Happy Color Decor

Strie (Stripes): Small amounts of red and white paint on a pad are applied to the wall, starting at the top and then pulled to the base.Hand-Painting: An overhead projector can make writing freehand easier--just copy the image. In the bathroom (slide 10), the fleur de lis was penciled first, then filled in.Color Blending: Similar to sponging, except two shades of paint are applied with a "woolie" (paint pad with a handle) patted on the wall.

Red walls rev up the guest room, but are balanced by the use of white in the room's accents, iron bed, bed cover, desk and drapery rods. A whitewashed bench adjacent to the bed doubles as a radiator cover. Colorful pillows in a variety of shapes and sizes add doses of yellow and blue, as do the drapery panels made of bright strips of fabrics sewn together.

Organize your closets to maximize your storage. This closet provides a spot to hang clothes on both sides of a center stack of drawers and shelves. The white open shelves contrast with the red walls, so this efficient closet looks as good as it works.

With an outlet in the cabinet, last-minute touch-ups take no time at all. A shelf stores a spray bottle.

Red-blue-and- yellow-striped fabric tops this window. A simple sheer panel lets light flow through, yet provides a bit of privacy. A narrow band at the top of the sheer is made from the striped fabric.

Just inside the door, a tilt-out hamper in the cabinetry keeps clothes handy, but hidden. The room's accent colors repeat on the hand-painted porcelain knobs.

Plenty of cabinets and work surface and a breezy blossom wallpaper sweeten the task of doing laundry. A custom bench covers the radiator and doubles as a window seat for you or your laundry items. Other amenities: a nearby sink for easy soaking or rinsing, and a shoulder-height bar for hanging just-ironed clothes.

The skirt adds a bit of romance and hides the pipes. The fabric and the tassel relate the bathroom scheme to the colors, and matching tassels, in the other rooms. A new beveled mirror reflects light, helping the room seem larger.

A white London shade topped with a colorful shirred border frames a window in the cozy bathroom. Marble tops the radiator to give much-needed shelf space. A trio of cobalt-blue vases filled with Gerbera daisies adds a simple burst of color.

When there isn't room for a towel bar, add a hook or two. The fleur de lis pattern was hand-painted.