How to Paint Curved Walls to Ceilings

Lay down drop cloth(s) and tape in place, if needed.

Remove electrical outlet switch plates, register covers, light fixtures and window coverings. Or use painter's tape, plastic sheets or large garbage bags to protect those surfaces. Clean all edges and surfaces so they're free of dust, dirt and cobwebs.

Stir the paint and pour about 3 inches into the bucket. Load the brush by dipping the bristles into the paint then gently slapping against the sides of the bucket. Hold the brush in your hand like a pen. "Cut in" the edges by painting those areas closest to the ceiling, baseboard, molding and other nonwall areas that can't be painted with a roller. With practice, you can do this freehand, or just tape off those areas.

Brush the paint 1 or 2 inches from the edge of the wall, back and forth, and then paint right to the edge, blending it all together with one or two more strokes. The final brush strokes follow the curve of the wall -- the direction you'll eventually be rolling -- and are parallel to the ceiling and floor. Slightly overlap the area you just painted when you paint the next section.

Moisten the paint roller with a little water while brushing away any loose nap fibers with your fingers. Pour paint to fill up the bottom half of the paint tray and attach to the ladder. Cover the roller with paint without letting the paint drip.

Avoid the typical method of rolling the paint up and down from ceiling to floor, using a telescope extension if necessary. Curved walls are painted sideways -- the ends of the roller point to the ceiling and floor -- while standing on a ladder. Distribute the paint in a workable section (about 3 feet by 3 feet). Approximately 9 square feet of wall can be painted with one roller of paint. Place the roller in the middle of the section you want painted, and work your way up, slightly overlapping where you cut in, and then move the roller down the wall and across to the next section. Continue in this manner along the wall adjacent to the ceiling, working your way down and across the wall in sections until you reach the floor.