A Stairwell.

You can do a lot with a stairwell.




Jackson started this project for us, back in december, when he peeled a piece of wall paper off, at the top of our stairs (there is a landing, and a baby gate, safety first) The previous owners apparently wallpapered over a few holes in the walls. Ugh. Once Jackson had exposed the hole, i decided we had pull up the wall paper, and start fresh (also, we couldn't fix it, we didn't have any of the paper)

After peeling back all of the wallpaper, which came off pretty easily, i realized there was no chance i could just paint the walls. They were so mangled, they would at the very least need a skim coat. I decided to fix all the major dents and bumps, and re-apply wall paper. I chose a Wall Doctor brand, it looks like bead board, and it is specifically made to hide imperfections. You can even put it over cinder blocks, or panelling. It was very easy to put up, it took Mr.H and i maybe two hours.

I left one wall paper less, because i've always wanted a chalk board wall. Since the wall was rough (old plaster) we covered it with a very smooth piece of plywood (i have no idea what kind, that is up to the Mr.) I used Rustoleum chalkboard paint in Moonstone. It took 3 coats to be smooth enough to write on, i assume because i painted over wood instead of the usual drywall. The chalkboard will be great for Jackson also, when he is a bit older. It is safe, because it is on the landing, and we have a "top of stairs" baby gate there, which is extra tall (it comes up to my hip, and i'm 5'6") So if/when he is able to climb over the gate, we probably won't be using it anymore.

Since we have a fairly small house, and i like to use every available space, i decided some shelves were in order. There is so much wasted space at the top of the stairwell after all. I wanted some vintage crates, but after deciding that they might not be strong enough for shelves that would be hung above our heads, i asked the Mr. to make me some, from barn board.

I think they turned out fab, and are the perfect way to use the space. I only put things in them that are for display only, or we rarely use (the top two shelves are accessible only by ladder). It's a great space for things that you want to keep, but don't need access to often.

And that folks, is our stairwell makeover.