Whether you’re painting or finishing trim with clear coat, you need good tools and good techniques.

Buy high-quality brushes—a 1 1/2-inch angled sage brush for small mouldings and a 2-inch square-cut trim brush for wider pieces—and always keep the edge wet as you work.

Always start from the top of the room and work your way down. For example, do the crown mouldings first, then column capitals and mantel shelf, and then the casings, columns, pilasters, and wainscoting.

Finish up with the baseboard. Apply paint or finish to the top and bottom edges of each trim piece first and then fill in the centers.