As I explained in an earlier post, I often fall victim to the domino effect when re-doing something in my own house. Change one little thing, and next thing you know you’ve redone your entire first floor. I know that you can all relate to this concept.
So, now I’m moving on to what I’m going to call phase 3 of project ‘domino effect’.
The front hallway.
Here is what you see while sitting on the sofa in my living room.
My front hallway. Not awful. But it could use some perking up.
Last winter during my ceiling painting frenzy, I also painted the front hallway. So, the ceilings in the living room and the walls in the front hallway are the same paint … Hirschfield’s Favored One. I’ll be keeping this color as is. As you can see, the only trim I freshened up was around the window and the front door itself. This is even more apparent in the following photos.
In case you were wondering, the mirrored door on the left leads to a giant closet that goes all the way under the stairs.
So, job numero uno will be to repaint all of the trim, which is going to be a monumental undertaking. OK, maybe that is a slight exaggeration. Are you getting the hint that I really don’t enjoy painting trim?! But there is a lot. Baseboard, crown molding, railing spindles and two doors.
Next, I need to tackle the stairs themselves. The white carpet has seen better days and needs to go. I have a couple of ideas. One is to do a faux painted runner on the stairs and the other is to add an actual striped runner. Here are some examples from pinterest.
I (and when I say I, I really mean my husband) will rip out the carpet and see what I find under it before I make any final decisions.
While we’re on the subject of the stairs, I have considered whether or not to paint that newel post. It is the last remaining bastion of unpainted woodwork to be found in my house. I know I would love it painted, but I also am rather fond of it as is. Anyone want to weigh in?
I am also considering painting the front door black. I’ve been admiring black doors for a while, but I’m just not sure I can go there. Will it look odd to have a black door with white trim? I found these examples on pinterest to get an idea of how it would look with my white trim and aqua walls.
I’ve got to say, I think I like it. I’m pretty sure the door is going to go black.
And can I also just say, how much do you love that ceiling light fixture in the picture on the left? Fab. And it would look great in my hallway too. Unfortunately the one I have out there is fairly new and I was intending for it to stay. I wonder how expensive that one in the picture is??
The final pièce de résistance will be the window. At least I hope so. My mother-in-law makes stained glass windows. Now that she has moved back from New Orleans, it will be much more feasible for her to make a window for this spot for me. As soon as she has her workshop set up, I will be asking begging her to make a window for me. After all, that spot just cries out for a fabulous window. After watching an episode of Rehab Addict (does anyone else love this show?) I am leaning towards a simple leaded glass window with little to no color (pictures from pinterest).
Something that still allows all the light in, but looks gorgeous while doing so.
Are you noticing a lot of black and white? Just outside the front door is this floor on my porch.
So bringing more black and white into the hallway makes sense. I’m kind of a big fan of black and white in both my decorating and my wardrobe. But will it be too much black and white? I wonder.
Once all of these bigger items are tackled, I’ll decide on the fun stuff. What to hang on the wall above the radiator for example. Currently I have this vintage board game on the wall. I might keep it, or I might not.
I’m going to have to get crackin’ on this project because if I don’t get it done before spring, I won’t get it done. Once the weather turns nice, I’ll spend all of my time either in the carriage house painting furniture or in the garden … and then there is garage saling … you get the idea.
Let phase 3 commence!
q is for quandie 
OK here goes. I like the painted runner on the stairs. I like the newel post as is but if you are making everything black and white to go with the porch, then I like white for it. Can you do the door white on one side and black on the other? If so I like white on the inside and black on the outside. Not sure about all black with the new living room colors. Not that you will go by my thoughts since I only have to live with it once or twice a year. I love the leaded glass window. You used to make stained glass windows or is too many projects now. Oh and I like both lights. I think that covers all the questions.
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I don’t have any of the tools for making the window myself anymore. Mike’s mom is putting together an entire workshop devoted to making leaded windows, and she has all the tools and supplies.
