Kilz?
Zev Steinhardt
Kilz is great stuff - comes in a spray can and primes and seals the wall. But it stinks to high heaven so OPEN THE WINDOW! (even the non-stinky kind is, well, stinky.)
Two items learned after much painting. They sell blue tape with about three feet of clear plastic drop cloth attached to it. Tape it to the baseboard and roll it out - I love this stuff. Also, tape the ceiling! I’ve never been able to paint a straight edge above my head. Use blue tape and pull it down before the wall is completely dry.
Kilz is a trade name for one of the better familles of primer / stain blockers available at your Lowes-Home depot type stores. Look on the back of the label and see which of their products is recommended for which applications, for a bathroom I would recommend some level of mildew resistance.
General painting tips, surface prep as pointed out before is a big key. Get rid of any lose existing paint and look for any cracks and blemishes. Almost any previously painted wall can benefit from a light sanding, I have a random orbit sander which (with 100-150 grit paper) is perfect for the job but almost any power sander would work except perhaps a belt sander (obligatory some old paint may = lead paint, wear a dust mask warning).
After preliminary sanding wash the walls well, you can get a product called TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) at Lowes or almost any paint store. Mix with water as directed and defiantly wear gloves when working with it. This stuff will remove dirt, grease and if mixed strong enough, old paint all with leaving a very minimum of residue. You will still need to rise the walls off but not nearly as much as if you had used any typical household cleaner.
Now the wall is clean and the sanding knocked off the high spots so you can spackle the small holes etc. stuyguy’s “church key” recommendation is a good one for shorter cracks but for longer, and particularly for diagonal cracks in plaster lath (not dry wall) you need to go a bit farther, if you think you may have some of these I’ll detail the process. The one-step spackle is a great thing for smaller jobs but if you have a number of repairs to make it’s almost faster to not be as precise applying the stuff and come back and sand it anyway. Even if you have a good power sander and particularly if you don’t, the make little sanding sponges that work great for spot sanding spackle, well worth the money.
I see you’re looking into some of the “faux” effects, very good. I haven’t done much in the way of ragging or rolling but I have done a few rooms with sponges. Practice your technique on some cardboard till you like what you see then have at it. It can be fun and I’ve gotten many complements on the results.
A quick word on tapeing walls, I assume you know not to use normal masking tape but rather the blue “painters tape” instead. It’ll save you from pulling off paint you didn’t want to lose. And if the blue tape is still pulling up paint get a blow dryer (hair dryer) and warm the glue in the tape up to help loosen it a bit.
If there’s any question whatsoever about whether to paint the ceiling, then paint it now. Once you get furniture into the room, you will definitely NOT want to paint it. Paint the ceiling now while the room is empty. It’s extra work, but you won’t have to do the ceiling again for a VERY long time.
Since most of the important points have been covered, here is my 2 or 3¢ worth:
Quality brushes and rollers make a difference. Rather than traditional flat or angled brushes, I’ve converted to oval brushes in a variety of sizes. Once you’ve used them, I doubt you’ll go back for cutting in, trim and other detail work. I like the Quaker and Keystone series sold by MAB paint stores.
As above, quality paint makes a difference. A customer wanted me to paint new garage doors, and they had bought Home Depot paint. I was dubious, and accepted the job on a T & M basis. Glad I did, as it took six (6) coats of paint for color uniformity. I recommend MAB, Benjamin Moore, Pratt & Lambert, and Muralo as the brands to use.
Kilz is OK, but you can do better. Zinsser Company makes a line of sealer/undercoaters/stain blockers that can’t be beat, IMHO.
BIN 1-2-3 is an alcohol based white-pigmented shellac which dries in about 15 minutes and is the ultimate stain sealer. Coatings applied over it will look funky when drying, as the moisture in an unsealed surface will lose moisture in two directions-towards the living space and into the painted substrate. Paint atop BIN can only dry towards the living space and will look (and be) wet longer. Be cautious, as the vapors from this product can easily reach flammable/explosive levels. (And you can get as stoned as a goat!)
They also make some excellent mildew inhibiting coatings, and have recently introduced a water based sealerproduct, but I’ve not used that yet. For additional information, go to www.zinsser.com
One final advisory. If the dwelling you’ve purchased was constructed prior to 1978, disturbing any painted surface may release lead. Lead dust can be injurious to you and your family. For more information, dial 1-800-424-LEAD or go to this EPA site.
Best wishes on your new home. 
-
A 2 1/2" good quality sash brush will be a godsend to your trimming needs.
-
I trim at the ceiling line and then roll that section immediately after. (Works best with a 2-person crew) By keeping a wet edge, you don’t have a line that shows between the roller and brush.
