How I Painted My Stairs

I've decided I definitely want to change the stairs (treads, banister, balusters - everything) down the road a bit. But for now, I knew it made sense to just paint what I've got. Most of you agreed that I could change the look enough with paint that it would be worth the time and effort.

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Well, there was definitely time and effort spent! And I'm pretty happy with the change the color makes in the space.

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I think it will be worth all the effort in the end, once the runner's installed. The hardest part by far was all the sanding. And thank goodness for Bondo!

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Bondo is one of those products that might look intimidating, but is actually pretty easy to use. You mix a hardening cream with the epoxy base putty in small batches and then smear on the mixture quickly before it starts to set.

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The stuff stinks bad, but it works miracles and fills any hole/crease/crevice/seam you present it with.

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After the Bondo had dried for a few hours I sanded the filler down. This was seriously a full day's work. Every tread took about an hour. But by the time I was finished, the Bondo had perfectly sealed all the imperfections and all the hand-scraped detail on the old wood had been sanded away.

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Michael helped me hang plastic sheeting on the walls and we wiped everything down twice.

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I used my favorite Critter sprayer to paint the stairs with the first coat of tinted blue-gray primer.

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And some of the imperfections started to reveal themselves.

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As Linus would say - Ruh-ro.

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So I caulked and did another coat of Bondo where it was needed and then sanded the whole thing again. (and sniffed and sneezed and coughed the whole time - stupid cold.)

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I sprayed a second coat of primer on and then the first of two coats of Benjamin Moore's Chelsea Gray in the Advance line paint.

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The color is light enough to brighten the space a bit, but dark enough to hide dirt perfectly I think. 

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The treads look almost like solid planks now! I'm so happy with how they turned out. We just saved ourselves a couple thousand dollars by not replacing these oversized treads!

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I have no ideas yet for what I'm going to use for a stair runner, but I'm really excited to pick that out next. I'll be trying something similar to this tutorial.

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Also, on a whim I pulled out one of my old gold leaf pens and painted one of the round screw covers. The pen was pretty dry so the color's not very saturated, but I kind of like the look. What do you think of the gold just on the screw covers?

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Before I buy the runner I have lots of touch ups to do and I think I'll paint the walls before installing the runner as well. But at least I'm happy with the direction we are headed in. It was well worth the labor, paint and about $12 in Bondo!

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123 comments:

  1. Giiiirl! Those stairs look incredible! But have mercy, what a lot of work! The bondo is a great solution. I love that you decided to spray it all one color. It's such a different look, and for something you know you'll eventually replace, why not try something fun?

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  2. I thought you were doing black and white, but grey is interesting too and can't wait to see what you've envisioned for this foyer!

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  4. Wow, I'm speechless! It's truly beautiful! I am amazed at the hard work and the color is perfect! How inspiring ;)

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  5. Jenny, beautiful! When I saw the 'after' picture, I was thinking that is her inspiration picture, right? I couldn't believe that was the 'after'! Good job!

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  6. You seriously amaze me! What a great job and fabulous results!

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  7. You seriously amaze me! What a great job and fabulous results!

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  8. Did you know you can attach a shop vac to the back of any sander that has a bag attachment? Just a thought to help you cut down on inside dust ;) lots of work but the stairs look great! You are so busy you make me tired just reading about what you are getting done...

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  9. that look is so classy! i was actually wondering if you were still using your mason jar sprayer. that's the coolest thing! and i can't believe it got you through such a big job!

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  10. I just can't keep up with the pace at which you are working - and sick too! The stairs are amazing. After all the hemming and hawing I've done about what to do with my white stairs I think I may just have to do exactly this. Gray will really hide the dirt in just the way white and black don't.

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  11. Ooh, this colour helps the stairs blend into the rest of the space so much more nicely! Which is exactly what you want, since the stairs are not your style.

