Apartment Therapy: paints, stains & finishes

Chalkboard Door

We've seen lots of different uses of chalkboard paint, but we have to admit, being prone to allergies, we're a little hesitant about having a whole wall of chalkboard inside the house. But maybe a do...

Red Rooms Done Right

When we were 20 and lived in our first apartment, we thought it would be a great idea to paint our living room walls red ("It'll be so bohemian and chic!"). Little did we know, we'd be standing there...

Inspiration: Rainbow Walls

If "rainbow" brings to mind loud tie-dyed shirts of the 70's or gaudy cartoon characters of the 80's, you might want to rethink those associations. Check out this sophisticated take on a rainbow (a...

Safety 1st: 4 Ways To Use Reflective Spray Paint

Unless a product is low VOC or makes a Mother's (or Father's) life easier, it usually doesn't get mentioned around these parts. But having tried this reflective spray paint out first hand, it wasn't...

Crayola's Kidoodles

Most of us are busy keeping our windows clean in Spring. Over at Lil Sugar, though, we read a full review with several parents chiming in on the virtues and (one) downfall of Kidoodles. The full-on wi...

Look! Striped Nursery Ceiling

Since it's Color Month, we thought you'd appreciate this striped ceiling - a perfect example to show that you don't have to paint your walls to add a big splash of color. ...

How To: Make "Chalk" Paint

In the spirit of Outdoor Play Month, reader Amanda wrote in to share a fun outdoor painting activity that her kids, Josie and Jasper, love and - most importantly - that's a cinch to clean up afterwa...

How To: Paint a Mural

Not only has Maria painted a fantastic mural on her son's wall, she has carefully laid out her process in a tutorial for all the aspiring muralists out there. Most of the murals we come across are ...

Flickr Finds: Rocking Horse Rehab

Time and again we've seen how a little bit of paint can transform something from ordinary to eye-catching. That's the case with this rocking horse we spotted on Flickr....

Flickr Finds: Two Painted Cribs

Color inspiration! Why settle for a crib that's just white, blonde or espresso when you can punch it up with paint? We found two people on Flickr who did just that. ...

Top Selling Baby Room Colors

Over at My Perfect Color.com they've got a list of the fifteen top selling paint colors for the baby's room. There must still be a lot of traditionalists out there because they're all pretty tame....

Eco-Friendly Paint Roundup

Greener Paint Options. In case you were inspired by October's Color Month to get out the paint brushes and add or change some color in your home, we've put together some eco-friendly (and child-frie...

Look! Pink and Orange Walls

All the way from Finland, we found this pretty room on Normal Room.com. The shades of pink and orange mixed together is one of our current favorites. ...

Look! Pops of Color slideshow at BHG

Pops of Color. We found this slideshow of 25 colorful kids rooms on the Better Homes and Gardens website and thought it'd be a perfect thing to share with readers during our month of color here at A...

Look! Wary Meyers Uses Color

Wary of color? We've had this in our inspiration file for awhile because we love the playful use of color in this bathroom. We're especially fond of the clever echo of greens on the otherwise utili...

How To: Creative Ceiling Treatment

Every month we get a little DIY magazine from Lowes, which they also post online, and in the latest edition, a very fun idea that we thought would work nicely in a kid's room - a creative ceiling tre...

Adorn your floor with Floor Stencils

Beneath your feet. A friend sold her house last year and the hardest thing to leave behind was the kitchen floor which she had so beautifully hand-stencilled. Stencilling is a great way to adorn you...

Pocket Paint Set

Small and portable. We loved painting with water colors as a child and so did Mom. It kept us busy and quiet for hours and clean up was a breeze. How we would have appreciated the Pocket Paint Set....

How To: Make Your Own Sidewalk Chalk

Sure, you can just buy sidewalk chalk, but where is the fun in that, when you can make it (and customize it) yourself? The simplest instructions can be found over at Thrifty Fun. There are just 3 in...