Entryway Progress- Painting Stair Risers

And here is a picture I shared after I painted the newel posts black.

And then over Thanksgiving Break last fall, LC and I painted the walls, which was no small feat.  Here is a picture I shared for our stairway reveal. See the big fish on the wall below?  Yea, I knocked it off the wall and broke it.  I am still in mourning over it.

I also painted our sisal rug that is in front of the door, and shared a tutorial.

 

And after that, I really didn’t work on the entryway anymore.  But a month or so ago, I finally got around to freshening up the stair risers.  I painted them with the same paint I have used on the other trim in our house- Crisp Linen White by Behr, semi-gloss.  The risers were already in white, and not in horrible shape, but there were scuff marks and normal wear and tear that I could not get completely clean.  So freshening them up was in order.  I actually only painted on one coat, and I thought they looked great, so I didn’t do a second coat.  I also painted the baseboards going up the stairs.  Here is a quick pictures of the way my stairway looks right now decorated for fall, in case you missed my Fall Home Tour last week.  That shoe cabinet is also something that we added last fall.

So now, let me show you some up close and personal pictures of the finished stair risers.  Exciting, I know.  Try to contain yourself.  I painted the risers, the base board, and see the white board underneath of the spindles?  I painted that too.  The only thing that did not get a fresh coat of paint is the spindles, and that is on my list of things to do.  But it is such a tedious job, so I didn’t attempt to start them on the same day.  Painting stair risers with a glossy white paint is a great way to keep them fresh and clean looking for the longest time possible.  And with a glossy paint, they can easily be wiped clean.

I started by vacuuming and cleaning the stairs.  You need to get rid of all the cobwebs, dust bunnies, and the like.  I used a 2 inch slanted brush to do this job.  I didn’t tape off anything, I have a pretty steady hand.  But if you are not one of those people that are good at detail painting, you might want to tape off first before you start.  There are a couple of tiny spots on the stairs where I got white paint, but I can easily scrape it off with a putty knife.  Here are some more pictures of the finished product.

Did this make a dramatic and noticeable difference?  Probably not to a visitor.  But to me, I think they now look fresh and clean, and before I thought they looked dingy and dirty.  So it is a definite improvement in my book!  I only have two more projects to call this space finished.  I need to paint the spindles and I am going to do a decorative paint treatment on the hard wood floor area on the landing.

And real quick, before I say ta-ta for now, everyone loves a good before and after picture, right?  Well, I know I do!  So here is a before and after picture of my entryway.  This is what it looked like before we started working on it, and what it looks like today.  So much better!  Do you agree?

I am loving my entryway more with each project completed.  And I feel so much better now when someone knocks on the door.  I can actually hold it wide open proudly, instead of just a crack and peeking my head out the door.  Do you own a split level house or have a small entryway?  How did you deal with this challenging and awkward space?  I would love to read about it in the comments!Have a great week!