    Not a fan of the gold leaf on the screw covers though. I think those screw covers are sort of old fashioned and grandma looking and the gold leaf just draws your eye to them. Otherwise, love it!

    http://www.fullbellywornsoles.com

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  12. Love, love, love those stairs! They look amazing, not sure about the gold "button" covers though.

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  13. Love, love, love those stairs! They look amazing, not sure about the gold "button" covers though.

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  14. I love the grey paint choice!
    I pained two sets of stairs this summer, so I know how much work went into this -- yours look amazing!
    Can't wait to see what you choose for your runner!

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  15. What a lot of work you've done! Very inspiring! Personally, I'm not a fan of the all matching colour - gray on gray with gray treads. I would have loved to see a contrasting colour on the ballusters. Looking forward to seeing the runner you choose!

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  16. What a lot of work you've done! Very inspiring! Personally, I'm not a fan of the all matching colour - gray on gray with gray treads. I would have loved to see a contrasting colour on the ballusters. Looking forward to seeing the runner you choose!

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  17. I think that it looks awesome! I completely understand why you did all one color; being able to spray it must have been such a time saver! And you can add as much as as little contrast with your runner! Smart choice!

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  18. whoa!!! that's a transformation! and a good way to save money!

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  19. I love how your stairs look! We have carpeted stairs in our home and I'd do anything to have simple wooden treads (carpeted stairs are kind of a nightmare to clean). I actually really like the gold on the screw covers. It makes them look more like they're a special-order bolt you used instead of the old-fashioned wooden screw cover it really is.

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  20. Love the way the stairs look. Two thumbs up on the gold screw heads. Gives them a little bit of interest. You can always paint them back if you don't love it.

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  21. This is absolutely stunning... i can't believe how amazing this looks!.... you are not afraid of hard work... how can I catch that bug? Love the gold on the stairs... (breaks up the gray a tiny bit) You are so fun to watch create... thx for inviting us in. Also love chelsea gray... almost picked it for my exterior paint color but went with BM secret instead. Get better quick.. i check your blog obsessively lately hoping your energy will inspire me.

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  22. I love how this looks. What a great way to tide you over for now. I do prefer the stairs without the gold, though.

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  23. Wow the stair case looks amazing! I went back & read the tutorial of the stair runner & this is something that I am going to do over the winter to the stairs leading to the basement.

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  24. The best mornings are the mornings when I wake up to an LGN update! I am eating up the content on your blog these days. It's so fun to watch you transform this space! The stairs are gorgeous - Bravo lady! The amount of physical labor you put in each day, in addition to raising your 3 kiddos and keeping up this blog literally blows my mind.

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  25. That is a serious undertaking but the results are worth it- they look great against the floors. Can't wait to see the runner you pick out!

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  26. Such an amazing difference. Well worth all your hard work.

    I have a super important question since I'm in the midst of a staircase remodel as well. Did you not use the stairs during this process? I really want to paint our stairs but we need to use our stairs to go to bed at night! Wondering if I should plan to do it when the family is away for a weekend and just sleep on the couch. :)

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  27. I love the touch of gold. Go for it!

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  28. You are amazing. WOW. Those stairs are gorgeous.

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  29. I would say YES x1000 for the gold buttons on the stairs and to use gold accents in different places... classy.

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  30. So amazing! Love the color - and the touch of gold - can't wait to see the runner - Do take care, though!

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  31. You are amazing. I cannot believe that you did all of this yourself. It looks so good. I love the color and I think the gold on the screw covers is a nice detail.

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  32. You are Superwoman! I've always been impressed by your energy and stamina but this surpasses everything! I can't believe how sophisticated it looks now. Wow...it's beautiful now!!

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  33. Also...I like that small touch of gold because it's like a touch of jewelry was added.

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  34. These tips are great and your stairs look awesome after painting, gonna use this very soon. Great work

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  35. Wow, I never comment on anything but that is an amazing transformation!!! Looks fabulous.

