Discover An Amazingly Simple Yet Effective way to Rejuvenate your San Francisco apartment.

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 painting techniques used exclusively by San Francisco Painters and designers.

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 the old San Francisco 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.

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