My DIY usually comes out great.
I've done electrical, plumbing, woodworking, etc. with success. What I'm not so good with is painting. Give me a spray gun or bomb and paint booth and I'm fine. Give me a roller and make me choose a paint colour and I'm a spacking idiot.

In my last flat, my boyfriend was away on business and I decided it was time to repaint the bathroom. I had a funky idea for it: use smoky purple matte paint on the walls, grey on the cabinet doors, and update the hardware with stainless steel replacements. All good.

Except...with Mr. Armadillo gone, I was left to choose paint for myself. I went out and purchased a can in the desired colour, rushed home and started putting it on the walls. Unfortunately, what looked like a gray-purple on the swatch actually looked light mauve in the cruel light of day, invoking an old lady's lavatory (my nan's, circa 1982, actually) or a little girl's carousel horse themed bedroom.

I didn't want to repaint and risk greater disaster, so I let it be until Mr. Armadillo got home. Needless to say, he found it hilarious, but took me to the hardware store for another attempt at choosing the correct colour. He walks into the paint section, goes up to a cart of mistints, reaches in, picks one out, says, "This should be about right." And it was spot on. It was even the right type of paint.

Suffice it to say, I heard about that for quite a long time. Sadly, the light mauve splashes of paint I managed to get on the brand new tile lasted even longer.
(BlackArmadillo Avoided writing that article on, Mon 7 Apr 2008, 12:58, Reply)