Staircase Makeover Final(ish) Reveal

Ding dong the carpets gone! 

We've been STAIRing at this unpleasant runner for over a year and a half now, and it is morally, ethic'lly, spiritually, physically, positively, absolutely, undeniably, and reliably dead removed! 

Here's what we've been living with: 

After contemplating a few different styles (discussed in this post) we decided on the geometric grey pattern! 
And with snow storms and subzero temps providing a week off school, we my outright MAGNIFICENT husband, got to work! 

First step was removing the old carpet. Using a few types of pliers and a hammer, Eric was able to rip up the existing rug and pry out all of the staples. 
Having the stairs exposed and bare was already a HUGE improvement. If the condition of the wooden floor wasn't so terrible, not to mention super slippery while wearing socks, I would have considered just painting the risers white and calling it a day.
Knowing only a few inches of riser would be visible with the new rug, we didn't want to waste paint (and time) by covering the whole area. Instead we just focused on the four inches or so on either side, and after two coats we were set.

Since the old rug was attached to the stairs via staples, we reckoned that was the best strategy to install the new rug as well. To make this process easier, we purchased an electric staple gun. We also picked up carpet tape and placed a few strips on each tread, just to be certain the rug wouldn't budge. 

To camouflage the staples, the tops were painted a beige/grey color we had on hand before loading them into the gun. Once stapled into the stairs, Eric gave each of them a few hits with a hammer to make sure nothing stuck up. He also measured the distance from both edges on each step so things stayed consistent, and the rug remained centered the entire way down.

Now you may notice in the picture on the right, the last few steps have yet to be covered. Well there's a reason for that, and it isn't because Eric had to stop and play Grand Theft Auto with his buddies. 

Turns out the two rugs we ordered aren't equal in size...like AT ALL. Our second rug is actually a good inch WIDER than our first rug. Not cool Overstock, NOT COOL! 

So that's why this is the "Final(ish) Reveal" post, and not the "Let's hear the choir sing OMG we're DONE!" post. Our plan of attack is to email the company, explain our dilemma, and back up our claim with pictures. Meanwhile I'm going to brainstorm how to make the transition between rugs look as seamless as possible, and focus my attention to the 3/4 portion that IS complete. 

Compared to where we started, I'm still THRILLED with how things are looking. 
When real-life results shatter your plans and expectations for the better, life is good. :)

***UPDATE!***
Instead of calling the company who made the rug and going off on a wild rant...Eric found an alternative solution. He ripped up the rug up one step, then stretched it as much as he could, so the two pieces met as flush as possible. I personally think he did a tremendous job, and the seam is hardly noticeable.

Bottom line, it looks a MILLION times better than it did before. Bravo sir, bravo, you are the stair master! 

What did the RUG say to the FLOOR?

Don't move. I've got you covered! 

Hahaha! Shouldn't everything start with a classic Laffy Taffy joke? I think so :) 

Since last summer, when we painted all of the brown trim in the foyer and up to the second floor white, this is your view upon walking into our home:

Uber attractive isn't it? 

On a happier note, I'm still 100% head-over-heels in LOVE with our black and white banister! That's partially why the rest of the stairs are killing me. The old carpet with the icky brown color lurking from behind is NOT what a dead sexy banister deserves as it's counterpart. It deserves glamour! style! a completed paint job!

With this new found ambition, and the fact that we haven't tackled any major house projects in months, I am DETERMINED to find a runner rug and scratch this task off the to-do list. Knowing this is not something we'll be able to bring with us if/when we move, I have to take into consideration the taste of future buyers. So when my addiction to anything animal print lead me to drool-worthy images like these:

Source/Source/Source

Eric had to gently pull my hand away from the computer mouse, and remind me that although these homes look unquestionably stunning, leopard may not be the best option for us....

HA! JK, his exact words were "HELL NO!"

A few of the more practical ideas had similar themes of neutral colors, and a geometric pattern. 

