Color Inspiration: We knew that we wanted a bright nursery, full of fun primary colors. I selected a neutral color (Behr's Burnished Clay) for the walls, to create a neutral backdrop that could be punctuated with colorful furniture and accessories. I also painted one of the walls with chalkboard paint, which gives us a place to draw pictures and leave little notes for Lila. (Her cousins have a lot of fun with that wall, too!) We really wanted a space that could grow and evolve as Lila grows up.

Color Inspiration continued: Our jumping-off point was the lovely afghan that my mother made for Lila, which contains every color in the rainbow. We painted my childhood dresser and table a fun, bright green and lacquered the kid-sized rocking chair from my own nursery with a vibrant yellow spray paint. The fabric for the crib skirt came from JoAnne fabrics.

Then we found the "Imaginary Castle" wall decal (a Patrick Hruby design) at Blik, and the color scheme really came together! I decided to complement the old Russian design of the decal by bringing in my collection of nesting dolls. When our families saw them displayed they offered to contribute their own dolls, so our two shelves are filled with beautiful, colorful "matryoshki" that have been collected by several generations of family members.

Tip for Using Color: Follow your heart if you find an image, a fabric, or another item that inspires you. Don't worry about creating sets or getting everything to match, and don't be afraid to use color in an unexpected way (like a very brightly colored dresser or crib). A child's room should be a fun and creative space!

Colors Used: Wall color: Burnished Clay, Behr. Trim color: Cloud White, Benjamin Moore. Dresser and table: Green Grass, Behr. Rocking chair: Yellow spray paint, Rustoleum. Accents of red, orange, yellow, shades of green and blue

Thanks for your colorful entry Marcella and good luck!

What's at stake? Bragging rights AND $1000 worth of prizes from P'kolino!