The Power of Paint
>One of the first steps into turning a house or a newly rented apartment into a home is to paint, paint, paint (if your landlord permits). I am constantly amazed at the transforming power of paint.
Subtle changes in color are nice.
Painting over baby blue walls with a grayish green can make the room feel much more sophisticated. 
When choosing paint colors I like to choose colors that are a bit "muddy" meaning that they have a few drops of black to tone down the color and make it appear to be a combination of a couple of colors instead of one saturated color.
Even taking a room that already has a color 
and painting it a crisp bright white can make it feel so clean and fresh.
Bright white is always a good paint choice, much better than builder beige that can appear dull and dirty.
I'm often asked which paint finishes I use. I prefer a satin finish for walls, a flat finish for ceilings, and a semi-gloss for trim.
The best painting advice I can give is to invest a little money into a good paint brush. 
I prefer the small handles because they fit so nicely in my hand. I also choose an angled tip. 
With a good brush and a steady hand you can do a great job painting a clean, crisp ceiling line as well as "cutting in" all the other areas (Cutting in is the process of painting the edges of walls and ceilings, around baseboards and door & window trim. The large wall areas not cut-in are then painted with a roller or paint brush) and you won't need to use much of the blue painters tape.
If you want color without a big commitment, consider painting just one or two accent walls. 
This is a great way to go with a bold color without saturating the room and making it feel dark and overwhelming. 
FYI---I recognize that everyone is really busy during the summer months, so I'll be posting only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a while, with occasional bonus posts. I know you've got better summer activities to do than reading my blog. Now go, enjoy the sun!
