AT LAST!!! My Gallery Wall!

After weeks and months of gathering frames from second hand shops, digging through old photos, begging family for historical images, digitizing images, spray painting frames, laying out, organizing and reorganizing the wall, countless trips to the hardware and hobby stores to get glass cut and buy supplies, days spent cutting mats, cleaning glass and securing backs on them, and finally hanging, the project is nearly finished.  Now I just have to pick up a couple of oval mats from Hobby Lobby (since I don't own my own oval/round mat cutter) and I'll be completely finished.  I've never had a project with so many roadblocks, problems and mishaps. I'd love to hear what you think!  Special thanks to my baby girl, Grae, and my amazing and patient husband and hero, Professor Iowa Jones.  I'm pretty sure this project secured their place in heaven.  LOL   

Entry way changes!

Lavender walls and Honey Oak Trim are not my first preference.
This color is one of the first things I changed after we got married!

I needed something big to put on this entry wall.
The ceilings are 16'  and I wasn't prepared to make
an art purchase that would fill this space.
These shutters were out in our garage gathering
dust and seemed to fit the bill.
They still need to be properly filled.
But I love the shelves! 

Family photos were cool here and I think
I might just recreate a gallery wall here again!

Note the light fixture.  I bought it at the ReStore for $8.75
and cleaned it up and painted it.  What do you think?

Ok... a few photos of the entry way and the changes to the woodwork transforming it to my own style.  I love the white so much more than the honey oak that screamed the 90's.  I still need to hang decor (I'm crazy at work on a gallery wall for the stairway!!) but here it is so far.  Got any suggestions?

Time for an Update!

Dreaded Carpet!!

Beautiful white and clean stairs!!

View of the Landing BEFORE!

View of the landing AFTER!
(The decor will change, but I needed to put something there for the photos!)

So, I really want to do this blog thing.  I like the idea of a record of what I do and think.  It's been a big couple of years for me and the changes are starting to show everywhere.

My most recent project has been the removal of carpet from the stairs and a subsequent paint job.  Take a look at the photos!  It's not decorated the way I want it to be, but I think it looks better.  What do you think??

When I tore up the carpet, I found MDF stair treads.  Not the ideal material, but I wanted this to be an inexpensive project.  I bought some wood filler and filled and sanded a couple of times.

There was a bit of a fiasco when I decided to use the power sander after I filled.  Yeah... well... I ended up cleaning up fine dust from every imaginable corner for the next two days.  (I highly recommend that you hand sand if you find the choice placed before you!)

At any rate, after some filling (the bull nose fronts of the treads were especially rough and in need of attention), some sanding and caulk in the corners, it was ready for paint.  I used two coats of KILZ oil based primer and then two coats of enamel Valspar Porch and Floor paint.  The bright white was premixed and worked out perfectly to match the Benjamin Moore Decorator's White Dura paint that is on the woodwork.

Overall, I think the finished result was worth the time and effort!