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  36. You astound me with every post. Well done! They look absolutely fantastic! The gold is beyond amazing. Yes!!!

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  37. Looks good! BUT I think the risers should be white.

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  38. I couldn't love the "after" more. You are always thinking outside the box. I have a very similar stair situation and I was anticipating a two toned paint choice... the all over gray surprised me but I really love it. Just gorgeous.

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  39. I couldn't love the "after" more. You are always thinking outside the box. I have a very similar stair situation and I was anticipating a two toned paint choice... the all over gray surprised me but I really love it. Just gorgeous.

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  40. Please forgive my ignorance, but why did you go to the trouble of bondo-ing/sanding/bondo-ing/and sanding again if you are just going to cover it with a runner?

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  41. The stairs are beautiful! I can't believe how much difference the Bondo and paint made.

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  42. Do you also use the Advance primer? I've used the Advance paint line on a few furniture pieces that get heavy use and have had a few chips appear after only a short time. I'm wondering if using their primer would help that -- currently I'm using Zinsser.

    Loving all that you are doing with the new house -- what a fount of inspiration for your readers!

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  43. You are just crazy inspiring, Jenny! Another vote for the gold! Feel better!

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  44. Jenny, you are AMAZING!!! I'm sick too and in the middle of a home renovation and couldn't possibly muster up the energy to do that!! Looks great!

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  45. Good grief, you are making me feel like a huge slacker!! You have done a beautiful job though! My mouth dropped open on the 'after'. I love that the whole staircase is gray. It's a modern look to a very traditional staircase, which I think it what you were going for :) I was wondering if you would use that cricket thing inside your house or if it would be too messy. I think about it all the time! I'm probably going to order one today, I've decided. We are about to redo our fireplace. (Thanks for the inspiration for that too!) Can't wait to see the runner and décor...and I personally like the gold!

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  46. seriously? I mean- really? How in the world did you accomplish this - you just posted the question of whether to do or not to do. stunning. LOVE the color choice. so unexpected. you have commented in the past that readers have questioned how many people help you to complete these projects. forget that- I want to know what pills you take and how many cups of coffee you drink in a day!

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  47. You killed it! Great job - the stairs look so much grander now. Can't wait to see the contrasting runner! I am LOVING all of your blog content these days, it is so much fun to follow along. Hope you feel better soon.

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  48. The stairs look awesome and I love that you painted them all one color. It looks fresh, modern and less predictable than white/black would have been. :)

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  49. Gorgeous. I, too, was surprised that it was all one color--but I think it's beautiful and modern and makes a big statement.

    Personally I'm not sure about the gold on the screw covers--because the screw covers seem a bit odd to me anyway and the gold makes them more noticeable. I think I would have been tempted to remove those covers, fill in the holes, and paint over it. But I think you could totally pull it off with the gold, and I might feel differently if I saw them all painted gold. And I am sure whatever you choose will be beautiful!

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  50. I love the gold! I'm actually eyeing my stairs right now thinking about doing the same.

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  51. I agree...it looks fantastic and I love the color! But wow...no wonder you have a sinus infection!! Lots of dust and fumes no matter how careful you are! How are you feeling? Hope some better and know you must be excited to have this done...can't wait to see the runner. You are Wonder Woman!

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  52. This looks amazing. I would do stripes, like this, for the runner: http://tillyscottage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/testimonial-audrey.gif

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  53. Love this amazing, tough work (like tough love, haha) transformation! I think I'd pass on adding a shiny color on the plugs which will only make things "busy" and will draw one's attention to them on an otherwise clean-looking staircase. I am amazed at your creativity as well as your strength! Great job!

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  54. That is a LOT of work! Wow! I can't even imagine how long it took to hang the plastic to cover the walls and floor. I love the gold on the screws... You're going to notice them so might as well make them stand out!

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  55. That is a LOT of work! Wow! I can't even imagine how long it took to hang the plastic to cover the walls and floor. I love the gold on the screws... You're going to notice them so might as well make them stand out!

