Monday, June 11, 2012

Painted Stairs (The Reveal)

Do you remember some months back when I said we were thinking of ripping the rug off the stairs?

Well, we did it and it's finally painted and ready for the big reveal.

Warning:  lots of photos ahead!

You can find out the whole ugly rug story by looking at this post, but if you need a reminder, here's what the rug looked like when we bought the house:


I know you are all slapping your foreheads saying, "Oh yeah, I remember now, how could anyone forget that atrocity?"

After a few years living in the house, we had this berber installed:


After almost 8 years, it started to look worn & dirty...so in March 2012, my husband happily ripped that rug of the stairs.

This is what we found under the rug:


Not too pretty, that's for sure!  Hmmm...here's a closer shot so you can get the full horror effect:


Oh yes, my friends, we always get more than we bargained for in this house! 

Having no clue what we were going to do, I started working on the stairs with a heat gun, trying to remove all the paint.  (That is after a good cleaning & my husband removing all 132,648 staples.) 

My sister-in-law walked in one day while I was heat gunning.  Needless to say, she made me come to my senses (something my husband had been trying to do).  Aside from the fact that she convinced me that I would likely still be removing the paint 48 years from now, she also brought up the fact of the old house & loving all of its imperfections for what they are. 

So after some thought, and with the arrival of April, it was time to prime the stairs, imperfections and all.


It took another month for me to decide on a paint color.  Lots of back & forth on that one.  I really did not want black treads, although I knew that was the most practical solution.  I wanted to paint the treads the wall color (Ralph Lauren Nantucket White) but I knew that it was too light for walking on.  So on a whim, I chose Sherwin Williams Baguette, a golden brown color with white semi-gloss for the risers.

It seemed as though the painting took forever, having to do every other step so that we could still use the stairway, not to mention all those baseball & softball games in between.  However, when it was finally done, I could breathe a sigh of relief!


It did require some touching up and caulking after this photo was taken, but still I knew it needed something else.  I know that painting numbers on the risers is popular, but I wanted something different.  My husband kept telling me to just leave them alone, but I don't always listen. No surprise on that one.

I found some pretty vinyl decals in a vine pattern from Abby's Vinyl Wall Art on Etsy.  With little effort in applying them, they added just that something else that I was looking for. 

So now in June, they are finally finished and ready to make their debut:


The whole process took alot longer than I expected, but I'm so pleased with the results!

From ugly to pretty......


They are so much easier to keep clean too.  No more lugging the vacuum up & down the stairs.  


So much better now...I really do love them!

Happy Monday everyone...it is so hot & humid here today, I feel like a wilted flower. 

Linking to:

Your Cozy Home Party at Cozy Home Scenes
Swing into Spring at DIY by Design
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Share Your Cup Thursdays at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
Time Travel Thursday at The Brambleberry Cottage
Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch





Gina
Gina

Welcome! I'm Gina. Like the header says, this blog is all about home, food and life..

67 comments:

  1. Oh, Gina!! I LOVE them, too. You did a marvelous job and I know just how much work it took to do those. I REALLY like the color you chose...and guess what? When you paint black on the step part it shows EVERYTHING...every spot of dust and piece of lint. I think you will be beyond happy with this color in the long run. GREAT job-xo Diana

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  2. The stairs look gorgeous! You did an amazing job, love the stencils, such a unique pop to them!

    I'm trying to convince the hubby to do the same to our stairs, might show him your photos as inspiration!

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  3. Oooh Gina, they turned out beautiful...Love the decals. It was certainly worth all the pain and suffering...Hee, hee, hee. I remember when I pulled the rug off of mine and painted them...And I thought 7 stairs was a lot! Enjoy the fruits of your labor my friend.

    Much love,
    ♥Ana

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  4. Gina they look fabulous!! You guys did an amazing job!

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  5. What a huge difference, Gina, they look beautiful. The decals and the basket are a perfect touch. I love the name of the paint "baguette". xo

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  6. that might be the best 'before and after' shots I've ever seen! haha. I bet you just love walking up that staircase now!

    this is my first visit here...what a fun blog! :)

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  7. That is so pretty! Great work! I'm totally pinning this!

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  8. Wow Gina your stairs look amazing.
    Rome wasn't built in a day.
    Aren't you glad you listened to your sister.
    Now I need to show my dh, so we can pull the berber carpet from our stairs.

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  9. Awesome job!
    I love the decals also.. I might just borrow that idea :)

    We also had to rip off old carpet, carpet tack strips, nails, and staples. Ugh!

