Happy Thursday, friends! Are you ready for an update on the One Room Challenge?

The stairs and hall makeover is moving along, although I’m just a little behind after Hurricane Matthew. Unfortunately all of the electricians in the area are completely booked after the storm and flooding, and installing a new light socket and switch are not really on their priority list. So who knows if we’ll get to that. But the stairs are looking great!!

Last week we had our handy man over to paint the stairs, but he ended up doing so much more. First, he stripped the tops of the stairs, did some light sanding, and finished them off with varnish. Next, he painted the risers bright white to match our trim.

I am SO in love!! These 114-year-old stairs look brand new now! And because he stripped the tops,  you can really see the wood grain, which adds a big pop. Strangely, we learned that the steps were not actually built to the edge of the trim, so we had to add a little caulking to attach them. But no biggie…most people won’t even notice.

We’ve still got some places on the walls that need paint touch ups, but we’re just about finished painting. The stairs are a lot more slippery now, and Sully keeps slipping and sliding on them. Good thing our stair runner is being installed next week!

We also started adding some pieces to the upstairs hall as well. The chest of drawers you see below belonged to Charles’ grandparents, and it adds some much-needed storage to this space. We’re still waiting on a rug and some artwork, but this space is well on it’s way.

And to stick with the theme of grandparents’ furniture, we tucked my grandmother’s green chest into the back hall. This will be perfect for storing guest linens and necessities.

We’re certainly not finished, but here’s a look at the “before” and the “progress.” We’re a far cry from that 1970’s gold carpet and green trim we started with!

Be sure to check out all of the amazing designers’ projects too! You can find the “all stars” here and the guest participants here!