Another idea for walls, he suggests, is to select wonderful wallpaper, cover one wall and then choose a color you like from the wallpaper to paint the other walls. Another way to add color to a room is with area rugs. Windows offer up a great way to alter a room's appearance. Nancy Lowe, with The Art Institute of Colorado, likes to use inexpensive and simple fabrics for draping to create window treatments with a little drama. For the rod, Lowe suggests looking for an inexpensive and unusual option such as copper piping from the plumbing section of a home-improvement store.
Nothing changes the mood of a room like lighting.
Depending on your privacy needs, consider removing curtains altogether to instantly brighten a room. Lights at different levels and in non-obvious places are much more interesting. To create a mood with lighting, she suggests uplighting such as a small spotlight set on the floor behind couches or sofas, picture lights, or lamps set on sideboards or within bookshelves. If it's your child's room that needs updating, look for ways to change the room that can develop as a child grows. To divide the two colors, she adds a picture rail molding or a narrow bookshelf to create display place for a child's treasures.