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  56. Love the gold ...looks like upholstery tacks. Do it!

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  57. I too thought the after photo was your inspiration photo - gorgeous! I think the gold button looks fabulous now with just the gray but may be a different story after the runner goes in so you may want to wait to decide.
    Yours is my absolute favorite decor/DIY blog of all!!!!!

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  58. Looks great! I'm curious about the critter sprayer. I read your other experience with it too (and now I want one so bad!). Do you need to do any cleanup or cutting in with a brush or does the sprayer really cover it all?

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  59. What a transformation! I'm a wood gal, but that color wasn't working with the house's new direction, and those spindles especially were jarring. Your hard work toned everything down and harmonized it. And YES to the touch of gold leaf. (Feel better!)

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  60. Hi Kelly!

    You're right - that is an important part of puzzle. We did NOT use the stairs for the two days I was painting them. We blew up two air mattresses and had the girls sleep in the play room for those nights (they thought it was awesome, of course). The primer coats are dry and ready for recoat in about four hours I think? So I did those two primer coats (with the bondo and sanding in between) on one day and then early the next morning sprayed my first Advance coat and then late that night sprayed the second coat. It was dry and ready for us to walk on the next day. Hope that helps! I would get your kids out of the house for the weekend if at all possible. It's so much work that it's not worth risking smudges! :)

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  61. Hi Katie!

    The planks that the old owner used to cover the treads and risers were really bumpy and uneven. The edges of the planks were beveled too, so the seams were giant. Unless I go with a super thick carpet on the runner, the unevenness would show through the runner. I'm not totally sure what I want to do there yet and probably won't have it figured out until I start decorating the house (which could be another month or two at this rate). It was extra work for sure, but if I was going to have to Bondo the edges of the treads and risers, might as well do it right and make everything smooth and flush.

    xo

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  62. Taryn,

    Thanks for bringing up the primer question! I meant to address that in the post but forgot (I'll blame the Nyquil that was in my system last night when I wrote the post!).

    The guy at the BM paint store said he actually really likes Glidden's primer, which seemed strange to me. The Home Depot guys are always trying to get me to buy the glidden primer too, but I always go with Zinnser. This time I tried the Glidden though and so far so good. It's a little thinner than Zinnser, which worked well for the spray gun.

    Worth a try for sure! xo

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  63. Vintageviolet -

    I need to do some touch up (the painter's tape moved and covere up the old wood in some places), but YES! The critter sprayer did all of this. No brushes used yet. It's seriously my favorite tool to use right now. A little miracle worker! :) Totally recommend.
    xo

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  64. What a difference some elbow grease, paint and bondo will do! Great transformation :)

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  65. I rarely comment (though I'm loyal lurker), but I just have to say how amazing your stairs look after "just" some paint. It looks beautiful! And I love love love the gold on the screw cover. I'm a little obsessed with gold right now though, I admit.

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  66. They look amazing and YES, a thousand times yes on the gold. Do it.

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  67. Very nicely done! I can't wait to see the completed stairs with a runner. Beautiful color, and I like the gold accent.

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  68. You are such an inspiration, meticulous too. I thought when you wrote flaws started to show through, you would just cover with the runner. To go back, bondo and sand a second the stairs a second time. Wow, no cutting corners for you. Your stamina and perfectionism is to be admired.

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  69. Just beautiful! Definitely do the screw covers in gold...hope you're feeling better!!

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  70. I am amazed at how modern it looks, and also what a graceful background it creates. I appreciate that you are re-using what you have and still rocking it!

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  71. I am now seriously considering painting my steps all one color! Love this look. Also seriously considering buying a spray gun. My old house the previous home owner used a brush and you can see every single brush stroke. love it!

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  72. Beautiful! Reminds me if Michelangelo's stairs in the Medici Library

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  73. The gray looks great and I love the screw tops in gold!!

