Sponsored: 2010 Paint and Color Trends

Personalize with Painted Patterns

MHI: Often people are afraid that painting their walls with mass-produced colors can make a room seem impersonal. What can someone do to make their space completely their own?

SM: Incorporating graphic treatments like stencils or faux finishes is a great way to personalize your walls. There are so many choices on the market, but you can even get creative and create your own. Use simple objects to create stencil shapes that you and your family can paint. Try using the mouth of a cup or glass to create a stencil pattern of balloons or circles; go natural by finding large broad leaves you can outline onto the wall to create a theme of nature; enlarge a favorite simple fabric pattern and use it as a guide to add a touch that coordinates with the rest of the room.