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Patricia took a seat at her best friend’s kitchen table. Tammy was at the stove, waiting for the water in the kettle to boil.

“It’s so nice of you to invite me over for afternoon tea,” Pat told her.

“My pleasure,” Tammy left the kettle to its own devices for a moment and put a plate of cookies on the table.

Pat selected a sandwich cookie out of the pile, and took a bite. She tried to concentrate on the flavor of chocolate and cream, instead of the peeling paint on the faded yellow walls. Apparently, she wasn’t as discreet as she would’ve liked.

“This kitchen looks terrible, doesn’t it,” Tammy observed.

Feeling guilty, Pat hastened to reassure her friend. “It’s not so bad. I’ve seen worse.”

“In a horror movie.” The kettle began to whistle. Tammy put it out of its misery by removing it from the heat, then poured them each a cup of Earl Grey. “I’ve been after Doug for years to get this house painted and now I put my foot down. No more delays!”

“Really?” Pat was surprised.

“Yes! I made it an ultimatum.” Tammy opened a kitchen drawer, took out a brochure, then handed to Patricia as she sat down. “I brought this home the other day and told Doug that he will get this house spruced up before the end of the year, or else!”

Patricia took a look. It was called Count on Color, and was full of painting and decorating ideas.

“I had no idea that light or dark tones made such an impact on the look of a room, Patricia said.”

“Me either.”

“It’s true,” Tammy said. “Your color choices reflect your personality.”

“They sure do.” The photo on the next page made Pat gasp. “Oh, look at this lovely living room. It’s so cozy!”

“How about this corner,” Tammy asked. “It’s such a good use of a small space. Colorful too.”

“Here’s a luxurious dining room.”

“And rooms for fun!”

“Some paint options offer a more formal look!”

“There’s nothing like a bright, white kitchen!”

“It all depends on your definition of white,” Patricia said. “It’s basic, yet there are so many different shades. When you move onto other colors, the choices only multiply. How in the world do you choose?”

“Dutch Boy takes care of that,” Tammy said.

“What do you think about a bright color scheme?”

Patricia wrinkled her nose. “I think it’s a little too strong.”

“How about modern styles?”

“Oh, no,” Patricia was firm. “I guess I am a bit of a traditionalist. I don’t care for that modern look at all!”

“You’re right. There’s far too much brown on this wall.” Tammy flipped the page. “Here’s a better option.”

“Yes, soft effects are far more attractive,” Patricia said.

“This is how I want my kitchen to look,” Tammy just decided.

“Good choice. Bright yellow is far better than the faded version you have now,” Patricia observed.

“I wish I could get Doug to paint the rest of the house to while we’re at it,” Tammy said. “This would be great for Jimmy’s room.”

“Or this!”

“We could spruce up the bathroom or hall too.”

Patricia sighed. “I’m jealous. I would love to add some sparkle to our house.”

“Ted is being so gracious in buying that new entertainment unit for us complete with a television set. I wouldn’t dare ask him to spend any more money right now.”

“Look Pat.” Tammy pointed to the lower right corner of the open page.

“See how that color goes quite nicely with this television unit. It makes all the difference.”

“In every room,” Pat agreed.

“New paint makes everything is so cheerful,” Tammy said.

“Since we’re dreaming of a fantasy renovation, we could paint the outside of our houses too,” Pat added.

“Or we might as well go all the way with our daydreams and buy a fantastic new home to go along with the paint job!”

The girls broke out in laughter. “Like that would happen,” Tammy said.

“Not in our lifetimes,” Pat agreed.

Tammy put the pamphlet down. I’ll just be happy to get this kitchen redone.”

“And I’ll enjoy watching my new television set, in my faded old living room,” Pat declared!

The front door creaked as it opened, followed by a set of male voices which grew louder as they approached the kitchen.

“Oh, Pat, there you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.” Words tumbled in a rush from the lips of her husband, Ted. “Doug’s going to repaint his kitchen and I think we should spruce up our living room before our new TV set arrives.” Ted held a duplicate of the painting brochure in his hand. “Take a look at this suggestion”

“What do you think?”

Pat stood up and kissed Ted on the cheek. “I think I have the very best husband in the whole world.”

“One of the best,” Tammy countered as she went to greet her own spouse.

“Okay,” Patricia agreed. “We’ll call it a tie.”

So, the two couples we’re about to turn their homes into mid-century modern palaces. How nice that we got to take a look, thanks to GVS. Glorious Vintage Stuff!