- 1). Remove your furniture from the room, or push it toward the center. Cover the floor and any remaining furniture with dropcloths.
- 2). Apply a line of painter's tape around the edges of your walls as close to the crease of the ceiling as possible without covering the ceiling. Line any items that rest on the ceiling, such as lights, fans, vents or skylights, with tape, also working close to the edge without covering the ceiling.
- 3). Paint the parts of your ceiling running next to your tape with the satin or semigloss paint in a color of your choice using a 4-inch brush. Work the brush in long strokes to create a border approximately 5 to 6 inches wide along each taped area.
- 4). Paint a second coat over the borders after 30 minutes, if desired. Allow the second coat to dry for one hour. Remove the tape by pulling it backward with a steady motion.
- 5). Pour half a can of paint into your paint tray. Run the roller through the paint to pick up a layer on the roller. Run the paint roller over the ceiling in "W" or "V" shapes to paint a 3-by-3-foot area in the corner farthest from the door, picking up more paint when needed.
- 6). Continue to paint in 3-foot squares across the ceiling until the entire area is covered and you reach the doorway. Apply a second coat as you did the first, if desired. Let the ceiling dry for eight to 12 hours before removing the dropcloths and setting your furniture back into place.
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