Dear Debbie: I am tempted to try to use metallic paint that I have seen in the store, but before I buy it I’d like to know more about it. Do I dilute the paint? Do I use regular paint tools?

It comes in four classic metallic colors that avoid the artificial-looking hues and opacity of some competitors’ products. That’s because the paint is mixed with actual metal flakes ...

(I heard it, too.) Done right, metallic spray paint looks anything but cheap, and you can even use it to completely change some of the fixtures that you already have—which means less for you to buy.

If you’re looking for a paint to impart an allover metallic effect or one that can just add a light-catching detail here and there, metallic acrylics may be the way to go. But it’s hard enough ...