    We ended up painting our stairs a neutral color, but I've been trying to decide if I wanted another detail or not.
    Thanks to you .. I think I've gotten my inspiration :)

    Smiles :)
    Kerin

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  10. Oh my gosh they look fabulous! Great job on the caulking too. :o) I caulked mine and it took me FOREVER. Projects like this do drag out no matter how hard you try. You were smart to paint yours every other one. When we stained ours we couldn't go to bed that night! Tom slept on one couch and I slept on the other. Not too smart...anyway, great job. It's hot and muggy here too. I'm inside in my AC. Have a good week girl!

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  11. WOW, Gina- that is some before and after transformation!

    WELL done, ma'am! Sure makes a huge difference!

    Clever adding those decals, really sets them off - and I love the basket of flowers on the stairs - I would do that but know for sure my extra tall hubs would break his neck tripping over it most definately!

    Nicely done my dear!

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  12. That was so much work but so worth it. I want to get rid of the carpet on my steps. Love the decals. It really sets off the steps. Good job, now go plant a fairy garden, hah.

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  13. Hi Gina,

    Your stairs are GORGEOUS!!! I love them. Your so smart to add the pretty decals.

    Dee

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  14. Gina, The steps look wonderful!!! And I love the decals!!! And that was a great idea doing every other step so that you could still utilize them. I wouldn't have thought of that! And I would have been in a mess! ha! :)

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  15. Hi, Gina! I love this transformation! My berber covered stairs are in the same spot yours were. Showing their wear & tear. I've considered stripping off the carpet and going for a clean look. You really did a great job. Love the new look.

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  16. Gina, I love how you painted your stairs. They look so clean, fresh, and pretty. I'm sure they'll be so much easier to keep clean. Your stencil adds a lovely touch!
    Mary Alice

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  17. What a wonderful transformation, Gina! I love them! The paint color is just perfect. You really put your heart and soul in this project but it paid off! Beautiful! :)

    XO,
    Jane

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  18. Love it Gina, especially the stencil you added! The paint color you picked is fab and Diana is right, black would have showed everything! Great job!
    Thanks for stopping by, I'm so thrilled with my new blog look now.

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  19. Great job!! I love them, and the little stencil. I laughed as I was thinking about you walking on every other step waiting for paint to dry

    Carol

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  20. Gina, you have totally knocked this one out of the ballpark! Love the decals you added, they are the perfect touch. You've definitely take stairs to new heights!

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  21. Gina, you brave girl! I would be so afraid to tackle a big job like that. I tend to like small not too difficult jobs. Haha
    You and your hubby must be a good team because the stairs look great. The basket with flowers is very pretty. Thank you for showing your finished project at Your Cozy Home Party. -------------- Shannon

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  22. Gina....great job!!! A lot of work but worth the effort....the stencils add a nice touch as does the step basket.....happy summer!!!

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  23. Oh Gina, what a transformation! You and your husband did an awesome job!! I love the stenciling and how you only stenciled every other step. Hope you have a wonderful day, Gail

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  24. Beautiful job Gina. WOW, that was something else to takcle that one. You must feel so great though now every time you walk up and down those stairs.

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  25. Gina, Your stairs are gorgeous! I'm not a fan of carpet on stairs either. You chose a perfect paint color, and just the touch of ivy decal looks lovely. Hard work so worth your great result!

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  26. They look fantastic!!! Our steps looks like yours did under the rugs. In fact... some of our wood floors look like that to. I painted everything in my 20's! Lol.
    With 3 noisy dogs running around and Paul working night shift - carpet is a must have to keep the noise down.

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  27. Well absolutely no doubt that is a HUGE improvement Gina! I'm sure it was a lot of work but they look beautiful!!!

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  28. Wow, that was a big project! I love how they turned out!

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  29. Wow, what an amazing difference! They turned out great. So welcoming!

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  30. Beautiful! You did a fabulous job on these and the little scrolly trim is just enough isn't it? I think you're going to love this!

    xo
    Pat

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  31. Beautiful! You did a fabulous job on these and the little scrolly trim is just enough isn't it? I think you're going to love this!

    xo
    Pat

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  32. What a difference. Great job Gina. look how much money you saved. Thanks for sharing your amazing project.

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  33. Wow-a!! Beautiful job Gina! Don't you love it when you can finally post the reveal. These projects take so much time but what satisfaction you must be feeling with this one! Bravo ma belle!!

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  34. Oh my goodness, Gina. They are just spectacular.

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  35. Gina,
    The stairway looks wonderful. Love the basket and the stencil adds a personal touch.

