Hello there everyone!! I know it’s been a while. It’s been long cold winter and I’m back in the DIY game.  After a few months hiatus, the LPH is ready for some more projects. 

The first up on the list was the staircase. The radiator in the entry way doesn’t really provide enough heat the balance the cold air coming in under the front door. Because of this, I’ve been waiting patiently for old man winter to get out of town. It took a while, but, we made it!!  So I siezed the day on Saturday and decided to make this place a bit more welcoming. 

Here’s a fun fact, painting stairs is easily the most uncomfortable process you could imagine. Stairs built in 1853 where exactly designed for comfort.  So sitting, kneeling, squating, on them for about 4 hours, is a bit unpleasant. Of all the painting I’ve done in this house the stairs have felt like Mount Everest. 

When I bought the house, the stairs where covered in easily the grossest carpet in the Capital Region. The thought of the dirt and germs contained in it could make me vomit. Clearly, the stairs were a part of the everything must go carpet purge.  Here’s a look at what the stairs and entryway looked when I first bought the house. 

The carpet made the stairs actually look a bit wonky. I am please to say that they are solid and don’t even creak! Under the carpet the stairs were painted much like the rest of the floors in the house.   

There was even beautiful green linoleum on the entry floor. Helpfully removed by none other then the infamous CJG.   

After everything was redone, the back of the stairs were a disgusting reminder of what once was.  Every day I would come home and say, “Ew!”. Thankfully everyone that has come to visit has kept that thought in their head. For that, I thank you. 

So, here is what the stairs/ entryway looked like when I started. 

Up close, you can really tell how foul they were  

Part of the time devoted to this project was the cleaning and prep. I was sure to clean each step and the walls. There was still lingering saw dust and cobwebs. Please don’t judge.  As we all know, I take much pride and joy in my beautiful wood floors. Protecting my precisous step tred was key! You pay to refinish stairs per tred. Each of these babies cost a pretty penny! Using my trusty painters tape I was able to cut in perfectly and save the steps.  No messes on the steps. Myself is an entirely different story. 

So after about 6 hours of prep and paint I can finally not be hesitant to welcome people through the front door. 

I’m still on the fence about stripping the bannister down to the original wood. I have see my number 1 gal the Rehab Addict Nicole Curtis do it. But, it was about a 3 day process so I couldn’t commit to that this weekend. So the banister will be for another day.

I did, however, paint all of the spindles. The craftsmanship is lovely, however, painting every curve is quite the process. Especially when you only have about 2 and a half feet of space. I considered stopping after the first 2, but, it had to be done.  And it was definitely worth it. Here’s a close up

I did paint the moldings and doors, however, the walls will still need help. I’m not sure what color I want to use on them, but, the cleaning has really helped their cause. 

The power of paint really came through on this project. The stain glass really pops now with the fresh paint. I could not be more excited about that!  

With Spring cleaning on the horizon, the party is about to move outside. Stay tuned for what is to come. Thanks for following along on this journey and I hope you enjoyed the update! 

-Little Miss Improvement