Update Your Decor With Easy Paint Projects

Paint Crown Molding

Tips and tricks: Painting crown moldings a color that contrasts slightly with the walls can give a room a crisp, tailored look and create an appealing frame for works of art. In general, avoid dark colors, which attract too much attention to the moldings. "You want to draw the eye to the furnishings in the room, like a fancy lamp, and not the ceiling," says color consultant James Martin, a Denver-based consultant whose firm specializes in forecasting color trends. However, if the ceiling is so high that it is out of proportion to the room, a high-contrast ribbon of paint can help make the space feel less vast.

Best paint for the job: Choose high-gloss or semigloss, says Filian: "Matte doesn't have the same kind of kick."