Boston CondoTransitional Hall, Boston

5. Place Lighting Before You TestIt’s simple, but true: It’s better to use the lighting that fits your needs than try to select your lighting to complement your paint colors. “You wouldn’t want to pick a lightbulb that looks good with your paint color, but you can’t read in the room,” says Jennifer Ott, a San Francisco-based color consultant and interior designer. Here, the overhead lighting is casting a yellow glow throughout the room, warming the color of the off-white paint toward a pale shade of honey. Make sure your lighting is in place as you’re considering colors. They may look quite different in bright bulbs that you prefer for nighttime use — or softer yellow-hued ones, if that’s what you’re going for — than they do during daylight hours. Having the right fixtures and bulbs in place can help you decide which shades will work for you. If you’re not yet sure what lighting you prefer, you can use the time examining your samples to experiment. “Even changing out lightbulbs is a good thing to do,” says Carl Mattison, an interior designer in Atlanta. “Like any color in the world — just like your eyes or your hair or your skin tone — things will change in different light.”Browse lighting in the Houzz Shop

Select the appropriate tools. Brick is heavily textured, so you'll need painting supplies that can handle its pits and crevices. Choose rollers with a long nap and press hard as you roll to push paint into tiny holes, or use a sprayer for the most even results. You'll probably want a brush to take care of mortar lines and cut in around doorways or windows. Because of brick's rough edges, cutting in isn't as easy as it is on a smooth surface, so use a narrow brush that you can manipulate around bumps and crags. Prime it right. Use a primer that's designed for masonry and apply it according to the manufacturer's instructions. (You'll almost always need more than one coat.) Let it dry completely between coats.