Hate It; Paint It

 I had a newly married friend in the days before love relationships with credit cards. She found an old divan that she and her mate placed in their student apartment. She hated the colour, but students don't have a lot of cash. What to do? She painted it green, cover and all, and it looked new.  She told me that those who came to visit went away, sadly, with "greenseat-itis". She was in the medical field. Now, budget stretched people use credit cards to solve these tricky problems. But the end of the month rolls around and it's either pay up  or fend  off  doing the interest percentage. Right? We all have a piece of furniture or other decor item that we hate. We don't mind the shape or the way it fits in, but the colour? Yuk. Some decades ago, I inherited a lot of antiques ( I use the term loosely) and whatever colour happened to be in vogue that season, the piece mysteriously changed like a chameleon and after, sat proudly in the newest shade. The antique piano was now turquoise with gold trim, the bedroom set of drawers, a sophisticated green with new brass pulls and the two hundred year old "lady chair" with no arms due to the size of ball gowns in those days, remained in its original wood but the brocade that was worn, was now a soft black. The matching step stool in the same newly painted fabric stood guard. All thanks to acrylic paint that did not rub off as my friend's had. As time went on, a set of decorative vases that I used, not for flowers, but as accents, were painted numerous times, due to the latest magazine hues that were "in". Decor  style lasts about three years and that's when the mavens sell their major pieces such as tables and couches. But with paint, you need not. Get some paint. Lamp bases are easy as slapping on a new colour as with any other piece.  But true antiques that you really love, should be kept respectfully in their original wood. Still, you can paint the fabrics on them, or add a small pile of books you have painted in the latest colours.  Corners  are easy to do without painting whole walls.  In a new condo your paint is all fresh and perfect but over a year or two, with vacuum nicks and furniture bashes and move in and out scrapes, you need to touch up those paint nicks. The easiest way is to look for the identical shade on the nail polish rack. Nail polish is paint, the best of paint, and you don't need to spend a whole lot for a big tin when all you need is a dab or two. With my white walls, cupboard, window and door frames, I use white matte nail polish. A little dab here and there, off and on, and the place remains pristine. Even that chip in the old sink can be daubed with your nail polish. Okay, it wears off but a bottle of nail polish goes a long way, too.  Hmm. My old red car has a few nicks, I wonder ....  You know those earrings or pin that you adore that aren't quite the right shade? Off to the nail polish rack at your favorite drug store. And if you have a garment that you want to match your earrings to, ahem ahem. I found an old "pearl" ring that my mother had, the kind she bought for cheap in Hawaii, its gold genuine, but the pearl found by the "diver" who didn't dive other than into her wallet wore off? The pearl, its nacre re-done with none other than pearl nail polish looks new again. Excuse me, I see that my computer monitor has a chip. Now where did I put that black nail polish?