Sep 15, 2019 3 min read

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Q. Are soft pink and blue just for kids’ rooms? I am painting my kitchen wall and like the feeling of pink to go with my dark blue cabinets, but are these baby colors? I’m not sure how to proceed. – Veronica

A. Pink is a marvelous color with shades that range from the softest pink hue to the vibrancy of corals and candies. It’s a feel-good color that adds warmth to any space, but it is important to select the right shade. It does have its garish side, and too much of a strong pink can be exhausting. To answer your question, no, pink and blue are not just for kids. A child’s room, like any other room, is made up of a combination of furnishings, fabrics and personal items, along with colors that combine to give the space its character. Rather than teddy bears and cots, appliances and crockery will dictate the mood.

Shown here is a perfect example of your pink and dark blue color scheme. It is part of the kitchen in Annie Sloan’s 18th century farmhouse located in Northwest France. Annie Sloan (www.anniesloan.com) is a master colorist who provides a world of inspiration for decorative finishes. Sloan has created her own line of chalk paint with colors that are derived from a historical palette. Antoinette is the soft pale pink you see on the walls. Sloan tells us that this color is inspired by “decorative pieces and interiors of 18th century France when the finest red earths were mixed with white and used to make a clear but dusky color for the walls.” The dark blue cupboard is a modern piece, which Sloan gave a rustic look by painting Graphite over Duck Egg Blue and sanding to give it texture. The beamed ceiling adds more charm painted in Louis Blue with soft greenish-blue Duck Egg Blue beams. An old wood table, gilded frame and antique chandelier all tell stories of times past.

Q. What’s a tabletop finish that is painterly and fun? I’ve unearthed an old set of tripod tables in my parents’ attic, and I’d like to spruce them up. – Henri

A. Oh, they are classics. What a great find. Check for wobbly legs, and if all looks good then create a mid-century modern masterpiece. Terrazzo tile floors and counters were all the rage in the ’50s, and Annie Sloan tells us it is making a comeback. Featured in her bookazine “The Colourist,” Sloan gives step-by-step instructions on how to mimic the look of this beautiful material. Terrazzo gives you a great opportunity to play with different colors. Here’s a list of the chalk paint colors Sloan used: Duck Egg Blue, Antoinette, Paris Grey, Paloma, Coco, Louis Blue and Burgundy. Sloan uses her small flat detail brush to apply the Duck Egg Blue first in random spludges across the white surface, then adds more colors randomly to fill in the white space. She explains that the point is for the marks to be imperfect the way chunks of marble are in terrazzo. Spacing should be irregular. The paint marks will be thicker and more raised in places – this is good, as it will bring texture to the table. Finish with two coats of clear chalk paint wax.

Email decorating questions to house2home@debbietravis.com.