DIY Decorating: One Look, Two Rooms

This living room in a pink-and-green color scheme is kept subtle thanks to the monochromatic walls and sparing use of color. To dress up the room, ready-to-assemble cabinets were raised up; custom doors were added and topped with a bridge to make them look like a built-in masterpiece.

Paint the bookcase the same color as the trim to help trick the eye into believing they are built-in units.

To create out-of-sight storage, doors were added to the bottom shelves of the cabinets. Made of medium-density fiberboard (MDF), the doors are installed with concealed hinges.

Punch up open-front bookshelves by lining the back with wallpaper. To avoid permanent application, cut foam-core board to fit the shelf back and apply the paper to that. The shelves keep the board in place.

Add dressmaker's details such as covered button and ribbon trim to store-bought curtains to give them a custom, pricey look. Don't sew? Attach ribbon using fusible web and an iron.

Frame scrapbooking paper, available in an array of trendy colors and funky patterns, for easy and inexpensive artwork that perfectly suits your room's color scheme.

In addition to storage space, the new top shelf and molding provide a recessed spot to hide the curtain rod.

Using elements from the living room, the bedroom has the same fresh color scheme. But to kick it up a notch, a bold pink paint was added below the chair rail along with a heavier dose of colorful accents.

The coffee table from the living room becomes an end-of-bed bench topped with chair cushions and storage baskets in the middle.

Using fabric scraps from your room, this shade gets an instant makeover. Here is how to do it:

1. Lay out your fabrics leaving varying widths.

2. Hot glue the pieces into place.

3. Cover the fabric's edges with ribbon.

4. Finish the shade by gluing a ribbon trim around the top and bottom of the shade.

The throw pillows from the living room work perfectly on the soft green bedding.

The scrapbook paper art gets a face-lift with family photos glued over the papers.

This cornice was created out of MDF to match the molding and the cabinets in the room.