.

Next, apply a primer to the wood. This ensures it takes the topcoat properly later on. Work with the grain of the wood using smooth brushstrokes. We recommend using a white primer for brighter paint colours, and a grey or off-white primer for darker paint colours.

Clean your brushes using water for water-based paints, or white spirit for oil-based paints.

Let the undercoat dry, following manufacturer's instructions.

Once the undercoat has dried, you’re ready to paint the first topcoat. It's best to put two coats on woodwork for a longer lasting and more protective finish. We would recommend using a water-based product as they are quick-drying, don't smell like solvent-based paint.

As with the undercoat, start with the windows, followed by the skirting boards, and then architraves and doors. Be mindful of this as you paint and don’t overload the brush.

Use a suitably sized brush and take your time on any edges that meet your painted walls.

Wait for the first coat to fully dry before applying the second with the same process. Check manufacturer's instructions for drying times.

Leave the second coat to dry before cleaning up.

Carefully remove any masking tape and replace any fixtures or fittings.

Taking the time to paint your interior fittings and trims is a fantastic way to refresh your room. It might seem like a lot of preparation, but when you finally peel back that masking tape and replace your door handles, you'll see a smooth, durable finish that protects your home from everyday knocks and scuffs.

Make sure you prep the wood properly before you start painting to ensure a good finish.

If you’re looking for some more inspiration, take a look at our guide on how to transform your interior woodwork.

FAQs

You shouldn't use standard interior wall emulsion on your woodwork. Emulsion isn't tough enough to handle everyday knocks. You need to use a dedicated interior wood paint. Finishes like gloss, satin, and eggshell are specifically formulated to protect wooden trims and doors.

No, you shouldn't use masonry paint on interior wood. Masonry paint is designed for exterior brickwork, stone, and render. It won't stick properly to wooden surfaces and won't give you the smooth, attractive finish you want for your home's interior.

To paint over stained doors, you first need to sand the surface lightly with fine grade sandpaper. This creates a rough key so your new paint can grip the wood. Vacuum away the dust, wipe the door down, and apply a good quality wood primer. Once dry, add an undercoat followed by your chosen topcoat.