Interior designer Peggy Sellwood works with Joan Steffend, host of HGTV's Decorating Cents, to turn a neglected spare room into a fun and colorful garden tearoom for less than $500. The top half of the walls is covered with a light denim-blue wallpaper that gives the effect of blue sky. Below, a whimsical picket-fence wallpaper embellished with ivy and flowers completes the garden background. Three large windows, covering almost an entire wall, are finished sparely, with delicate lace valances and ivy-twined grapevine, keeping the room light and airy (figure A).
A rattan swing found in the trash gets a coat of bright-red paint and a new floral cushion (figure B).
Chairs get new flower-splashed cushions that coordinate with colorful table coverings on a round dining table, also part of the room's original furnishings. Arranged in front of the windows and outfitted with a pair of inventive upholstered footstools fashioned from sections of galvanized heating duct (figure C), the setup is perfect for an indoor-garden tea party. Teacup lights, made from a stack of three Melmac cups and saucers wired together, add a cute touch to the table (figure D).
A unique side table is fashioned from a section of picket fence and topped with garden tearoom accessories, including silk flowers, a teapot and decorative birdhouses (figure E).
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