Close your eyes and imagine.

What should the room look like? A summer garden filled with trees and flowers, bordered by a white picket fence? The pages of your favorite story book come to life? Every boy's Comic dream, complete with a life-sized Spiderman on the closet door? A busy construction site with dump trucks and cement mixers circling?

What about the ultimate sports room with lockers, a scoreboard, logos and players.

You want your kid's room to be fun and interesting. You want it to stimulate. Plus, it's great fun for you too.

What are you waiting for?

Well, it is easy to be intimidated by such a project, so your anxiety is understandable. But never fear... it really is not that complicated.

• Identify the room or rooms you want personalized.

• Give me a call and set up a time for us to get together.

• Gather any reference materials: books, pages from magazines, cartoons.

• And relax. You're on your way!

A mural or other custom decorative elements in your child's room helps establish a fun, exciting and interesting environment.

Once you have chosen the room you would like personalized, you are ready to move forward. Some parents have an idea of what they want long before they contact me. For the bedroom of a child who's a big baseball fan, the choice can be obvious. Other families may need some suggestions.

I am always happy to make recommendations and come up with ideas. But, in the end, it is your home, so a little (or a lot of) direction from the client can go along way in ensuring a finished product everyone is excited about.

Once you have selected a theme and location, collect images from magazines, photographs, books, the Internet-- any reference material you have will be a big help. Never fear: I have artwork for many of the popular cartoons and lots of reference material.

One five year old wanted a specific picture of one dinosaur eating another as depicted in his favorite book.

No, I did not make that up.

Murals vary in size and scope-- never underestimate what a few small custom elements can add to the room. In other words, you don't have to cover the room or even an entire wall with paint to make a dramatic statement. And you don't have to spend a fortune.

Here is how a typical project goes:

• You send me an e-mail or call me (301-806-3551) and we set up an appointment for me to see the space and discuss your thoughts for the project.
• We meet, and you pass along all of your ideas. I will take any necessary measurements, talk about a schedule, and then get back to you with an estimate. Every mural is custom-designed so prices vary depending on size and detail.
• Once the specifics are settled, we can pick out a day or days to do the work. If you have examples of books or other artwork for reference, I will collect that and map things out for your approval.
• I am very familiar with the 'Sacred Nap Schedule', and of course I can work around them. But if there is any possible way to have access to the room for an uninterrupted period of day(s) that would be best. Besides, it will save you money and time in the long run.
• I will come ready to work. Before you know it everything will be done, and your child will be back in his/her room or play area enjoying the new surroundings.

Relax, and enjoy -- this sort of thing should be fun, right?