It's no secret a fresh coat of paint can liven a room or object up.  What's interesting though is when painting wood is involved.  We get funny about this.  Find me a DIY'er who hasn't encountered this dilemma before.  They are few and far between.  Also interesting is how fierce some opinions are, those who are totally horrified to see/discover you've painted some piece of wood, whether it be trim, furniture, floors, or doors. I fall squarely in the pro-paint camp, however I do have limits (and there are always exceptions to the rules).  I read once that if you've got great wood in a room, let it stand out.  Don't drown it out with more wood.  So, to show how paint can add pop I've pulled together five projects where paint really did make the difference. 1. Make a bold statement with your doors. Making the hardwood the focus, painting this door not only makes the floors shine, but also let's the door shine too. 2. Take a boring mantle and make it a feature. This mantle was beyond boring before it was transformed with a few coats of paint....   3. Breathe new life into old furniture with a fresh coat of paint and new fabric.     4.  A little paint goes a long way for this old mirror.     5.  Paint made all the difference with this old piece of furniture (found on the side of the road!).  Now it not only commands attention, it allows the antique wood coffee table in the room to shine as well. Are you itching to paint something? I say go for it.  You never know how much it can do for a space until you try.