Avoid using one single tone by bringing depth to a flat painted surface. Depth is easily achieved by using washes and a secondary color. Glazes, scrumbling, spattering, combing, dry brushing, rag rolling and stenciling are only some of the paint techniques available in kits at home improvement stores. But in his own Brooklyn apartment he prefers rich earth tones of ochre, sienna and deep blues. A color wash in a similar tonal quality brings a shade to life.
Imagination can outsmart a measly budget every time.
I once cut thin plywood into the shape of an old mirror I had found somewhere. I covered the surface with a mixture of gypsum piped from a pastry bag in decorative floral designs and shapes. When that dried, I painted the whole thing gold, dry-brushed black paint across the surface to age it and glued it to the front of the mirror. A beautiful, 'old,' gilded mirror for nothing. Sometimes there is no way to make a room light and airy - aim for cozy and quirky instead.