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Sometimes long projects can make you feel like you could use a good rest before beginning the next one. And sometimes, they do exactly the opposite and give you more energy to tackle other spots in the house. And after seeing such a dramatic change in my dining room last week, I was on a roll (as in, roller?) – I decided that the long-awaited hallway paint job would finally be done. One room at a time is for
(Thanks, by the way, for all of your awesome comments on the dining room paint last week. Going bold with color can leave a person stuck and wondering if they made the right choice, but I’m really thrilled to see you all like the new color as much as I do!)
Here was the hall before, just after getting started with cutting in:
And now, say buh-bye to all of the dark and depressing tan and welcome in the newer, brighter hallway:
This area certainly wasn’t easy to paint. For one, I had to use this scary stair contraption to do all of the cutting in. Thankfully though, Dad was over to spot me in case someone needed to be within screaming distance. And once we got the hang of it, the ladder was pretty easy to use.
This nook-ish area gets no natural light from the second floor, so the color shifts between gray and beige depending on every light factor on the planet (lights on/off, bulb color, the windows below, if the guest bathroom light is on, etc).
I had to also paint the ceiling, which is finally finished, but more on that in another post (I’ll provide a few tips on painting a textured ceiling like this, from an awkward height like this, etc.). And the walls probably need one more coat of paint in some of the harder-to reach spots. But for the most part, all of the yoga to lengthen and stretch seems to have paid off.
As you can see, there a couple of spots of patching where the unsupported drywall gave a little while my full weight was against it on the ladder (an unfortunate cost of progress, but necessary to reach a few spots). But it just needed a little tape and some mud, so it should be fine. Point is: this hallway, which is also visible from the front door, is no longer the dark cavern it used to be.
I don’t have an updated pic from the bottom of the stairs, but just to give you of an idea of that angle, here is what the bottom half is like looking up (obviously the tan is now a light gray-beige instead, and that patchy mess in the back left corner is now my blue dining room, and the sliver of the kitchen on the right looks a lot less like a construction zone and more like this… wow, I guess I have been making more progress than I really thought).
The color is Benjamin Moore’s Dove Wing (OC-18), but it’s been color matched to Behr paint. I’ve painted my entryway, lower hallway, upper hallway, and living room with the same color since each area sort of flows into the other (there’s no stopping point, so it’s kind of just the wall version of “The Song That Never Ends” – if you click on that, you’re welcome for the next four days of that being stuck in your head).
I’m not exactly sure what I was thinking when I painted it tan, but the fault is most definitely mine. Funny how living in a house for a while exposes you to your own design mistakes, eh? Regardless, I think it’s finally time for me to start gathering some of those awesome prints I’ve been ordering from Etsy and get cracking on a gallery wall to fill all of that newly painted wall space. And maybe grab a bulb with better wattage for the upstairs hallway light.
But how about you? Finishing anything up lately?
Wee! it looks so much more open – amazing :) Really looking forward to a lower house tour sometime soon? *winkwink* but seriously, you really have been making wonderful progress :)
Gosh, all that cleaning though… ha! As soon as that last wall is done in the dining room, lots of new shots will probably come about since it will give me a chance to redistribute things where they belong (and also do a lot of editing of things I don’t need).
It looks so good, especially with the black trimming you have along the stairway.
It’s too bad you couldn’t just spray paint the whole thing, ceiling and walls. It would have been much easier and no scary contraptions to deal with. I don’t mean a spray can, I mean those industrial spray equipment you put on your back and you spray through a hose.
Spray equipment is one of those things that in theory, they sound awesome and easy. But I doubt I’m really ever going to use an industrial sprayer indoors. From every blog post I’ve seen a DIYer using one (and my dad’s own experience with trying them), the overspray and consistency is hard to control, and I’m pretty sure I’d hate how much you have to tape things off (especially in a spot like this, upstairs and down – that’s a lot of plastic sheeting). And then there’s cleaning all of the little pieces that sprayers need after you’re done. It may just come down to personal preference, but the overall consensus seems to be that there really isn’t a huge difference made in time or effort when going with spray. Two thumbs up for exterior use, though!
Thanks for your prompt reply. I never thought of all of the taping off and plastic sheeting over the stairs etc… I am glad you actually got to see first hand that indoor spraying isn’t the way to go and thanks for the tip, I certainly won’t be tempted to spray my apartment, I will do it the long way, paint brushes and rollers!
Hey, my husband has had the sprayer can from a project last year sitting in the outside fridge. You know how you can save a paintbrush overnight in the fridge? I am pretty sure that does not mean you can leave a sprayer in the fridge for 9-12 months….needless to say, next time we need to paint something outside (like the fence, rockers, or a wicker chair) he will be ordering a new one. I would never spray inside. We have experienced enough of a mess on the fence that I would never consider it–ever! Rolling isn’t so bad. :)
Looks awesome! SO much brighter! I am a tan girl but have been thinking I may want to go a little lighter with all my tans. However, enough of a difference to see it against white moldings and woodwork. As if I don’t have enough other sewing projects for my home to keep me busy. By the time I get to the paint I am sure it will be long overdue–4 yrs. now.
I am impressed with your hard work and determination with your projects. Very helpful tips for my own projects.
Question: are you still moving, or did I miss something?
The plan is to still move, but the urgency has died back a bit as other more pressing things are going on. It’s been a little crazy, but I’m hoping to have a good recap over the last few months of the new job available soon!
Looks so bright and open! Love it! (Oh, and I love your dining room, too!)
The transformation is amazing! From dark to bright, your skills are amazing!
Great space and nice paint job! Really happy that you’re making a lot of progress :) Looking forward to the other part of the house!