Turn Your Home Into A Prettiest Painted Place With Tips From The Rohm And Haas Paint Quality Institute!

	Grand Prize Winning Entry – Media Room, photo courtesy of The Paint Quality Institute.

(HIT) - Hoping to change the look of your living spaces? It’s easy to do with just a simple change of paint color and decorative painting techniques. Just take a cue from the winners of the Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute's recent competition, The Prettiest Painted Rooms in America.

This national competition invited designers and decorators to showcase their best use of paint color and pattern within an interior living space.

Runner Up – Botanical Theme, photo courtesy of The Paint Quality Institute.

"Every entry truly celebrated the possibilities that paint color provides to a space," Debbie Zimmer, PQI paint color expert and a judge for the contest said. "From grand entryways to soothing bedrooms, paint color was an integral part of the design mix."
Try the following painting ideas entered by contestants of The Prettiest Painted Rooms in America:

	Runner Up – Cantaloupe Strié Glaze, photo courtesy of The Paint Quality Institute.

1. Plain walls receive an instant lift through the addition of varying directions of beadboard and wainscoting. This media room provides a tranquil and inviting atmosphere with cool paint shades of turquoise and subtle green.

2. A hand painted mural sets the tone for gracious living in this two story entrance. While hand painting a mural may not be for everyone, the use of easy-to-do stencils can replicate wall coverings or a favorite scene.

Runner up – Rainbow Theme, photo courtesy of The Paint Quality Institute.

3. A tone-on-tone strié technique provides this room with an every changing appearance. The walls of this living room where first painted with a cantaloupe colored paint. A slightly deeper hued glaze coat was then applied and, working from top to bottom, a clean, dry brush was "dragged" through the colored glaze.

	Runner Up – Cantaloupe Strié Glaze, photo courtesy of The Paint Quality Institute.

4. A young boy’s bedroom receives a real color punch by incorporating bold paint stripes. The lampshade provided the inspiration for both color and pattern. Use painters tape and a level to achieve this striking effect at home.

5. This soulful space is a wonderful place to relax at the end of a busy day. Painted in the palest blue and punctuated with chocolate brown furnishings, this bedroom color combination is easy to duplicate in any home."Whether you are decorating one room or hoping to reinvent your entire interior space, the addition of color via beautifully painted walls, ceilings and trim is both inexpensive and simple to complete," Zimmer said.

Remember, whatever look you hope to achieve, use a top quality interior paint for the best long-term appearance and performance. For regular painting tips and color trend information, sign up for the Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute do-it-yourself newsletter by simply logging on to http://www.paintquality.com.