Discover an Amazingly Simple Yet Effective Way to Rejuvenate Your Apartment

[Jerome White]

Many older apartments in San Francisco have special charm and appeal
not always found in some of the more modern apartments. The problem is
how to camouflage the tell-tale age signs of an old apartment with out
spending a lot of money. The solution is modern quality paints.
One of the most noticeable age signs is cracked walls. Expensive
replastering is unnecessary when a texture paint is used. The heavy
consistency of texture paint, fills small holes and cracks and
completely hides patches and scares. The rough plaster-like finish is
most attractive and blends with every type of decor.
Another decorative dressing for wounded walls is multi-color paint,
which produces a pattern of two or more color combinations in one
painting application. This colorful coating is particularly suited to
old-fashioned kitchens and bathrooms. While enamel has often been
recommended for these rooms, a multi-color finish will be even more
eye-catching and will divert attention from old appliances and
plumbing.
Multi-color paints also come in color combinations containing gold or
silver flecks. These more formal patterns will enhance the living
room, dining room or bedroom. All multi-color patterns are durable as
well as attractive. The random color design helps to hide dirt smudges
and surface irregularities.
One problem of the old-fashioned apartment is the long hall which
leads to all or most of the rooms. This often can resemble a bowling
alley lined with doors. To make a hallway brighter and more cheerful
and to eliminate the dull pattern of door after door after door, paint
door panels in a bright color that matches the interior of the
specific room. This will create interest for the hall and add another
decorative touch to each individual room.
Ceilings in old apartments are usually quite high. If this feature
pleases you, call attention to it by painting the ceiling white, or a
very pale tint. However, if you would prefer the ceilings to look
lower, paint them a deeper color than the walls. The ceiling does not
have to be a lighter or darker version of the walls. A completely
contrasting ceiling is most effective in many rooms.
When floors have gone beyond the scraping and waxing stage, latex
floor enamels can work magic. They dry rapidly and come in a multitude
of colors, including the natural wood tones. It's colorful and
handsome to paint the floor to match the rug or the rug border. Of
course, a black floor is very good looking. Paint it any color you
like, but by all means paint it. Nothing is more unattractive than
dingy wood floors.
Finally, there are miscellaneous features of the old apartment which
can be greatly improved with paint. Take the aged overhead lighting
fixture that looks dull and dingy, Instead of trying to camouflage it,
paint it a bright eye-catching color. Make it an interesting part of
the room's decor.
Radiators should get the opposite treatment. Nothing could be
attractive about these objects. Paint them to match the wall behind
them. Never paint them a different color or with one of the gold or
silver metallic coatings. This would make them stand out like sore
thumbs, and the metallic coatings tend to reduce heat output.
Always paint the woodwork to match the walls unless the trim is
particularly decorative. In the latter case, painting it a contrasting
color will make the trim an integral part of the wall treatment.
Rooms which open into each other should be decorated in harmonizing
colors. At San Francisco painters we never treat the two rooms
separately. They will look far more attractive when treated jointly,
using the same colors for both. This doesn't mean that the color
schemes must be identical, Not at all. But do use one of the accent
colors of the first room as the predominating color in the second.
This color harmony is very pleasing.