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  36. Gina,

    Your stairs look wonderful! I also like the stencil that you added to the steps.

    Great job.

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  37. Gina, this is am amazing transformation! Wow! I love your steps! This is truly a labor of love! Your dedication and effort shows! Your steps are a lovely focal point!

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  38. oh my gosh!! i am so ripping our dirty carpet steps away and hiring a painter!!

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  39. Gina and Hubby!
    Your hard work paid off! They turned out beautiful! I love how you had to alternate so everyone could use them during the transition!
    ~Lynne
    w/L.

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  40. Great job...your transformation is amazing! I have this same project in the project pipeline and you have inspired me to push it closer to the front. I love the color choice and the unique design instead of number. Thanks for sharing. Visiting from Savvy Southern Style.

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  41. Wow, what a wonderful transformation...you did a great job!

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  42. I'm just getting to this one, and I love (Loooooove) it!! I have ugly butt carpet on my stairs, but underneath is unfinished old stair treads. The staircase in my head looks more like yours. I think this is beautiful.

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  43. Gina, I know it was hard work, but your stairs are gorgeous! Now I wish I had some stairs!! This is a wonderful before and after :)

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  44. What an amazing transformation, Gina!
    I can't imagine what a tough job that was, but it looks absolutely perfect now!
    Blessings,
    Janet

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  45. Very nice! A stair redo is on my todo list, so thanks for the inspiration.

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  46. So glad you came to your senses and primed and painted imperfections and all! Looks amazing ...

    ... and isn't caulk your new best friend? It hid so many many imperfections when I redid my own 100+ year old staircase ...

    :)

    Linda

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  47. We have a stairway in our vintage building that when we get to that point will have to be either re-stained or painted. I'm not sure I have the patience for either, but for sure not a heat gun! I think you made the right choice embracing any imperfections, looks great.

    ~Bliss~

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  48. A job well done and worth the extra effort you put into creating your vision!

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  49. It's hard to believe they're the same stairs! Beautiful!

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  50. Wow Gina, they turned out great. It was certainly worth the effort. Did you seal them or will you just let them age (get banged up from life happening) naturally? We removed our carpet from the stairs almost a year ago and I haven't braved the redo yet. You have inspired me to get started. Beautiful job.

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  51. Just Beautiful! You did a great job! ~Kristie

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  52. The stairs look beautiful. I want to rip the carpet off our stairs but my husband is hesitant because we have no idea what's underneath. I think I'll just have to go for it!

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  53. Gina, what an amazing transformation. Alot of hard work, but so very worth it. I love the color and the decal is so cute. FABULOUS job gil! Thanks so much for sharing with Share Your Cup.
    Hugs,
    Jann

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  54. Gina, what a great transformation. The whole stairway looks so wonderfully fresh. The decal is the perfect eye-catching accent. Love your basket on the steps, too. xo

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  55. Oh my goodness, what a gorgeous way to transform a frightening staircase into an inviting, pretty work of art. Well done!

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  56. A job well done! The stairs look amazing...so fresh and clean and the flowers you added were like the icing on the cake!

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  57. Gina, I agree your stairs just needed a little something else. The decals are the perfect touch! It was definitely worth all the work. Your staircase is gorgeous!

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  58. Gina, the stairs look great. I may have to tackle that here some day.

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  59. Your stairs look awesome, great job! I would love you to share it on my linky party!
    http://www.igottatrythat.com/p/blog-hop-linky-colde.html
    Thanks,
    Marcie @ www.IGottaTryThat.com

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  60. Hi Gina, just stopping by to let you know that I will be featuring your wonderful stairs on Share Your Cup later today.
    Hugs,
    Jann

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  61. Way to go Gina! The stairs look sooooooo much better! From plainsville to whimsical and beautiful!

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  62. MĆ¼kemmel olmuşşşşşşşş

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  63. Hi Gina, Your stairs are GORGEOUS!!! I love them. Your so smart to add the pretty decals. Dee

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  64. Love this and am going to do it!! What color are the decals? Hard to tell in the pics. And where did you caulk ?? Side of steps only or back too?What type of caulk??
    So many questions!! Thanks. Sande

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  65. Hi Sande, I didn't have a way to contact you, so I'm hoping you'll check back here.

    The decals are black. I debated a bit about this, but I decided that the black would show up the best.

    We used regular old painter's caulk, nothing fancy. Both the sides and the back of the steps were caulked. You might be able to skip the caulking step if your stairs are in good condition. Ours are old & were not in the best condition.

    Good luck!

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