Wake up a tired piece of furniture by giving the legs a glossy enamel finish. We updated a classic wing chair with sunny yellow oil paint.

A painted staircase "runner" can bring bold color to a small space. Try a shade that links the upstairs and downstairs, or consider a combination of tones that packs a visual punch, such as these stripes.

Get the look with Martha Stewart Living Paint Color in Washed Denim and Egg Yolk at the Home Depot. 

Order a Tester of Washed Denim 

Order a Tester of Egg Yolk

Like a wall liberated from its structural duties, a folding screen can be called on at a moment's notice to serve any number of purposes. It divides space, bars passage, creates privacy, or hides disappointing views.

Whether you are furnishing a home office from scratch or just adding to one, a sleek, lacquered finish on metal furniture makes a bold statement.

Transform a traditional piece of bedroom furniture into a multitasking mini office, complete with bulletin board and filing cabinet.

A solid old door, refinished and hung sideways, becomes a perfect -- and perfectly inexpensive -- headboard for a bed.

You may relegate yellow to the kitchen or a bathroom, but take a chance with this warm tone and the rewards will be tangible. By itself, the citron yellow on this Victorian chest seemed pallid. But a rich, honeyed drawer trim -- not an obvious choice -- galvanized it.

Get the look with a Martha Stewart Living Paint Color in Haystack (chest) and Egg Yolk (trim) at the Home Depot. 

Order a Tester of Haystack

Order a Tester of Egg Yolk

This inexpensive basket can be painted and fitted with caster wheels -- making it a helpful storage space all around the house.

These cheerful tables relax the straight lines in this modern living room. For simple serving, detach a tray from its stool base and load it up in the kitchen.

A woven linenlike texture on this tabletop accentuates the piece's clean lines, while distressed legs add character. The table is suited to a game room, but it would function just as well in a kitchen, as the crosshatching brings to mind a tablecloth, even where there isn't one.

Embellish a caned piece of furniture with a painted geometric design. In one step, you have added color and depth to a room.

Get the look with Martha Stewart Living Paint Color in Driftwood Gray (bed) and Tailor's Chalk (accent white) at the Home Depot. 

Order a Tester of Driftwood Gray

Order a Tester of Tailor's Chalk

Combine inexpensive, unfinished cubes to create a larger structure, and then treat it to a dose of style. Here, circular knobs, curvy feet, and two tones of sage-green paint evoke cool elegance.

The interior rails of three beleaguered bistro chairs form the legs of this petite side table, which has been painted a mellow shade of yellow.

A customized camp stool makes for more than just a convenient seat. Artfully refurbished, it will function as a nifty side table in a sunroom or on a porch.