Wainscoting immediately transforms room

DEAR DEBBIE: I’m dreaming of an old Cape Cod-style bedroom for our new house. It’s basic builder now and is crying out for some character. My husband and I both love a good project, and we’re looking for some decorating advice to make the bedroom look inviting. We’ve seen photos of wainscoting and wondered if that would be difficult to do. Thanks. — Sam and Allie.

DEAR SAM and ALLIE: Adding wainscoting to a room will bring an immediate transformation, and you have chosen a perfect solution for creating Cape Cod, country or cottage style.

Visit your lumber store and see what it has to offer. You should be able to find precut wood panels. If not, you can build wainscoting yourself, as I did here. Sheets of Masonite were nailed to the lower section of the walls and moldings run along the top and bottom. To produce the illusion of panels, strips of wood were applied at 2-foot intervals. Finish with two coats of semigloss white paint for the classic look you are after.

For the upper walls, choose a color that links to sun and beach. Primary colors are rooted to the nautical theme, but you may want to go more with soothing tones of sand, seashells and pastel skies. I papered the upper walls with a historic English damask pattern for this Caribbean-style bedroom, but I’d suggest you go with painted or wallpaper stripes.

A dark-stained wood floor is the perfect complement to this style, topped with a sisal area carpet or rag rug.

DEAR DEBBIE: Our living room has floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides with a gorgeous view of ocean and woods. The walls are painted a dark caramel, and there’s a floor-to-ceiling antique red-brick fireplace that wraps around a corner. We want the room to feel more airy and modern. What do you suggest for a color scheme? Also, is there a technique for smoothing out the fireplace without ripping it out? Thank you for all your great advice. — Connie.

DEAR CONNIE: From your description, I see your living room as having two or three strong elements that are fighting each other for attention. The exterior views through those large windows would dominate the room throughout the day, and the tall, dark-red fireplace demands attention day and night. Also, the caramel walls, while a lovely rich color, are very strong.

I suggest you begin by toning down the color and weight of the fireplace. You can do this with a coat of plaster to smooth out the bricks. It’s not necessary to completely fill in the grout lines. Keep the new plaster surround white.

Paint the walls a shade that connects with your outdoor views. Shiny metallic and pearlescent surfaces are on trend right now, so why not try a silvery green paint? This color is reminiscent of a new leaf with the sun shining on it. I guarantee this will breathe new life into your room — fresh, open and modern.

DEAR DEBBIE: We are adding a sunroom and garage onto our vacation home. It will be built on a concrete slab. We will be putting down either a laminate floor or carpeting. I prefer the wood look, but fear it will be too cold underfoot. Which product do you suggest? — Jan.

DEAR JAN: I would go for the type of look you prefer. Why not install a heated floor? In the long run you’ll save on heating bills, and the feeling of a warm floor underfoot is sheer luxury. The heating mats are laid on top of the concrete slab and then the laminate floor is installed. Or put down an insulating layer under laminate, and in the cool weather you can add an area rug.

Debbie Travis is a columnist for King Features Syndicate. E-mail questions to her at house2home@debbietravis.com.