Joan Steffend, host of HGTV's Decorating Cents, enlists the help of interior designer Nancy Golden to transform a dull, unimaginative children's room into a delightful western bungalow perfect for two little cowboys. Using a variety of garage-sale finds and creative techniques, she creates a room that reflects the boys' personalities for less than $500. The cool-blue bedroom walls are warmed with a broken-color paint finish that mimics the look of textured, worn leather. A base coat in warm tan is applied and allowed to dry. Then a slow-drying oil-based glaze in a dark, warm leather color is applied and immediately rolled over with a rag roller to lift off some of the glaze. The rag-rolling process isn't difficult, but speed is of the essence. It's best done with two people -- one to apply the glaze and the other to follow immediately with the rag roller. A charmingly simple window treatment uses a birch branch as a curtain rod. A colorful cowboy-style swag is made from eight different colored bandannas knotted end-to-end and draped over the branch. Birch-bark drawer pulls, added to an existing dresser that sits under the window, complete the look. Bright-red comforters, a steal at a local discount store, and look-again pillow shams made from a patchwork of old denim jeans and flannel shirts add bright, fun accents to the boys' bunk beds (figure A). A desk area features an old wooden drafting table and barn-wood wall shelves topped with child-sized cowboy-boot bookends (figure B). Red paint adds a bright note to the flea-market drafting table, and its slanted surface provides the perfect space for drawing or displaying artwork. Warm red light shines through the glass of an old oil lamp, converted into a small desktop nightlight. A wooden rocking horse, formerly a barstool from a lake resort, becomes a sturdy chair, and a pegged clothes rack makes for easy hang-ups. A kid-size cowboy is painted on the wall, complete with a real hat, bandanna and belt. With a mirror for a face, it's just the place for a little cowpoke to slick down his cowlick (figure C).
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