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I think you are on the right track. I painted a runner on my staircase and posted about it on my blog in July of 2013. In case you want to check it out, I titled it “Walking on Diamonds.” I dislike vacuuming stairs so this is perfect for me. I also painted a lot of natural wood during this remodel but I did not paint the staircase although in your case I think the newel post would be smashing in white. I also think the leaded glass window would be beautiful. I had a stained glass window made for the window going up my stairs but I have no view from that window. I also like to use a little black in the trim so I painted the window frames a color called French Beret. (it is more of a charcoal color…a little softer looking than straight black) Then I painted the rest of the trim OC-23 which is an ever so slightly grayed white. Whatever you do, I’m sure you will make it look fabulous.
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I also have no view from that window … just the backside of a lot of arborvitae that block the view of the neighbor’s house, but I do want to let in the maximum amount of light. I’m going to check out your post … thanks!
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Rehab Addict is my favorite show and I’m looking forward to the new season.I’ll weigh in on painting the newel post. I think it needs to be painted (and I’m the last one to paint wood) because the spindles are already painted. Love the painted runner, I think the striped carpet is absolutely dizzy and not a good idea on stairs.Love the black door, inside and out.Very European and I wanted to tell you about my experience with Fine Paints of Europe. I painted my back door, the decorative iron door surround on the front door and my sign with Hollandlac from Fine Paints of Europe. Twelve years later, it still looks like I just painted it. I was telling my sister, that one of their paint lines guarantees that if you paint the kitchen with their paint, they guarantee it for 30 years. It is expensive and it has to be painted on very carefully but it wears like, well, iron. My sister said, “Who the heck would want their kitchen the same color for 30 years?” The reason it has to be painted carefully is that it has to be painted in a thin coat which is different then we are used to in the USA. The paint actually levels on its own. It is amazing paint.
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I am getting a lot of votes for painting the newel post! I wasn’t really planning on that, but I’m seriously considering it now. Also, thanks for pointing out the dizzy-ness factor of the stripes. Here’s why. My husband had a severe brain injury 26 years ago, and one of the remaining side effects is double vision when looking down. I hadn’t really even thought about that until I read your comment and realized how difficult striped stairs would be for him. Duh. Consider striped stairs out of the running for sure! I have never heard of Fine Paints of Europe, but will definitely do some research. Sounds like a wise choice for a door. Thanks for the tips Ginene!
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Love the black and white floor have always wanted to do that myself. I have all of my interior doors downstairs painted black with white trim for 3 or 4 years now. Plum crazy about the look. Yep I have trim painting in my future as well and I am looking forward to having that behind me. And you are right it is the right time time to work on it. I vote to paint the newel post as for the light I think something more vintage looking would be the ticket. The stairs with the faux runner awesome!!! Any idea of the color? would you continue the black and white? And the leaded glass window of the photo on the right is charming. So you would put that by the staircase wall? Love that idea too! Older homes have such wonderful character you chose wisely.
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I like your idea about the light. I should watch for a fab vintage fixture. Unfortunately very few of the original fixtures were still here when we bought the house, and the ones that remained were pretty awful. The room I am typing from now is the only room with a fab original fixture. I would love to gradually replace more of my fixtures with vintage. As for the window, yes, it would go in the window at the foot of the stairs that you see in the first picture in my post. That window doesn’t open or anything, just adds light to the stairway.
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Please don’t the newel post! As the owner of a 1912 Craftsman bungalow, I have spent the last FOUR years stripping paint from woodwork that the previous owners decided to cover up. We are still not finished. It is beautiful the way it is! I also would not paint the spindles.
Sincerely,
A fellow old house owner
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Well, I hear what you are saying Michelle, but at this point I can only make one promise to you and it is this, if I do paint it I promise I will never ask you to strip it for me. So you can rest easy 😉 I admit, I originally wasn’t planning to paint it, but now I might be leaning just a tad towards painting it. And of course, the spindles are already painted white. They will just be getting a touch up.
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