House Beautiful

I am buying paint this morning!

I love to paint. I used to do quite a bit of painting. The arrival of John and Ainsley slowed down my House Beautiful efforts, and, not surprisingly, as these little cherubs have grown, they have aided and abetted in the rapid demise of walls, floors, and baseboards.

The undeniable truth? Every room in this house could use a face lift, some rooms pretty badly.

I've learned a lot about House Beautiful projects in my fifteen years as a home owner. I have shared my thoughts on Do It Yourself projects and their uncanny ability to foment marital discord  sharpen communication skills and increase sales at the local florist help couples practice conflict resolution.

But Dave and I, well, we're above all that petty bickering.

Anyways . . . Here's what I've learned about paint:

1. Yellow Banana -- as pretty as it may look on a chip -- will wind up being just as gaudy as it sounds.

2. Antique White and Dover White -- though they appear identical on paper -- look glaringly different in the light of day.

3. One coat coverage is an urban legend.

4. With paint brushes, you absolutely get what you pay for.

5. Doing a shock and awe paint job while a toddler is napping is a recipe for frustration and flaring tempers.

6. It is sad but true that you can't really tell how a color will look until you've added the second coat.

7. That being said, you can write off a large measure of dissatisfaction by just finishing the job.   I have a friend who routinely starts from scratch if the result is less than ideal. Me? I firmly embrace, "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush." That red that is a touch too purple? The Yellow Banana that's too yellow? In the words of Lady Macbeth, "What's done is done."

8. In the dining room, hallway, bathroom -- well, in  pretty much any room a child enters -- buying washable paint is worth the extra bucks. You can wash cheap paint . . . and wash it right off the wall.

9. Be bold; be adventurous. Paint is cheaper and less risky than dyeing your hair. Most of my walls are green, my kitchen cabinets are fire engine red, and my bedroom is -- drum roll, please - Yellow Banana.

Paint - fairly cheap, fairly easy transformation. Love it. Can't wait to see the hallway transformed.