Have you ever made a bold color choice that didn't pan out? How'd you fix it?

When I was little, I insisted my room be painted lilac—the walls and the floor! I paired it with a green plaid bedspread. I like to think my interior design skills have improved since then. PAIGE MCCARTHY COLUMBUS, OHIO

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My husband and I went to the Bahamas and were spellbound by Nassau's colorful architecture. When we returned home, we longed to import that island vibe to the exterior of our house. The painters got to work, and my husband called to say, “It looks like Pepto-Bismol.” That was an understatement. We decided to dilute the pink paint with gallons of white paint, and we came up with a “custom blend.”

CINDY HU SAN FRANCISCO

I have a very large kitchen and decided to paint it buttercup yellow, which ended up being a little too bright. I calmed things down by wallpapering the bottom of the walls with a white washboard print. It did the trick! I love it!

BARBARA SHEA SPRINGFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA

In my first apartment, I painted the tiny kitchen a dark emerald green, thinking I was being dramatic. It was awful! How did we fix it? We left it until we were ready to move into our first house. It took six coats of paint to cover it up!

LINDA HEINSEN NORTON, MASSACHUSETTS

I decided to experiment with a terracotta palette. Sadly, my warm orange tone turned out to be a cross between circus orange and a horrible shade of pink. I thought adding accessories would tone it down. Nope. I ended up repainting it one night after my children went to bed.

TONALEE SHINABERY-KING CONVOY, OHIO