Color Schemes: The use of bright, bold color is especially attractive in children’s rooms.

• Primary colors are classic favorites for both boys and girls.

• Contemporary color favorites include purples, vibrant blues, pinks, yellows and greens.

If your goal is to select a color scheme that your child will not soon outgrow, consider taking the "neutral plus color approach", which presents neutral wall coverings with bold painted trim. In this case, the trim color can feature any hue from traditional favorites (such as navy or red) to trendy newcomers (including the "sherbet" brights). View the Color Schemes video.

• Free hand painted murals accentuates a theme and serves as a dramatic focal point within the space.

• Painted ceilings (the rooms "fifth wall") can highlight a theme or serve as a point of interest, depicting everything from soft clouds to bright stars and interesting maps.

• Wall coverings can be transformed into functional design elements, including chalkboards for drawing, corkboards that display calendars and notes or "magnetic" painted walls which highlight artwork.

Be sure to visit our Project Planner and Decorative Techniques sections before starting your next project.