Painting - 3 Newbie Questions - Flat on Gloss, Base colour, Radiators

Hi folks,
Just typed out a post and lost it all, so am re-posting, here's hoping I don't accidentally double up on these...

Have recently moved in with my boyfriend and we've decided to redecorate. He bought the house 18 months ago and it was newly papered, painted and carpeted then and walls are all in great condition. However, boys being boys, he appears to have just pointed at any old colour on the swatch card when selecting his wall colours as they don't match his carpets or furniture. We're redecorating room at a time as budget allows, and first up is the lounge room.

1) Currently the door frame, window sill and skirting boards are all painted a lemony-coloured gloss. We'd like to paint them the same new colour as the ceiling will be, but it's a flat paint. a) Can I paint flat paint on top of gloss paint? b) If yes, do I need to prep the surfaces first at all? c) Is there a reason these surfaces are all painted gloss? Will they look stupid for some reason if they're all painted flat?

2) Currently, the walls are painted a pastel lilac. We'd like to paint over the top in a brighter/darker orangey colour (Dulux Autumn Fern 3 & 4). Should we put a base coat of white over the lilac first, or would it be OK to paint straight on top of it, since the new colours are not pastels?

3) Currently, the radiators are painted the same colour as the walls, but we're unsure if a special radiator paint was used or if it was just house paint. We'd like to paint the radiators the same colour as our walls. Do we need to buy that special radiator paint and have it tinted to our shade, or can we use the same flat paint as we're using on the walls?

Thanks in advance for any replies,

Ness

Welcome to the forums

Sorry to hear you lost your first post [glad I'm not the only one who loses things on the computer] :)
Flat paint can be applied over gloss but it is best to sand and prime first. The reason wood work is normally painted with enamel is with the extra wear doors and casings [even base] recieve they will look better longer with enamel. Enamel comes in 3 basic sheens - gloss, semi-gloss and satin. Although flat paint will look fine at first [on the woodwork] it doesn't take long for it to get dirty and flat won't clean as well as enamel.
You shouldn't need to prime the walls to recoat with another color.
I haven't painted any radiators in a long time. I know we used to use heat resistant paint on them but really don't know if that still applies.

I haven't painted any radiators in a long time.

Me neither

I know we used to use heat resistant paint on them but really don't know if that still applies.
I know that paint can really interfere with the heat transfer, and the last time I painted one I used a radiator paint specifically
Though that was a while ago and I do not remember the brand
Wall paint should really not be used
I'm sure your local paint shop can help you with that

Thanx muchly for the answers folks, I'll make sure we use a gloss on the places that already have a gloss, and I'll go get special radiator paint for the radiators.
Muchas Gracias!!

If you don't like the sheen of gloss it is very easy to coat over gloss with satin enamel - just a light sanding is required.