So Winter’S Got You Down? Pull Out A Paintbrush

These gray days we’ve had lately can leave one feeling pretty blue. To beat pre-spring glumness, paint some color-laden ambiance onto your walls. Try paints in daffodil yellow, tulip red, grass green, terra cotta or true sky-blue, a color we’ve seen all too little of these days.

You can paint the colors in bold solids — or try some new paint application techniques like sponging, ragging, glazing or color washing. Eagle Hardware and Home Depot have how-to books for the hot new paint appliques, along with such items as paint rollers that actually apply paint in a pattern while you roll.

* Speaking of color: Did you know that color is the key to mismatches made in heaven when collecting and displaying antique furniture? According to Country Almanac’s Bedrooms & Baths magazine, all you need do is stay within the same color family. For example, the magazine says, walnut, rosewood and cherry woods blend harmoniously because of underlying red tones, and oak and pine have similar golden hues. The magazine’s recommendation is to throw in a dash of color by having at least one piece of painted furniture in the room. (From Volume 13, Country Almanac’s Bedrooms & Baths.)

* And when you’re done with all that painting: The Lillian Vernon Catalogue Co. always comes up with catchy household items you never knew you couldn’t live without. Now they have a new one: a single-container paint brush cleaner. You pour solvent or water (depending upon whether you’re painting with enamel or latex) into the clear plastic container and then stick your dirty brushes into the solution. (There’s room enough for two brushes.) A plastic lid snaps on as the handles are inserted through the holes in the lid, and voila — a mess-proof way to clean or store brushes! It’s just $8.98. (Lillian Vernon Catalogue Co., (800) 285-5555).

* Home is where the heart is: But don’t clean those brushes just yet. Have empty Valentine’s Day candy boxes left over? You know the kind — the big, red heart ones that are too impractical to keep and too pretty to throw away? Handcraft Illustrated magazine suggests you turn heart boxes into ambience-enhancing potpourri holders. Decorate the box with gold lame-type paints or marbleized papers and then fill with fragrant dried flowers. How about painting the boxes to match your new spring-colored walls? For the over-achieving decorator, they suggest arranging the flowers, by color, in a heart-shaped design within the box. But that’s where I draw the line. (In the spring issue, No. 23, of Handcraft Illustrated.)