Decorative painting is of interest to every DIY decorator for the many exciting possibilities it opens for decorators looking for an inexpensive way to perk up their homes. In a sense, decorative painting artists are pushing the envelope on home decorating. Faux finishes from onyx to alabaster, from serpentine to breccia are now available to the DIY decorator, very handy in raising the glam factor of any home decor, or in tying together the decor style dictated by one’s acquisition of magnificent wall grilles and other metal art. Wrought iron wall grilles, stuccoed walls, terra-cotta and plaster pots with relief designs in faux verdigris, Corinthian-capital base of a glass-top table in faux granite– what more can a Mediterranean style fan want?

If the DIY possibilities excite you well enough to want to try your hand at decorative painting, here’s what you need to know about the different types of paints. Green concerns make water-based paints popular. Of interest to you are latex paint, aerosol acrylic paints, craft acrylic paint, ceramic paints, and fabric paints.

Latex paint
Latex paints use acrylic resins, vinyl resins, or both. You’d want to choose latex paints of acrylic resins because they provide an even and complete finish and wear longer, but you might settle for acrylic-vinyl mixes, or all-vinyl depending on your budget. Latex dries fast, wears well, and can be custom-mixed to your precise color. It’s available flat for a matte appearance or high-gloss for a more durable finish.

Craft acrylic paint
This is 100 percent acrylic-resin paint which should not be confused with the ones used for canvas painting. Sold in 2-oz, 4-oz, and 8-oz bottles, they come in various colors and in fluorescent, iridescent, and metallic versions. If a thinner consistency is needed, they can be diluted with water, latex paint conditioner, or acrylic extender.

Fabric paints
Although acrylic paints can be used to paint on fabrics, there’s a paint that’s manufactured exclusively for fabrics: fabric paint. To avoid unnecessary stiffness, remember to apply lightly. You know you’re doing it right when you can see the fabric’s texture. The painted fabric can be machine-washed or dry-cleaned once heat-set.

Ceramic paints
These are paints specially formulated for ceramic surfaces, although you can use acrylic or latex paints on a previously-primed surface. Subjecting the finished product to hardening in low temperature improves the paint’s adhesion, durability, and water resistance.

Aerosol acrylic paints
This type dries quickly and covers well. Extremely handy, they can be applied quickly, and are best-suited for painting irregular surfaces. To be on the safe side of green concerns, use only the type that’s free of fluorocarbons and methylene chloride.

As a home decorator or someone who simply wants to breath some fresh air into your living environment, it’s important that you get out of the habit of reaching for the white paint when it’s time to freshen up your walls. Not that there’s anything wrong with white paint – it’s just so standard that it has quite truthfully become a bit boring and sterile. To give your environment a splash of personality, why not try some real color?

We all know that color influences our moods. Unless your walls are white (or even off-white), your environment can actually dictate the kind of behavior that you want to experience. Now

we’re not suggesting that you engage in any psychological warfare or anything, but we are suggesting that you take some time in selecting the colors that you want your walls painted with because they can create a feeling – whether you want them to or not!

Generally, deep blues, greens and browns reinforce the feelings that we experience when we’re outdoors. These are the colors of nature, however black, white, gold, purples and/or rich reds give us a feeling of elegance or even royalty. Yellow, red, and orange colors can visually warm a room, while blue and dark purple can cool it down. Calming colors are green and blue while colors that excite us are red, orange, and yellow.

Decorative painting makes use of these feelings and combines them in such a way that they may even create multiple moods in one setting. Generally, decorative painting attempts to set an overall mood while the objects and/or appliances in a room complete the mood. For example, a room that’s painted blue may include light purple carpeting and dark green blinds. The blue walls tie the purple and green together because both purple and green contain a little blue inside of them: red + blue = purple; yellow + blue = green.

Complimentary colors are hues that blend in well with a main color because they contain a little of the main color. And our carpet and blinds example demonstrates the use of complimentary colors. Accent colors on the other hand are small bits of color that make a main color stand out. Back in our example room, a collection of small red pottery or a yellow lamp might appropriate serve as accent colors.

Decorative painting – whether it’s applied to half a wall, one wall, two walls, or all the walls of a room can certainly exploit this science of color theory and help to make a statement. The statement needn’t be bold – your environment can certainly quietly speak through muted colors and subtle variations. The important thing is that you’re aware of its power and use its power to your advantage.