South of the Border Family Room

Host David Bromstad pushes homeowners with all beige walls and traditional tastes closer to the design edge. Using saturated colors, he introduces a south-of-the-border style into their family room.

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Hide CaptionShow CaptionTapping into the architectural style of Mexico, Bromstad creates a feature out of the fireplace wall by refacing the built-ins.

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After: Stylish Heritage

Arches bring in that Southwestern style and unite the shelving into one large-scale unit. To tie the wood in with the rest of the wood in the room, Bromstad does a color wash using paint and a spray bottle of water. The water thins the paint so the grain and knots of the wood show through, maintaining that natural, rustic feel. To bring color to the shelving, Bromstad places earthenware pottery all over the room.

When you've got a great architectural feature, play it up. Bromstad highlights the vaulted ceilings by hanging wrought iron medallions. As an architectural feature, they bring some of the Southwestern design into a previously untapped space.