How to appal a man

I've tried it on two, and so far it's infallible.

Subject: wooden dresser, currently stained (to a medium vintage sort of colour) and varnished (as it has been for the last twenty years since I bought it new).

Me: I'm going to paint this for my sewing room

Man: I'm appalled! (also, How could you? and Look at that lovely grain! and But wood is timeless! and so on)

(what is it with men and timber?????)

Pictures to follow...it's getting the same blue as the desk. Yum, I say, unmoved. One more coat to go. And it is a much lighter presence in the room, I have to say, than it was - it's not a large room, so a large dark presence isn't what you want when you're trying to make it airy and light.