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  1. Midwest Living
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  4. Happy Color Decor

Happy Color Decor

June 01, 2012
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Color sets a mood. It makes us feel good. These rooms will make you smile.
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Painting Ideas

Painting Ideas

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.

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Guest Room

Guest Room

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.

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Superefficient Closet

Superefficient Closet

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.

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Built-In Ironing Board

Built-In Ironing Board

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

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London Shade

London Shade

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.

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Built-In Hamper

Built-In Hamper

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.

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Laundry Room

Laundry Room

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.

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Updated Vanity

Updated Vanity

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.

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New Look for an Old Window

New Look for an Old Window

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.

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Add Little Details

Add Little Details

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

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    1 of 10 Painting Ideas
    2 of 10 Guest Room
    3 of 10 Superefficient Closet
    4 of 10 Built-In Ironing Board
    5 of 10 London Shade
    6 of 10 Built-In Hamper
    7 of 10 Laundry Room
    8 of 10 Updated Vanity
    9 of 10 New Look for an Old Window
    10 of 10 Add Little Details

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