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CONQUERING THE FEAR OF PAINT!

© Barbara Brice

I've often sat flipping through the pages of a magazine and come across a picture of a room with decor that took my breath away. The same has happened many times while watching a movie on tv. I have only recently come to realize that most of those rooms caught my attention because of the color scheme, especially the walls.

Paint is the most inexpensive and non-commiting way to bring color into a room. Why? Because, if you don't like it, you just paint over it. Even black can be repainted if you use the proper primer base. The use of paint doesn't have to be limited to just your walls. As renters, we know this is not always an option. You can bring color into a room by painting your furniture, also. Here is a few ideas of ways I have used paint to bring color into a room.

FURNITURE One example of painted furniture you will find at the top righthand of this page. This is a china hutch I got from a friend. It had some burn damage from her children sitting hot pans on it. She was going to throw it out when she moved and had it sitting out in the yard. I took it apart, sanded it and then painted it with a wash of white and jade green. Now I have a solid maple cabinet that I can use for years to come. My only cost was a quart of paint and a lot of sweat equity. :) When my friend and her family saw the piece, they couldn't believe it was the same cabinet.

I also painted my bedroom furniture. Though all of the pieces are different, what makes them all work together is that they all have the same base color. Stenciling a similar rose pattern on all the pieces also helped to bring unity into the room.

FLOORS A painted floor can hide a multitude of of damage. Whether you paint a solid color, a country wash of color, a geometric pattern, or a faux rug, it is a great way to change the mood of a room. You might also use different colors of stain so as to create a custom inlaid look.

WALLS The most common is, of course, the painting of walls. If you're not sure whether you are ready to brave using a color on the entire room, why not just do one wall as a focal point. This way you ease into the color without feeling overwhelmed.

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