THE ART OF ILLUSION. Sometimes you just have to make the most of what you’ve got. Read on as I tackle common household roadblocks with a little creative thinking and a lot of dependable designer tricks.

A mis-matched collection of dining chairs become a chic set with a few coats of black paint.

Problem: Nicks in wood furniture

Solution: Stain markers and pencils. Don’t want to part with your imperfect but charming antique table? Instead of refinishing, try using stain pens to fill in the scratches and nicks. The key is to match the tone of your wood to the correct pen shade. Find Minwax Wood Finish Stain Markers at your local hardware store; they are available in 9 shades.

Problem: Mismatched dining chairs

Solution: Paint! Make your incomplete collection into a set by uniting them with one solid color. Play it safe with white or add a bold punch with a saturated hue. Prepping the chairs for a smooth finish is of utmost importance. Sand off any existing finish with coarse sandpaper, then move on to fine grain sandpaper to get a smooth finish.  Use spray paint that is tailored to the material you are trying to cover.

Problem: Room with a puny view

Solution: Fake it with oversized treatments. Try buying a wider drapery rod than necessary and extend panels a few feet beyond each edge of the window.  Alternately, use wider and longer outside mount roman shades to create the same effect.

Problem: Uneven or cracked walls

Solution: Flat Paint. Flat paint hides imperfections in walls because it absorbs light instead of reflecting it off every crack and uneven surface. Cleaning is not as simple as satin finish paint, but it’s much easier to touch up.

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