Number Fifty-Three: Antique with Modern Stairway

This was our third January in our farmhouse and the third time I painted the stairway.

None of the previous incarnations were particularly bad, but they just didn't feel right to me. Then, after I updated the look in our dining and living room last summer and started working on the half bath this past fall, the stairway just looked out of place.

One thing I did was to a paint over the plaid walls I had done the previous year (and never formally shared). I have to say that nobody was happy about getting rid of them but me. However, the pattern no longer flowed and the other, bigger issue, is that all gray paint tends to look blue with the lighting in our home, and that is something I really dislike

Anyway, so I painted the accent wall with the window. I actually did a brighter white on the bottom and a cream on top (that cream is the paint on the remaining walls in the space). The shade difference is more visible in person.

Next, I did a ton of caulking on the baseboards and stairs. I had neglected to do that in the past, and while it's a pain, it really did give the space a more finished feel.

I painted the edges of the stairs in the same white as the baseboards, then I measured and taped off where a traditional runner would go. I then gave it a couple of coats of teal paint. I know I should have used a special floor paint, however, each time I've done the stairs I've just used regular wall paint in semi gloss and its held up perfectly.

There are several reasons why I did the painted runner instead of a traditional rug. First of all, I like how it had the modern crisp line, but also looked like something you would find in a very old home. Secondly, its extremely easy to clean, and lastly, when I did have a rug there is got ruined quickly with Figgy and his scratching. I have to say he isn't destructive as a whole, but the rug I picked was too tempting.

I'm loving the flow of the white, cream, black with a touch of turquoise/teal in our home right now.

This was such a low cost update too! I literally just bought a quart of paint for the runner and some caulk. The wall and trim paint (along with painter's tape) were already in my stash.

Also, I already had this beautiful table that we bought at a historical society tag sale in the fall ( I refreshed it with a coat of black paint) and the art work (there is a complimentary one on the other side of the window) are from a local thrift store and were originally in our living room.

One last thing that I would like to add are sconces above the pictures. This lower section of the stairway is very dark, so I think that would be a great addition.

Here's what the stairway looked like when we first moved in. I love all white woodwork, but it would have been nice to preserve the original stain, however, this is a sampling of what the previous owner's animals did to the space.

I've also update the upper part of the stairs along with the hallway. I will share that another time as this entire area is so narrow, dark and impossible to photograph.

Paint Colors

Ralph Lauren Polo Mallet White | Olympic Milk Paint | Home Decorators Totally Black | Benjamin Moore Tuscan Teal