Dear Debbie:
I am 10 years old and my mom and I watch you on TV. I can help do my bedroom, like picking the colours and wallpaper too. Is pink too stupid? I love it. What goes with pink that would look sort of grown up? My room is pretty big. – Melissa
Dear Melissa:
Let me start by saying no colour is stupid – it’s what you like that counts. And pink is very popular right now, so you are right on trend.
Green is a perfect partner for pink, it is one of nature’s favourite colours and goes with most anything. The modern shades of green have a bit of yellow in them, like avocado rather than dark hunter green.
Have your mom take you to a paint and wallpaper store where you can look through wallpaper books.
Look for large flowers, could be pink on a white background or green and white on a pink background. You can also search on line and find pattern and colour combinations that are fun.
Then pick some furniture. Wicker stools and an old wicker table freshly painted are not expensive and will really add character to your room. You can also find small area carpets that are soft and shaggy in colours that pop.
If you go for paint instead of wallpaper, remember you can paint patterns on the wall easily with stencils.
Dear Debbie:
I have just finished painting our formal living and dining room. The colour of the paint did not turn out as I had expected. Instead of mauve, it is a beautiful pink.
One complete dining room wall is covered by a mural and some of the pink in the picture has been brought out by the pink walls. I’m not sure this is a good thing. Is pink an inappropriate colour for this area? – Jean
Dear Jean:
It is difficult to pick colours from a small swatch at the paint store. I always recommend that you buy a small amount to test first.
Paint a three-foot square and then see how it reacts to the other furnishings in your room plus the changing light. In your case, even though it is not the colour you expected, you describe it as a beautiful pink, so I’m guessing you like it a lot.
Soft shades of pink are great colours to live with; they give a lovely healthy glow. How we perceive a small picture or large mural on the wall is affected by the surrounding colours. As long as it is a positive change, then don’t worry.
Dear Debbie:
My home is an ordinary boxy condo with standard height ceilings. I have installed a chair rail and would like to know the best colour combination to maximize ceiling height. Ceiling and crown mouldings are white. I have chosen a warm yellow and don’t know whether it should go above or below the rail. – Mark
Dear Mark:
The room will feel more open and airy if you apply the yellow underneath the rail and either a subtle buttery cream or a fresh white above the rail. Paint the rail the same colour as the upper wall.
Add some blue accessories, and you have the basic elements for French Provencal style.
It’s lovely.
Debbie Travis’s House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please e-mail your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com