Renovating doesn't have to be a chore. We'll show you how to turn a painting project into a painting party. All you need to do is plan the guest - rather "crew" - list.

All-Day Menu

• Roasted Red Pepper Strata
  
• Fresh Greens*
  
• One-Pot Pasta Salad
  
• Macaroons*

*Recipes not included.

Two Weeks Before:
1. Choose your crew. A few things to consider: the size of the room (you don't want it to be crowded), invite reliable friends and family (no-shows mean you risk not finishing the job).
2. Send out invitations and request an RSVP.
3. Choose your paint colours. (Get advice for choosing the right colour.)

One Week Before:
1. Buy your painting supplies. Make sure you know how much paint you need, and have enough brushes for everyone helping. Tip: One gallon of paint covers about 400 square feet of wall space.
2. Prep the walls by taking down pictures and decor. Fill and sand any holes, if necessary.

Two Days Before:
1. Buy groceries for lunch and snacks. (Get the grocery list now.)
2. Clear the room of any furniture (or cover it). Remove all window coverings.
5. Clean the walls - paint adheres best to clean walls.
4. Prime the walls if necessary.

The Day Before:
1. Make sure you have the fridge or a cooler well stocked with drinks.
2. Make a playlist for your painting party to keep the mood light and fun.
3. Cook the pasta for your One-Pot Pasta.
4. Make the Roasted Red Pepper Strata mixture and store it in the fridge.
5. Wash greens for your salad.
6. Tape around trim and light fixtures to protect them.

Taping Tips
- Use painter’s tape to guarantee straight edges, but avoid getting too much paint on the tape or it will be hard to peel off afterwards.
- Tape off the ceiling before painting the walls (if they’re two different colours) and paint walls before taping the trim.
- Use a sharp edge (like a snap-off blade) to cut along the tape’s edge before removing it – and do this before the paint dries or it might peel off with the tape.

The Morning Of:
1. Add remaining ingredients to your One-Pot Pasta.
2. Make some coffee for when the crew arrives.
3. Put paint and equipment in the room to be transformed. Place on cardboard to protect the floors.

Getting Started:
1. Once everyone has arrived and has a coffee, it's instruction time. Let your crew know how you want the job done. Be specific so that it gets done to you standards, but don’t be bossy (these are your friends, after all).
2. Decide as a group when you would like to break for lunch so that you have time to cook the Roasted Red Pepper Strata.
3. Start painting! Go from high to low, painting the ceilings, walls and then trim. This way any drips can be painted over. Use brushes to paint around fixtures and in awkward spots.

Brush Tips:
- Dip brushes no more than 2 inches into the paint to minimize dripping.
- To prevent dripping, slide a rubber band vertically around paint cans and gently wipe the bottom of the brush against the band each time you dip. The brush will be less drippy and the can’s rim will stay clean.

Cleaning Up:
1. When using latex paint, wrap used rollers in plastic between coats to save on washing. They’ll stay fresh for a few days.
2. Store leftover paint in smaller, airtight plastic containers to keep it from drying out.
3. Label paint with the name of the room it was used in as well as the manufacturer and colour number so you can find it quickly. Keep a copy of this information on your computer or with your home files.
4. Run brushes under lukewarm water, then add some liquid dish soap and keep rinsing. Lay brushes flat to dry.

First published in Wish April 2004