Red Zinger's Profile

I started painting my apartments in about 2004; I'd already been renting for almost a decade, and while I wasn't ready to buy, I couldn't stand the anonymity any longer. One thing I found: As a nonsmoking professional adult with no pets and decent credit, potential landlords wanted me as a renter. So I used that and asked upfront, before anything was signed and as a potential condition of moving in, whether I could paint. Everyone was fine with it, though they all asked for no dark colors, a condition I didn't mind. Essentially, they usually have to repaint between tenants anyway. It's not that big a thing for them. They mostly fine people just as a way to get cash. But if you ask upfront, a lot of them will go for it. If you know in advance that you intend to sign for more than one year, that is a huge bargaining chip and almost any landlord will agree to painted walls in order to ensure regular tenancy of the apartment.

I made a few mistakes with paint colors over the years! But when I finally bought my first place, I had the benefit of that experience and ended up with colors I love.

I worried so much about letting my emotions run away with me when I bought my first house that I almost made the opposite mistake, namely not thinking about what really mattered to me. When I walked in the house I now own for the first time, I adored it ... and did not trust that emotion. Came very close to putting down an offer on something else newer, squarer, more beige. But finally I couldn't resist this one, old though it may be. I sat through the lengthy, detailed inspection on tenterhooks, only to hear that the house is in fantastic shape and has been maintained perfectly. This was the house for my heart AND my head. So don't be afraid to fall in love a little bit!

Use the bathroom before you get on any form of public transit. You will never regret this.

There are things you'll only learn through relationships and love, and things you'll only learn in solitude. Both are valuable.

Make your sins worthwhile. In other words, don't get fat on Mickey D's and store-brand ice cream sandwiches, but definitely take a slice of your grandma's cake at Thanksgiving or order the steak at that bistro on your once-in-a-lifetime adventure in Paris. Don't waste your money on impulse buys for crappy junk that doesn't mean anything; do spend as much as you can for something you love that will be useful and beautiful for a long time to come.

Be grateful for every single day.

Everyone in the world is fighting a hard battle, and most of them are battles you can't see. So be kind every chance you get.

Happiness is, for most of us, more a matter of our individual choice than anything else. If you're waiting on money/success/a significant other/kids/possession/etc. to make you happy, you will spend a lot of time being miserable.

Spend less time judging other people's actions and choices and more time examining your own.

As I just moved into a new place, I've been in a real tumult of decorating for a while now -- but I do know what they're talking about here. Because I like how it's coming together, and I can tell: Once I get this settled in the next few weeks, I'm not going to want to change a single thing for years. Interior decorating is one thing that's much more about the destination than the journey!

Love the idea of the test tubes!

I like Sarah's stuff, particularly how she shows real reno problems and how they can be solved (or how you have to compromise). That said, I've actually learned the most from Emily Henderson. I feel like Emily's show kind of has a cutesiness problem with its format, but she's the only one who regularly pulls out different colors/textures/patterns/pieces and talks about WHY they create a certain mood instead of just saying that they do. As for Candice Olson, I agree that her rooms are a little predictable, but she is the absolute best at use of space. There is no nook or cranny she can't work with to maximum potential, so even though her designs aren't my style, I watch Candice's show to see that element.

I wish people would stop putting the emphasis on weight loss, which seems to bring out the judgmental in some folks and the defensive in others. I wish the emphasis were on health. Since changing my diet (pretty radical changes, cutting out almost all meat and minimizing processed foods), I've lost 20 pounds -- but what matters more to me is that I am healthier. I have more energy. I sleep better. My attention span is improved. And honestly, the food is so much tastier! Life's too short to fill yourself with junk.

If I someday become a bajillionaire, I'd want a Rothko. If this somehow fails to happen, I have been craving an Elizabeth Slomka piece --

I just bought my first place a couple months ago, and I have to say, while I was shopping, I never once considered paint as a pro or con. I assumed I would be painting anyplace I moved into and was determined to look at the bones of a house, not the easiest stuff to change. The home I bought did have painted walls -- a couple beige rooms, but also pale blue, pale yellow and spring green. They were all tasteful and attractive, and made the home look more pulled-together. I'm leaving the kitchen the same color -- and that was the one with the boldest choice! Frankly, I think it all boils down to whether or not you have taste and whether the apartment has furniture. If you have a tastefully decorated apartment with paint colors that work with the space, I bet it's a plus. If you have a weakness for bold primary shades, or if your house is empty and going for "blank slate" appeal, white or beige might serve you better.