I receive many e-mails from kids -- particularly girls around 10 years old -- who have watched my shows and know I believe they can choose great colours and designs.

Our rooms should be extensions of who we are and what we hold dear. Freedom of expression at any age is a wonderful gift. That said, some guidance has its place, and parents or myself can help.

Last week I heard from a polite young lady who wanted to paint her room hot pink. She wanted a grown up look even though she isn't grown up.

Well, Kayla, a whole room painted hot pink would be bold, cheerful and surprising, and few adults have the courage to go this wild.

A bedroom drenched in hot colour will be tiring -- kind of like too much of a good thing -- so my advice is to use your favourite colour as an accent.

On your blue walls, you could mark off thin stripes, about three inches wide around the room. Vary the distance between the stripes, change their width or paint the background any muted shade of orange, green or pink. Experiment with colour combinations on a piece of cardboard until you find your favourite.

Another option is to paint one wall hot pink such as the wall behind your bed, and choose a softer colour for the rest of the room, just like the background of the stripes.

But the walls are only part of the picture. What about furniture? A desk top, book shelves or chest of drawers can be painted every few years as your tastes change. Inexpensive laminates can be painted as long as you prepare the surface carefully.

Paint will not stick to a slippery surface, so use sand paper or a sanding block to rough up the shine. Sand until the surface is dull, then wipe clean and dry.

The next step is a coat of high adhesion paint primer. Ask the paint store for a primer designed to cover slippery surfaces. Let the primer dry overnight. Now apply two coats of water-based paint, latex or acrylic and let dry. For a more durable finish, use semigloss or high gloss paint. Your hot pink will dazzle with a highly reflective sheen.

Most of the bedroom shown is white but the pink shelf top and blue accessories really stand out. Add a hot pink blanket at the foot of the bed, and a lamp or shade to match. Many accessories are brimming with colour to give you all the pink you crave. Your room will look pretty cool, and I'd forget about the grown up bit for now.

This column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. E-mail questions to house2home@debbietravis.com.