A great paint job is 80% prep and 20% paint
Newcomers imagine painting is about choosing a colour and rolling it on. In practice the finish is decided long before the topcoat. Clean the surface, fill and sand the flaws, mask the edges, and prime where the substrate needs it. Skip these and even an expensive paint will telegraph every imperfection and peel early. Spend the boring effort up front and a mid-range paint looks professional; skip it and the best paint looks amateur. Choose the sheen for the room too: flatter hides wall flaws, higher gloss survives scrubbing but highlights every bump.
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This is also why repainting tired furniture is so often worth it over replacing. The piece is usually sound; it just needs prep, primer and a finish. Repair and refinish beats landfill on cost and on satisfaction.
And you need surprisingly few tools to do it well: a decent brush, a roller, sandpaper and good masking tape. Resist the wall of single-purpose painting gadgets; the basics carry almost every job.