I’m just going to be honest here, my husband, Tom, and I don’t always agree on things. I know, it’s a big shocker to many married people.

For instance, when deciding between Guttergard and new family room furniture in our previous house, you probably can guess what my choice was; I wasn’t all that concerned about the leaves.

It gets really bad when we are discussing the value of something inherited by family. Typically he is ready to park my family heirlooms by the curb, while items such as old engines from cars gone by seem to take center stage in our garage, just waiting to be used in their next life. Seriously?

So, let me just say, we have been moving my Grandma’s maple dining room hutch with us for the last 25 years. Tom, of course, did not see the value of it until during one move the movers broke the glass, only to ?nd out it was depression glass that was irreplaceable. Trust me, after that claim, antique took on a whole new meaning.

I have to admit, though, I’ve always struggled to ?nd the right spot and use for this hutch. By today’s standards, it’s a little small to be true dining room hutch. And I never seemed to have the right wall or right room that gave the heirloom its rightful place in our home.

Many times, I’ve considered painting it, but Tom thinks it’s a CRIME to paint “perfectly good” wood. But, maple just didn’t seem to ?t anymore. I desperately needed to re:purpose this old piece of furniture so I could fall in love with it again. So I did what any good wife would do: I painted it.

And I put it in our keeping room, which is much smaller scale than our dining room, giving Granny’s hutch the center stage it deserves. She would be proud. She also might ?nd her favorite night cap there, as I now use it as a cocktail bar…..genius, I know. Even Tom liked that idea.