How to Paint a Room Pink & Brown

Pink and brown make a subtle bedroom color scheme.

Pink is often associated with young girls' rooms, yet it can be a stylish and sophisticated color for any room. Pairing pink with brown creates a warm, subtle color combination. Saturated pinks look bold, while the inclusion of a little earth tone in the shade of pink makes it look more natural. Although a traditional design idea is to paint the room pink with brown trim, other contemporary ideas include alternating stripes or using a bold stenciled pattern.

Things You'll Need

• Low-tack painter's tape
• Wall paint in flat or eggshell finish
• 2-inch angled paintbrush
• Tape measure, optional
• Paint roller
• Paint pan
• Stencil, optional
• Stencil brush, optional
• Trim paint in semi-gloss finish

Instructions

1. Protect the floors from paint spills and drips with a drop cloth. Tape around the ceiling and trim with low-tack painter's tape.

2. Choose a scheme for pink and brown paints. If painting alternating stripes, measure and mark the wall. Tape off stripes with low-tack tape. Apply paint to edges and hard-to-reach areas with an angled paintbrush. Paint the walls using a paint roller.

3. Remove the tape, retaping to mark out stripes in the second color. Paint the rest of the stripes. Remove the tape once the paint is dry.

4. Tack stencils to the wall with low-tack tape. Create an image by pouncing the stencil with paint and a stencil brush. Wipe the stencil off before repositioning it on the wall. Continue stenciling until the desired effect is achieved. Include more than one stencil for a unique design.

5. Apply tape next to baseboards and trim to protect walls. Apply two coats of semi-gloss paint for full coverage. Brush paint on in the direction of the wood grain.

6. Wash brushes with soap and warm water. Allow the brushes to dry upright to keep their shape.

Tips & Warnings

• Tone down a pink that is too bright by adding a few drops of tint in shades of raw umber, burnt umber or black.

References

• "How To Decorate"; Martha Stewart; 1996
• HGTV: Hip Modern Living Room