WE'VE BEGUN MANY PROJECTS since moving to the country. There is all that space, and you have all those ideas. Some initiatives get finished. Others languish as more important matters intervene, or you lose interest or change your vision. As I write this, my neck is kinked and my nails are spattered with white paint after a marathon weekend of painting. I finally finished painting the kitchen and adjoining stairwell. I began in good faith several years ago, but stuff kept happening. We launched three children into university studies. I finished a degree myself, and then had the opportunity to become involved with Acreage Life, the perfect fit for my own acreage life. Summers, we were occupied with the yard and gardens. Winters, we were moving snow, or trying to move snow-trapped vehicles. I'll get to the kitchen soon, I vowed, ignoring the fact that I really don't like painting very much. The cheerful green masking tape with which I'd so optimistically edged the tiled stairs became a reproach. It got dingy, thanks to our dog's muddy paws. Yet the tape didn't budge with repeated washings. Having dried in place, it would require scraping, if I ever returned to the task. When I was growing up in this house, exciting things happened when it was my mother's turn to host a meeting of the Patience Lake Homemakers. Walls were painted, curtains sewn, bathrooms retrofitted, new carpeting installed. Friends tell me a family wedding or reunion also promotes speedy home renovations. Even without an urgent deadline, I eventually buckled down to my painting. When I did, I discovered a new type of masking tape, perfect for procrastinators like me. Labelling on the blue roll guarantees the tape will release well within two weeks. It worked as advertised ... but the work dragged on more than a few weeks. Taping and painting in the cramped space above the cabinets was awkward, and I managed only a bit at a time. Annoyingly, the beige paint still showed through in places; three coats were required. With supplies running low, I returned to the paint department and discovered yet another specialty tape. The newest purple tape boasts easy removal within a month. Now we're talking. This tape got me to the end of the project and then pulled off readily, in long, satisfying strings. More laboriously, I removed the last remnants of green and blue tape, as well. My husband pitched in with a roller when I was on the home stretch, teasing me all the while about this long drawn-out project. He told me the purple-edged windows looked so nice we should consider leaving them like that. He also advised me to be on the lookout for the next generation of masking tape, the "removes-easily-within-three-years" variety. No doubt such a product is in development. Meanwhile, I'm keeping the brushes and rollers handy, because the living room, compared to the bright, fresh kitchen, now appears a bit lacklustre. I'm collecting colour samples, among them some lively mauves inspired by my purple tape. Protracted home improvements can strain the nerves as well as the budget, so in this issue we propose some "quick and easy" strategies for improving your living space. Sometimes a new room, or a vastly improved one, is attainable with a few simple yet inspired touches. If February finds you feeling slightly house-bound, why not perk up the house? The ideas start here.