Source/Source/Source

Currently I'm leaning towards either a grey, or black and white pattern. My only reservation for the black, is how easily hair, lint, and dirt shows. I had a black rug in my room all through college, and I can't begin to guess how many lint rollers I went through trying to keep that dang thing clean. Yes I used lint rollers instead of a vacuum. I was young and lazy, so sue me. With the stairs being a decently "high traffic" area, I'd hate to deck it out with black carpet, and then curse my brains out when I'm sweeping it for the 20th time that week. But you GUYS!!!! How absolutely sharp would these black and white stripes look?! Jenny from Little Green Notebook used these IKEA rugs on her stairs ages ago, and as low the cost for the rugs are, that's how high the level of style is. Of course I had to Photoshop my own stairs to see how they'd look in a similar fashion. 

Totally digging it. 

At $25 a pop, we could get the whole stair case done for around $150. I think that's pretty reasonable, considering some of the other options I was looking at started at $150 for ONE RUG. 

Then there is this guy. Another geometric pattern, but in a lighter grey that could maybe hide dirt and grime a bit better. Plus with the sale Overstock is currently running, and our in-store credit, this option would actually be cheaper. 

I'm so torn. 

I feel like it's going to be almost impossible to make a decision without a sample or something to physically see in the house. We could always order one of each, and just lay them in the foyer for a while to see how we like them after a few days. 

What do YOU think? 
A) Can't go wrong with classic black and white! 

B) Go the sensible route with a grey! 

C) Ignore Eric and give leopard print a try!!!

Suit up! Banister Goes Black and White

You guys, I am BEYOND excited to share this transformation with you! 
Since Eric has been off of school for summer break, he has been KICKING BUTT AND TAKING NAMES! Words can't begin to express how grateful I am of him and his incredible handy-man skills. I know I don't thank him enough. So honey, if you're reading this THANK YOU!!!! 
Yeah, he's a keeper. 

This weekend we are hosting our first official house party! Yes I know, it only took an entire YEAR for us to get around to it, but better late than never right? 
Now I'm at that "anxious excited" level where I keep thinking of ridiculous things we need to do before everyone comes over. Do you ever get that way? I am fully aware that NO ONE will notice how our coffee table books are stacked...but that didn't stop me from rearranging everything last night and separating them by size and color. 

My absurd habits aside, this party has been a excellent motivator to get our butts in gear and complete some of the larger projects on our to-do list. I shared how we finally rid ourselves of all that unsightly brown trim in THIS POST, which was extremely satisfying, and Eric also painted all the doors upstairs white to match. 

One task that I didn't have on my radar, but Eric cranked out in a couple weeks anyhow (again, note the amazingness that is my husband) was the banister on our stairs! We knew we wanted to give it a paint job (especially with all of that new crisp white trim around it) and I've always been attracted to the dramatic effect of black and white stairs, so of course I pounced at the chance to reflect that look in our home!

Source / Source / Source / Source 

So armed with a plan (and some advice from his Dad) Eric went to town demolishing our stairs.

Since these stairs have been painted a dozen or so times, the detailing on the spindles was getting lost. To bring those details back to life, the strategy was to take everything apart, strip, paint, and then reassemble. 

Layers and layers of paint. 

Once everything was torn down, Eric started stripping *cue sexy music*  NO NO not that! Jeez you guys... 

I wish I knew more of what chemicals he used, or the exact process it took to get all the paint off, but I DO know that all his hard work left us with these wonderfully bare spindles.

One coat of primer + two coats of paint = one incredible dapper banister! 

You guys!!! I am OBSESSED! 

Every time I walk up the stairs, I run my hand over that sexy black banister in awe and whisper sweet nothings to it. 

Adios strange mix of wood, brown paint, and...well...more brown paint. Hello black and white tuxedo bliss! 

The next thing to conquer in the foyer is painting the backs of the steps white, and replacing that runner with something a little less brown and a little more "us". 

Seriously, there has been SO MUCH BROWN in this house.