Query when painting interior walls

[AJShep79]

I am a bit of a DIY novice and i am decorating my first room. I have stripped the old wallpaper off, filled in the cracks in the plaster underneath and have hung some lining paper on the walls. My first question is was i right to hang lining paper on the wall if it is my intention to paint the walls? ie i will now paint over the lining paper?

and...

If so, i have been looking on the internet and i have found recommendations to use a matte finish paint for the walls as this is not too reflective as there are marks on my walls which have shown through my lining paper (remember - DIY novice!). Is this correct to use matte finish paint?

any help is much appreciated.

[charliebaps]

Right, I'm not an expert but have recently undergone decorating in my flat and the walls were terrible. I started to hang lining paper - which yes you can paint over - use a cheap base paint then the colour you want to get a nice even finish. If the marks coming through the lining paper are from bumps then you can use a sander to smooth down the walls but if they are not serious then it's not worth the bother to take the paper down now and do it.

Matte finish paint is fine to use and popular but before you make the final decision buy some tester pots in different colours and finishes to test them on the base paint first to give you a better idea.

Also, when you paint the tester pots, paint somewhere that will be covered by furniture incase it's darker than the one you choose and may show through.

good luck!

[raysparx]

if the walls are quite bad you should strip the old paper off make good any holes rub them down and then line with a medium to heavy grade lining paper if they are really rough, cross line the walls ie first line around the room then down the walls,also remember to ALWAYS put matt emulsion on the ceiling silk finish will show every mark,and take your time the art of decorating is preperation Good luck

[AJShep79]

thanks for the replies.

so you would definately put a base layer of paint down first then? possible stupid question alert - does the base colour have to be the same as the finish colour or would you just use white emulsion or something? obviosuly i wouldnt use a dark colour as my base layer.

[raysparx]

there isn't a need to put a base coat on if the walls were newly plastered you would use a watered down emulsion but with the new one coat paints you probably won't need to, I would also suggest that when doing the woodwork you give two coats of primer/undercoat and as you are just as you say a novice I would use a non drip gloss. good luck