Introduction

"Pink and green make a punchy color pair," designer Peggy Johnston says. "Walk through almost any store and it's easy to see that pink and green is a strong color trend." Johnston says there are many ways to interpret this complementary palette in paint, but she was inspired by fabrics and ready-made items at retail stores. "I found comforters, pillows, and fabrics were a great place to get ideas for pink-and-green paint treatments," she says.

Fabric covering a lampshade and a flower motif on an accent pillow inspired Johnston to create two mod-looking wall stamps. To make the stamps, she stacked several layers of adhesive-back crafts foam in the desired shapes onto Plexiglas holders. She used a hole punch to make polka dots. "Simple, graphic shapes work best for these stamps," Johnston says.

Other fabrics spurred her to create a two-tone green-stripe treatment and a retro combed-swirl design. Decorative painter Patricia Mohr Kramer brought the designs to life using a variety of paint techniques.

Both designer and painter believe the palette works for a variety of spaces. "This palette reminds me of a room I had as a child," Kramer says. "I loved it!" She believes pink and green are perfect for a girl's room but says the addition of intense burgundy and bright chartreuse makes the palette more sophisticated. "I could see an edgier, mature version of the pink-and-green palette in a first apartment," she says. For grown-up spaces Kramer also suggests using subdued colors for walls and zesty colors, in small quantities, for accents.

Designer: Peggy Johnston; Decorative painter: Patricia Mohr Kramer