Before and After: Suzanne's Bold Idea

There's been so much gray, gray, gray in the interior design trends that I was thrilled and refreshed to have an opportunity to use some really striking paint colors:

My client Suzanne chose these vibrant colors for her basement. This is one of those times when I can step back and let the pictures do the talking. Click any image to enlarge it.

As you might have noticed, she left one wall in the existing color. I think this keeps the bold color from getting too oppressive.

On a technical note, this was not a painting job for beginners. It required a lot of cutting in, and I had to keep the lines between the colors as straight as possible. Bold colors like these can also require lots of coats of paint, especially the mulberry red color on the trim. (Red paint is usually more translucent than other colors.)

With that in mind, I bought the best-quality "one coat" paint. Although the paint cost more per gallon, Suzanne saved money in the long run because it only needed one coat in most places. I also used a very high-quality paint brush, which makes a big difference for cutting in. Last but not least, I brought my scaffold so that I could reach the high spots easily. This kept me from straining my arms to reach the far corners, and in the long run it made it easier to keep the lines neat.

For those of you who want to try these colors at home, here are the names on the paint chips:

• Green: "Frolic" (SW6703) by Sherwin Williams
• Blue: "Capri" (SW6788) by Sherwin Williams
• Red/purple: "Framboise" (SW6566) by Sherwin Williams
• Orange: "Ripe Pomegranate" (2009-3) by Valspar