Bea Pila designs a room for a couple whose home is decorate din casual country -- and whose boy baby-to-be will be welcomed into a nursery with a cowboy theme. She stresses that a western theme can often become too rugged and masculine, so pains should be taken to keep it fun and youthful. The nursery is taking over what was once a small guest room. The first step is to decide on a wall treatment -- in this case, a blue-and-white plaid/stripe combined with wainscoting (figure A). The plaid/stripe is applied to the top half of the walls; then a plain chair rail and picture-frame molding are added to the bottom half. The molding is accented with a second wall-covering design -- a red-and-white bandanna print -- and trimmed with a dry-brush paint technique. Pila demonstrates the simple paint technique that she uses on the wainscoting (figure B). All you need to create this look are two parts glaze to one part satin latex paint, a wide paintbrush, some rags and a pair of protective gloves. The color Pila has chosen for the glaze is one of the shades of blue found in the wallpaper. She points out that the color is actually darker than it appears on the paint chip, but she explains that it will lighten when mixed with the glaze. Dip the brush into the glaze only about a third of the way down -- you want most of the brush to be free of paint. Use the side of the paint can or a rag to remove any excess drips from the brush. Holding the brush at an angle, apply paint to the surface in one continuous motion. You want to let the base color show through, and you want the brushstrokes to appear in order to give a wood-grained look. Pila suggests practicing on a piece of scrap wood before you actually apply glaze to the walls. Then, when you have mastered the technique, start on the walls. Allow the glaze to dry for 30 minutes to an hour. The fabrics Pila has chosen for the nursery include blue denim -- a natural choice for a boy's room, as it's both durable and washable -- and a red bandanna fabric (figure C).
RESOURCES :
Treasures for Baby: Exquisite Nursery Decorations and Handmade Ribbon Keepsakes
Author: Ellie Joos
Sunset Ideas for Great Baby Rooms
Model: 0376010460
Author: Christine Olson Gedye
$12.95
Paperback
112 pages (January 2000)
Sunset Pub Company
Sunset Publishing Company (Division of Time Warner)
Website: www.sunset.com
Baby's Room: Create-a-Special
Model: 1574862049
Author: Barbara Finwall, Nancy Javier
Paperback
80 pages (July 2000)
Leisure Arts (Hot Off The Press, Inc.)
Website: www.craftpizazz.com
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