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  74. Holy cow! It's night and day! I had no idea that paint would alter the look that much. You are a trojan to work with bondo and change the texture like that.

    It's downright elegant now. Way to go!

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  75. amazing. I actually like the gold on the screw covers. It is an unexpected detail.

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  76. Looks awesome! So excited to see what you do next!

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  77. What an awesome improvement! I like that you used one color for everything. I think the gold on the screw covers will look like metal studs and will be a cool addition to your "new" staircase.

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  78. Wow, you are amazing. The stairs look 1000x better.

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  79. Jenny+Bondo=Perfection. Ok, and maybe a cold. But, wow, what a difference! Well worth the labor and sniffles, yes, so now you can rest a bit on the mattress with the new bedding and recover for the next project. You guys did such a great job! Happy well-deserved weekend.

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  80. Shut. Up. What a difference! I'm still amazed at the difference a little (or a lot of) paint can make. So beautiful!

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  81. I am beyond impressed with this staircase makeover! It seriously looks amazing. And I can't imagine how much work it was to do it right, with all of the bondo and sanding and priming and sanding and painting... I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Well worth the effort though, the end result is fantastic and I LOVE the color.

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  82. Oh and yes to the gold screw covers!

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  83. It looks amazing. I can't WAIT to see which runner you choose.

    As for the screw covers, I would wait and choose your runner and get a better sense of how you're going to style the space before you commit to the gold screw covers. I'm leaning towards YES, but I would hold a beat until you make a few other decisions.

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  84. Stairs look sophisticated and elegant. Beautiful. Yes on the gold paint detail, k

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  85. Seriously beautiful, statement making staircase now. I am not sure about the gold. I lean toward simplistic, but I did think the one sample gold looked nice. You are such an amazingly disciplined worker! I am absolutely in awe of you.

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  86. Amazing job, Jenny! I would have been too afraid to fill in the seams but I'm glad you took the risk and tried it out because it came out so well. I especially love the gray paint against your new floors, beautiful combination. I say you should try out the gold detailing, and if you don't like it, you can always paint it back to gray. You're such an inspiration to just work with what you have rather than going to extreme and expensive measures to make improvements.

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  87. I love the idea of gold screw covers. And, I agree with the comment that they will then give the effect of nail heads. Totally adds a fun detail!

    Great job!

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  88. I think grey was SO SMART! It definitely modernizes it, and also will hide dust way better than black or white. What a hard worker you are! I look forward to seeing what you do with the runner!

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  89. Stairs look lovely! Great work. I vote against gold screw covers--love the sleek look of the stairs now, and I think the gold would make it look to busy and ornamental.

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  90. are you kidding me? NOTHING more needs to be done, ever. this looks awesome. i'm actually jealous of your stairs now.

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  91. My 7 yr old son was just asking me why it's important to learn to work hard and I showed him this post as an example. :) He was impressed. Your stamina blows me away! The stairs look beautiful. Love the color. Great mid-tone. Hope you can treat yourself to a massage and a little R&R amidst all your hard work!

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  92. was it linus? or scooby that says "Ruh-ro".
    at any rate, the monochromatic gray is beautiful.

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  93. Uhhh YES to the gold!! I'm crazy obsessed with gold right now. I have a whole art show based around gold art that I've been making!!

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  95. Jenny - you so inspire me! I look forward to seeing what you do every week! I love the gold too! It adds that "sparkle"!

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  96. Jenny - you so inspire me! I look forward to seeing what you do every week! I love the gold too! It adds that "sparkle"!

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  97. this is BANANAS...so much work but it looks so great...excited to see the runner choice. something bright could be really great.

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  98. I sincerely appreciate your work ethic. Thanks for being an inspiration and showing us that you can work incredibly hard, raise a family and have fun. Bravo!

    Love the stairs--

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  99. That looks amazing - I thought your "after" at the top of the post was an inspiration shot at first. The new paint color and smooth texture changes the atmosphere of the stairwell so much.