-
Good lighting is a must.
-
Ceiling color should not be white. White makes the room look like you forgot to paint it. Try a couple of hues lighter than your wall shade for the ceiling. I’ve had excellent results.
-
Tape is extremely expensive and if you take your time and you’re careful, the sash brush will do a marvelous job. You also don’t have the problem of the tape removing paint after it dries.
Do yourself a favor and use Ralph Lauren paint (found at Home Depot). It’s more expensive, and it comes in fewer colors than, say, Glidden. But it’s a pleasure to paint with. Eggshell finish, unless you’re doing a bathroom or kitchen.
Buy a quart and test a wall. Really. Otherwise, you will end up with a storage closet somewhere full of paint no sane person would buy on purpose.
If you’re comfortable with minor electrical work, this is a good time to replace outlets, light switches and covers. It’s amazing how big a difference that can make.
Good luck!
You seem to have gotten some real good advice here, most of which I agree with. I borrowed that Home Depot book and was suprised at how practical and useful it is. I have been hesitant about doing special effects on the walls, such as ragging. It seems kinda faddish to me and it may look totally tacky in three years. OTOH, I have seen knockout rooms with textured walls too. . .
I disagree with Ruby regarding white ceilings. I like 'em because they tend to make rooms appear larger, lighter, and a tad more interesting. Maybe it’s my being up here in the often-grey Pacific Northwest, but I like light rooms.
If you are going to need more than two gallons, consider getting a five-gallon bucket of paint. The total cost will be similar. Check out Consumer Reports for interior paint ratings, but also consider the local brands–they tend to be of high quality and can provide good advice at the retail outlets.
Remember you can easily have paint custom-matched to fabric or any other color. It usually takes my wife and I about two attempts at getting the right color chosen, so be patient and as someone earlier said purchase a test quart first.
Oh yeah, often a paint store will give away throwaway hats. Get a few and wear them.
Oh, we used that Bin primer stuff to paint over a hideous mural of Hawaii left by the previous owners, fantastic stuff.
Bad idea. The outgassing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) will infiltrate your foods.
Better idea: tightly wrap your paint brushes/rollers in either Cling Wrap or foil. No refrigeration needed.
And this: Make sure to ventilate your room well. Paints are loaded with VOCs that are definitely NOT good for the human nervous system. Pregnant women and small kids should not be confined in a room that is being/or has recently been painted. (See above) That’s why painting in the “let’s open the windows” weather makes sense.
Dramatic colors can add visual pop to a room, but getting the exact color you want often takes a lot of trial and error (or compromise)–and covering up that dramatic color a few years from now will take several coats of primer + paint.
Avoid thick naps rollers, unless you don’t mind the dimpled look on your walls. Thin nap rollers, by contrast, don’t hold enough paint.
Cover the woodwork/moldings with semi-gloss. (The industry has seen a recent movement to gloss paints on moldings, at least in more upscale homes.)
Caulk is your friend. I’ve seen a few people posting about their problems with getting a straight line between the wall and cieling, or with paint bleeding under tape. Well, use caulk.
Wall to cieling joint: caulk that corner, but lightly. Smooth it out with a finger or a wet rag. Then, paint cieling first. don’t worry about the cut in, let the cieling paint come down the wall a bit. Then, when cutting in walls, paint up to the caulk edge. (Be sure to cut in for every coat use apply) The cieling line will virtually perfect. Any imperfections still left over will be barely noticeable.
Paint bleding under tape: Learn how to backfill. This the process of applying a line of caulk to the tape edge and then removing most of it. Around door/window frames and baseboards this is best done with a small flex blade. Be careful not to leave big goobers in inside corners. When taping off a textured wall, say to do graphics or cut off a common wall for two different spaces or whatever, do the backfill thing, but remove the excess caulk with a damp rag, since the flex blade won’t get around all the texture.
You’ll be amazed how much more professional a job looks when backfilling is done right. Leaves such pretty straight edges.
A word of caution about blue tape. If your wood work is freshly done in lacquer, blue tape will ruin it. The glue formulation reacts with the lacquer and causes quite a mess. Same thing for masking off things when you’re about to lacquer. Use green tape, specially made for lacquer applications. Also, there is now available a quick release tape for use on wallpaper, faux finish, delicate surfaces. It’s usually purple, but sometimes it’s blue. It feels more like plastic than like paper.
Biggest tip: READ THE LABELS! Keeps you safe and eliminates extra work.
And shellac can help waterproof a wall. Our tub surround only goes up about 4-1/2 feet, with 50 year old drywall above that. Five years ago, I patched the crumbling drywall, then shellacked and painted. It still looks great.