I have a spare bedroom that is extremely boring. I want this to be our guest room. What can I do to make it welcoming and interesting? I have an old brass bed and love antiques.
Connie, SC, USA
Hi Connie;
Here's a very clever way to decorate a wall. If your walls are in poor repair, it will cover up a myriad of sins. If you can't decide on one colour or if you want wallpaper or paint, this is just for you. It's called a dado. That's a band, about 3 feet high that runs around the lower section of the wall. It is topped by a chair rail. This style was very popular in Victorian times to protect their expensive wall finishes from being bashed about by high back chairs and settees. For the same practical reasons, you find chair rails in most country styles, with wood wainscoting used instead of elaborate wallcoverings.
Of course, you can get the look with some clever paint techniques that are easy to do and will produce a winning, warm atmosphere in your guest room. To replicate the look of this French Country bedroom, measure up from the floor three feet, and use a spirit level and chalk line to ensure straight edges. use low-tack painter's tape to mark off the stripe. A cream colourwash softens the flat gray finish.
French Country walls:
N.B. Upper walls are a colourwash of light and dark peach over a cream white basecoat.
Dado: I taped off the lower section and applied a base coat of medium gray paint. I then taped off a two-inch stripe and filled it in with dark gray paint. To soften the look I mixed a coloured glaze, one part cream paint to three parts glazing liquid and applied it over the dado with a wide brush in horizontal and vertical strokes. I used a dry brush (very little paint) to create this smoky finish.
Don't forget to make up a luxurious bed to complement the classic country walls.