Dear Debbie,

We are decorating our dining room and want something a bit dramatic. At this time we cannot afford wallpaper. Are paint finishes all going out of style? What is a good way to go on a limited budget?

Tony and Les

Dear Tony and Les,

You are right, wallpaper is back in a big way. But, paint will never go out of style. It will always be the most economical way to transform any room.

There are some finishes such as sponging that are not the fashion now, but there are also some looks that you can achieve with paint that are timeless.

I love to decorate a dining room with a bit of flair. This is a room that can be really dramatic because you don’t live here; it’s a night room and a party room too.

Give at least one wall a special glow. You could paint the walls a soft blue and then apply a deep midnight blue to the focal wall, such as the wall behind your buffet or credenza.

To up the power, use a high sheen. Another popular option is to apply a pearlescent top coat over your colour choice. This will give your room a shimmery glow, gorgeous in night light.

One of my favourite paint effects is shadow striping. And this truly looks like wallpaper. In the dining room shown here the illusion of light and dark red stripes is created by alternating paint that has low sheen (flat or matte) with a high gloss sheen. Light reacts differently to the two sheens so we see light and dark shades of the same colour. There is lots of taping involved, so design your walls with wide stripes to simplify. Random widths create a young, sophisticated ambiance.

Dear Debbie,

We live on the 27th floor of an urban condominium. Our condo is mostly windows and our decorating style is modern with bright colours, orange, lime green and with wood and glass tables.

There is limited wall space, which is all white, and this is where we would like your help. What colours should we put on the walls?

Bernie and Ramon

Dear Bernie and Ramon,

I would take advantage of the magnificent views, and paint the limited wall space between windows a clear sky blue. These strips of colour will act as a complementary frame for the views rather than fighting for attention. For any interior walls, don’t just think colour – think also about texture, and pattern.

Look at the new wallpaper designs that have a modern edge. Graphic designs and oversized prints will suit your style.

Dear Debbie,

I’m looking for the right colour to paint my new condo living room to give it a cozy ambiance. The coffee and side tables are rosewood, coffee-coloured leather chairs and a laminate floor that will complement the wood furniture. I’m thinking of muted tones of aqua or gray. (I’ve lived with beige and brown for too long.)

Janaki

Dear Janaki,

You have furnished your room with warm, traditional pieces, which will be made even more inviting with a paint shade taken from nature.

Green is popular once again, not too heavy, look at antique jade or a leafy green with some gray in it. Or on a lighter note, a pastel violet such as heather is a gorgeous hue. I think aqua is too cool for the room you have described.

Debbie Travis’ House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. E-mail your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com