Wall Paint and BrushesIn 1991 — six years after we married — Sam finished his PhD in electrical engineering. By that time we had two children. Read that: poor. Also read that: apartment dwellers.

By the time we were done, I vowed never again to have bare, white walls in any home. 18 years later, I have mostly kept that promise. The only white walls we've ever had have been in basement laundry rooms or kids bathrooms. One of the first things we do when we move in is to paint every wall in sight — preferably a color on the…well…colorful side.

When we were building our last dream home, I went over to check on the painting project underway. The public portions of the house were all to be painted one of our three main colors: yellow, blue, or green. Each of the seven finished bedrooms were to be finished in the color choice of the occupant-to-be, with each of the six kids choosing utterly unrelated bedroom themes.

As I went up the stairs, I passed one of the subcontractors working on the project. He looked at me, wide-eyed, and said, “I ain't never seen so many colors in one house in my whole life!”

Ah, yes. The cursed result of living too long in white apartments.

The new house will be no different. Lots of happy color everywhere. It's inexpensive and easy to change. It changes the whole look of things and can really create a mood.

When you get down to decorating your walls, first think of paint color. Next, look for photos, portraits, paintings, needlework, collectable plates, murals, quilts, etc. There are so many ways to create interest on your walls. Use your imagination!