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Bohemian Eclectic Living Room: Walls and Fireplace Boring white walls and a brick fireplace in a Victorian home get a warming makeover. From "Fresh Coat" episode DFCT-204

Sisters and roommates Sara and Trina Williams are not thrilled with the look of their living room: the walls are plain white and their furniture is mismatched. Working off the colors of a vintage rug, decorative painter Shannon Kaye, the host of Fresh Coat, takes the room from boring white to Victorian charm, at the same time bringing out the natural beauty of the architecture. This new look will give the walls and furniture--a mix of vintage and contemporary pieces--a more cohesive look (figure A) (figure B).

Figure A

Figure B

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The new design plan includes painting the bland white walls a bold cranberry color and adding a decorative Victorian-inspired patterned panel on the sofa wall (figure C); the panel is an effective way to add pattern and color without overwhelming the room. Arts and crafts tiles become the focal point of the fireplace (figure D), courtesy of newly painted bricks; the coffee table becomes a well-traveled steamer trunk (figure E; a bookcase takes on the look of a distressed antique; and the vintage chandelier gets dressed up in style (figure F).

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

Figure F

Cost of renovation: $185 for paint.

Materials (Wall):
rosin paper
painter's tape
cutting brushes
foam rollers
paint trays
paint mugs
primer
Benjamin Moore paint #2083-20 (Cranberry Cocktail)

Materials (Fireplace):
painter's tape
medium plastic cup
cement paint (charcoal and brown)
water
stirring stick
paint tray
clean sponge

1. Heavy rosin paper, available at most home-improvement stores, is rolled over the hardwood floors and taped in place (figure G). Architectural moldings that will remain white are also taped off prior to priming the walls.

2. Primer that has been tinted with Cranberry Cocktail paint is applied to the walls (figure H). Molding and wall edges are cut in and primed with a brush before the walls are primed with rollers, creating a smooth surface for the paint.

Figure G

Figure H

3. When the primer is dry, Cranberry Cocktail is rolled onto the walls. This sophisticated color will create the illusion of higher ceilings (figure I) and bring out the molding details (figure J).

Figure I

Figure J

Figure K

4. The fireplace brick is dusted, cleaned and allowed to dry.

Shannon mixes cement paint in shades of charcoal and brown with water, dips a sponge in the mixture and rubs it into the brick (figure K). The color deepens the look of the bricks and helps to highlight the decorative tiles placed among them.