Q: I am decorating my bathroom and find that too much tile feels cold. Would you recommend wallpaper in a bathroom, or would it peel off with the humidity? -- Frederico

A: Your timing is perfect for this question. Wallpaper is back, and is being used in every room, including the bathroom. The quality of the paper and the glue is far superior to the last huge wave of papers in the '70s and '80s. As long as you have ventilation of some sort, which I'm sure you have, you should not have any peeling problems. Wallpaper is a warmer alternative to tile, which you can save for the bath and shower area.

Organic shapes and materials create a peaceful ambiance in this bathroom. The images and gentle tones of gold and beige in the floral paper set the mood, enhanced by simple wood accessories. White becomes a clean fresh accent that complements the neutral tones.

Q: I've just installed light oak flooring on the upstairs hallway, bedrooms and stairs. The main floor open-concept living/dining room is large, and I thought it would be quite dramatic to install darker wood, such as cherry. The darker wood would meet at the stairs. Would this look OK? Are there rules about mixing wood tones? -- Elaine

A: We have been mixing woods for centuries in the form of pattern and design. When you mix colors on one level, this can chop up today's open-plan spaces. But in your case, having the darker main floor meet at the stairs will be fine. Another option is to choose a focal area such as your dining-room table and inlay some light oak as a detail. It would tie in the two woods and heighten the sense of drama that you are looking for.

Q: We've just finished building a cottage on a shoestring. We did most of the work ourselves. We're going to paint the plywood kitchen floor, which we figure will last us for a few years until we can afford to install real wood or stone. I have seen you paint floors on your show and wonder how to do a floor that looks like slate. Thanks for all your great ideas. -- Georgette

A: Painting your plywood floor is a perfect way to get the look of expensive stone without the expense. Look for paint designed for floors, as it is more durable. You also can use regular latex or acrylic paint, but to seal and protect a painted floor, finish with four coats of varnish, waiting four hours between coats. It takes a bit of time to paint a floor properly, but the results are worth it. To create the look of slate, choose two or three shades of dark gray and blue. (Study a real piece of slate, and you will notice the color and shade variations.) Prime the plywood and paint a light-gray base coat. This will be the color of the grout lines. Using thin strips of painter's tape, tape off realistic-size slabs of slate. Work in sections of about 3 square feet; roll on the paint colors randomly, overlapping so the colors blend together a bit. Press a plastic sheet over the wet paint and pull it off to reveal the lines and markings you would see in slate. When all the tiles are

done, remove the tape, revealing the gray grout lines, and varnish with gloss varnish.

As well as for a floor, this is an effective faux finish for a table top, mantel or fireplace surround -- anywhere slate could be used.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. She can be reached at house2home@debbietravis.com.