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  100. Beautiful! I vote yes to the gold!

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  101. LOVE THIS SO MUCH!! It looks so much better and I love that it feels more apart of the house and not this huge statement piece anymore! I was showing the kids and Connor said, "WOW, Jen does some amazing work!!" I love checking in every day and seeing everything you have done. Hoping you sleep at some point!!!

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  102. Wow - you're a real trooper! Doing what you did is NOT an easy task. You are one patient girl! Aren't you thankful for Bondo and paint sprayers?

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  103. You are absolutely unbelievable - what a fantastic job and they look just gorgeous. I admire your ability to do these beautiful things. Congratulations on a stunning staircase. (have I used enough adjectives) Betty from Ontario Canada

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  104. Wow! The stairs look awesome! Would you recommend using Bondo for filling the grain on kitchen cabinets before painting them?

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  105. I can't get over how gorgeous this looks. i would think you could go quite a while before replacing it. Amazing. I'm on the fence about the plugs...maybe wait until you pick the runner? Great diy link, btw. CTD

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  106. Forgot to say that the small banister now looks like it belongs there, as opposed to some add-on. CTD

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  107. Just read all the comments, including yours. Glidden makes two lines of paint: one for the the big box stores and one professional line sold at specialty paint stores. The formulas are completely different and the prof line is amazing. Maybe that's the primer you used.
    I use Ellen Kennon's Full Spectrum paint colours and they are formulated with the glidden professional line. At first I thought, "cheap", until I learned this fact. CTd...again!

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  108. Wow, great job on the stairs, they look fabulous. As for the runner, why not just paint one on? Then you can totally make it your own. But perhaps with kids it's safer to have a fabric runner?

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  109. Well, WOW, that didn't disappoint. Holy moly, you are doing a fantastic job. My mind was so stuck on black and white that another colour didn't really enter my head so I wasn't expecting that at all. But, as usual, you knock the ball out of the park. Personally, I love the little gold screw caps. Can't wait to see the runner now! You are quite amazing in how much energy you have.

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  110. I love it. Perfect color with your floors. It has a Belgian flair to it. I am not digging the gold on the buttons though as I think it fusses up the simplicity.

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  111. It looks beautiful. Love the gold accent to break up the solid grey! Gold anywhere gets my vote!

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  112. You are amazing! The stairs look beautiful now, so modern and yet timeless now. Very Parisian

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  113. i just ordered the critter sprayer! you convinced me!
    are you planning to poly over the stairs since it is a high traffic area? I am planning to paint my stair treads too and i'm not sure the type of paint i should choose to ensure i don't have to constantly repaint them from wear and tear.

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  114. I love the color and the gold added makes it very chic indeed! I think you could also paint the front of the stairs to match the wall color if you ever want to change it up and it would look totally different but still really nice.
    In terms of a runner I have a suggestion that I've always wanted to try but never had the right stairs. You take a long runner with a pattern and get it cut and hemmed to fit each stair. The pattern is broken up but yet continuous. Any way it might like really neat! Love the Blog thanks for sharing! Stop over any time to my new and every changing little blog www.themarieproject.blogspot.com
    Always,
    Christina Marie

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  115. This is seriously amazing. Do you get tired of hearing us always asking how you do it/get so much done?! I really like how it turned out. I don't know if I would have gone so monochromatic, but I bet an awesome runner will be the perfect touch.

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  116. I am kicking myself for not saving the photo, but I once saw a 'color reform' style persian rug used as a runner on a wide staircase like yours and it looked phenomenal! A fuschia or teal would look especially good with the chelsea gray.

    something like this shade: http://abccarpet.com/color-reform/

    I think rugsusa and lulu and georgia have much less expensive versions in similar styles.

    Good luck with your dr's appt! So sorry to hear about the health troubles.

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I so appreciate hearing from you. Nice comments make my day! Thanks for keeping things light here, friends! :)