Bright spots

by Oma Blaise Ford

If the thought of splashing bold paint on beige walls makes you break out in a cold sweat, you're not alone. "Most people are terrified of choosing color," says interior decorator Debbie Travis.

With a new hour-long TV decorating show called Facelift on HGTV and her seventh decorating book, Debbie Travis' Painted House Kitchens and Baths, on the shelves, Debbie is a pro at using touches of color to perk up drab rooms.

To make your color selection easier--and less scary--Debbie suggests first selecting a mood. "Ask yourself what mood would suit your lifestyle for a particular space," she says. "Once you've selected the mood--whether it's calm, classic, or cheerful--the next step is to assemble colors to enhance that mood."

Once you've picked your palette, think about ways to add some additional zest to the mix. Debbie is fond of painted stripes. Horizontal or vertical, they're an easy, affordable way to renew a tired setting.

Here are some of Debbie's other tricks:

* Try vertical stripes for a traditional dining room--perhaps a classic, Georgian-inspired pumpkin-red wall accented by darker red stripes that have a strip of gold down the center (above right). Continue article

* Uneven "torn" stripes can create an exuberant atmosphere for a playroom or bedroom. Paint the wall a bright green, then rip masking tape to create an uneven, ragged edge. Paint the jagged stripes a candy pink. "You can't help but smile when you go into a room like that," Debbie says.

* Tone-on-tone stripes of white or cream paint alternating with a high-gloss varnish make a living area appear airy and bright. With sunlight in the room, the varnished stripes glint with a subtle sheen, while nighttime lighting from lamps or candles lends an extra pop to the glossy spots.

INSIGHT: IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE YOUR WALLS A SIMPLE CREAM OR TAUPE, DEBBIE SUGGESTS ADDING COLOR OVERHEAD, PAINT THE CEILING A DELICATE PASTEL PINK, ROBIN'S EGG BLUE, OR PRIMROSE YELLOW TO GIVE THE SPACE SOME EXTRA SPARK.