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I finally knocked out the third phase of the basement stairwell update. As a quick recap, the whole goal here was to make the dingy entry and stairway look better using what we had.
The plan unfolded into three phases of painting. In the first phase, I painted the linoleum floor using Behr’s Porch & Floor paint.
In the second phase, I unified the two mismatched doors with yellow and painted the shelving and half cement wall. The door color is Martha Stewart Cornbread left over from painting the front door.
Last weekend, I completed the last phase of painting: the stairs themselves and the stairwell walls. The walls are Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray (leftover from the office). This is an interior stairwell with no windows. The lighting in this space isn’t that great. I have an idea for an inexpensive lighting update as well. I’ll have to see if it works.
Here’s how the stairs looked before. Fortunately, you can’t tell from the picture how it smelled. That runner was pretty smelly and dirty. It had been there, uncleaned, for at least 8 years.
I used 3M Scotch Blue tape to mark off my lines 7 inches from the wall on each side.
Next, I used the same Behr Porch & Floor paint on the outer edges of the stairs creating a reverse runner of sorts. I left the middle of the stairs as is. I love the way it turned out.
The space feels cleaner, soothing, and much more welcoming. The total cost was basically the price of three different paint colors, but nothing out of pocket because I already had all the paint from previous projects.
I added some fun to the space with art. See more here.
Have you ever painted a staircase? Did you pick the unpainted runner as a favorite option back in this idea post?
-J
Sharing with Tuesday’s Treasures , Power of Paint, Before & After, Monday Funday, Working with What You Have
The newly painted floor in the neglected entry, the stairwell from the basement and garage, was just the beginning. I use this entry everyday and yet I’ve allowed it to look like this for years. Still, it’s a private stairwell and I want it to look better, but I want it to look better without having to spend a lot of money.
I rummaged through my leftover paint to find a color scheme and decided to paint the two doors in the small space the same color as our front door, Martha Stewart’s Cornbread (mixed in Behr’s Paint + Primer Semi Gloss).
In pictures, the color reads a little more neon than it does it real life (The front door pictures accurately reflect the color). That door on the left is one of those plain, hollow doors with no detail or interest, so I used the white paint to spruce it up a little.
As you can see, I also painted the small shelving unit (previously finished in a mahogany stain) against the wall. I just used the same white Behr Porch & Floor paint I used on the linoleum floor.
I have about a quarter of a gallon of BM Stonington Grey leftover from painting the office, so I tried it out on the wall above the shelves. The lighting in there makes the color seem a little dark, so I may mix it with white and try it out. So far, it’s looking much more welcoming with just a couple of coats of paint and no money. Paint can make such a HUGE difference – I love that!
Once I figure out the color, I need to finish painting the walls going up the stairs and then figure out how to update the stairs themselves. There is an ugly runner on them now that needs to go!
What have you been painting lately? Or do you have a neglected area in your home that needs some attention?
-J
Sharing with Thrifty Decor Chick, Tuesdays Treasures, Wow Us Wednesday, Power of Paint,Paint It Party, HOH, Frugal Friday
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