A little hallway fun

What a crazy couple of weeks it has been . . . broken car, new car, broken car sold, Boston Marathon medical tent at mile 19, new phone, sick kids . . . the crazy doesn't stop around here, it seems.

I don't have a lot to say about the marathon.  No big soul baring blog post.  I guess I found out where I draw the line on sharing via my blog.

But I do have some fun for you!  My upstairs hallway!

When I started my hallway/bathroom renovation, I decided to turn the large wall in the upstairs hallway into a gallery of sorts.  Mostly family pics, reminiscent of the photo wall that I put up in the living room, back in the purple days.  The gallery has yet to happen, as there will be lots of spray painting involved and I have finally learned my "no spray paint inside!" lesson.

I knew I wanted to have some sort of design on the wall behind the photos, but couldn't decide what that might be until I found a nifty tutorial for a focal wall.  I love the idea of a wallpaper focal wall, but hate the idea of all the work and semi-permanence.  Anyone who has seen my house knows that I am a big fan of a fun geometric.  So a geometric-design focal wall using Sharpie paint markers?  Yes, please!

I pulled up the carpet runner going up my stairs some time ago, in a fit of "must do it now!" and have yet to paint them, so here's the view up the stairs:

Before . . .

And now.  Kinda ugh, I know.  But I am revving myself up for a big paint-half-the-stairway-every-other-step-all-week project, and I think those stairs are going to be getting a makeover pretty soon.   

In the meantime, now I have a BEAUTIFUL upstairs hallway that makes me smile every time I walk up the stairs.  Which is pretty often with two kids and only one (upstairs) bathroom!

Before . . .

(Thanks, previous homeowners, for letting your cat use the bannister as a scratching post.)

After!

I am not usually a huge gold fan, but I fell in love with this idea, and our hallway instantly felt warmer with this design drawn on.  It couldn't possibly be easier to do, you just need a good straight ruler, level, and the WATER-BASED Sharpie paint markers.  DO NOT get the oil-based markers, or you will have a heck of a time painting over it when you move on to a new idea.

Next project on my list . . . finish the drop cloth curtains for the kids room.  They are all sewn up, time to stencil on some color!

Looking for some fun (budget-friendly!) spring ideas for your home?  Check out www.getinspiredinteriors.com or give us a call at 207.632.7619 to schedule your consultation.