Not all of us are blessed with divine design sense. It's a gift, like Mariah Carey's voice or Michael Phelps' pecs or Mariah Carey's pecs. So when a "loved" one brings some piece of heinous junk into your nest, try to remedy the situation without reaching for a Bic lighter.

Here, three rules for working around a godawful piece, whether it's an ugly couch your roommate won't ditch or a mounted six-foot marlin your significant other insists on displaying.

1. Cover it. A slipcover preserves the offensive article while eliminating that burning-eye sensation. But custom-made covers can be expensive, especially for odd-shaped furniture. This fine point can work to your advantage as a sweet negotiating tool for getting rid of the sucker.

2. Downplay the worst of it. Choose a minor, less offensive aspect of the train wreck, like an accent color or texture. Then match other furniture and accessories in the room to that quality (in this couch, you'd want to draw the eye to the dark wood trim, not the fabric color). This trick of the eye can be achieved with any piece of troubled furniture.

3. Ignore it. Refrain from drawing more attention to the mongrel with extra-jazzy printed pillows or crazy-patterned throws. Also, don't go all matchy-matchy with other Victorianesque period pieces. Your man's giant fish won't seem more natural next to nautical wallpaper, you'll just wind up with a theme room. The less attention you pay to the unique style of the offensive piece, the better.

Rooms are more relaxing to be in when there's air to breathe. Even with criminal pieces like the one above, a room can survive when furniture is clear of clutter, clothing, pet toys, adult toys, arson investigators and the like.

Jeni Aron is a NYC-based professional organizer. Learn more at Clutter Cowgirl.