Paint is one of the most cost-effective materials available for changing a look. Interior designer Laurie MacDowell uses bold color on walls, woodwork and furnishings to transform a dull, dated family room into a lively gathering place, all for less than $500.
Bright rust-burgundy paint applied to a windowed wall sets a bright mood for the room. The window trim is painted sage green, with the window frame left white for crisp contrast.
An Army-green sofa, piled with colorful new remnant-covered pillows, fits the updated color scheme and helps keeps costs in line. The key to successfully mixing and matching fabric remnants -- the large prints and bold stripes and checks of the new pillows -- is to balance the colors and patterns (figure A).
Paint is used to jazz up wood furnishings, walls, even a damaged door. A round wooden cocktail table, inexpensively made over with a two-toned striping of red paint, looks pretty against a tapestry area rug (figure B), and an oak entertainment center gets a new look with leftover paint and wallpaper pieces.
A damaged front door that's seen one too many hits with a hockey puck is creatively transformed from an eyesore into a work of art. A brightly painted border of concentric squares painted around the window frame (figure C) takes attention away from the damaged portion of the door, which is camouflaged with white spots on a red background.
A gigantic lava-rock fireplace, popular in the '70s, is an overwhelming feature. A wash of cream-colored paint brushed over the stones helps tone down the gray color and make the massive fireplace less dominant. The addition of a red mantel shelf breaks up the huge expanse of space and ties in with the red used throughout the room.
RESOURCES :
Painting Floorcloths: 20 Canvas Rugs to Stamp, Stencil, Sponge and Spatter in a Weekend
Model: 1579901344
Author: Kathy Cooper
(1999)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
Lark Books / Altamont Press
Website: www.larkbooks.com
Painting Skills
ISBN: 1842154109
Author: Mike Lawrence
Order this title from Amazon.com.
Painting Floral Botanicals
Model: 158180072X
Author: Michelle Temares
(July, 2001)
F & W Publications Inc. (North Light and Betterway Books, Story Press, Popular Woodworking Books)
Website: www.fwpublications.com
The Perfect Palette: Fifty Inspired Color Plans for Painting Every Room in Your Home
Model: 0446675199
Author: Bonnie Rosser Krims
(April 1999)
Little Brown and Company (Time Warner, Inc.)
New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-522-8700
Paint and Patches: Painting on Fabric With Pigments
Model: 0891458565
Author: Vicki L. Johnson
(1995)
To order this title from Amazon.com, click here.
American Quilters Society
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