Painting a big commercial room is a bit different than painting a bedroom or bathroom. The sheer size of the space presents many challenges, such as how to reach the top and how to make sure all your paint is the exact same shade. To help you achieve great results without injuries or great difficulty, follow the tips below for painting big, open rooms in commercial spaces.

1. Buy paint in 5- or 10-gallon drums.

A one-gallon container of paint won't go very far in a big room, and the more separate containers you buy, the greater the chance that one or two will be slightly different in tint. There is also less margin of error when the paint companies are tinting a gallon jug in comparison to a 5- or 10-gallon container, making it easier to color correct the larger size. You may have to call ahead and order the 5- or 10-gallon containers since not all paint shops stock and tint them regularly. Also, make sure you bring someone strong along to lift them. A 5-gallon jug of paint can weigh about 40 pounds.

2. Invest in extenders for your rollers.

Constantly moving the ladder to paint the upper portions of the room will make your painting project take a lot of extra time. To save time, invest in an extender for your paint roller. This is a long, telescoping tube that you can attach to the roller, enabling you to reach 12 or 14 feet up—in many cases, this will reach all the way to the ceiling. People sometimes fear that they will miss spots with such a long roller, but if you are applying two coats of paint (as is standard), you won't miss nearly as many spots as you think.

3. Pick a light color.

Not only will a lighter color make your space feel more open and give you more decorating options, but it also makes any inconsistencies in the paint less apparent. Shades of gray are very popular right now. You can find a shade of gray with blue undertones for a very relaxed, calming appeal, or one with tan undertones for a warmer feeling.

4. Hire help.

Even if you plan on tackling the painting project yourself rather than hiring a painting service, you should consider paying a few people—even friends—to help you paint. It's nice to have someone refilling paint trays and stirring cans while someone else paints. The less switching between tasks you have to do, the faster the project will move along. And if you're really serious about the job looking professional, consider hiring a commercial painting firm like Trend.