How We Transformed Our Stairwell in Just 3 Hours!
*A huge thanks to HomeRight for sponsoring this post! My favorable opinion of all things that make my life way easier is 100% my own. 🙂 For more information, see my disclosures here.*
Hey there, friends! If you’re looking for another installment in my 31 Days to an Intentional Life series, it’s coming, I promise! Actually, this post is part of that series in a way. You see, we’ve been putting off painting our stairwell for over four months now, and part of being intentional is tackling those things you may not love but you know you need to do anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I actually like painting {It’s soothing!}, but this stairwell is as awkward as awkward can be. It has a really high ceiling, so it requires a really high ladder to reach the top. It’s somewhat narrow and hard to maneuver around in. And there is little to no natural lighting, making it kind of difficult to actually see what you’re doing. So though we had good intentions of painting this area not long after we completed the rest of the main living space, we found ourselves putting it off further and further. Here’s what we started with:
{the dark stairwell leading down to our basement}
{the stairwell leading from our main level to the upstairs, which I almost forgot to get a “before” shot of, hence the ladder}
{and our small upstairs hallway}
As you can see, the dark, dingy brown just wasn’t cutting it. It made the house feel very cavelike, and while I couldn’t wait to get rid of it, I wasn’t looking forward to the task of climbing around like a monkey trying to paint it all. And that’s when I discovered my new secret weapon. 😀
That would be the HomeRight EZ Twist Paint Stick.
Not only would the length of the stick increase my reach when I was trying to paint those high, awkward areas, but paint is stored inside the handle of the paint stick, so you’re not worrying about refilling your roller in a messy tray all the time. Mind. Blown. Here’s how it works:
The paint stick comes with a paint can cover and fill tube that fits right onto any gallon-sized paint can. A fill port on the paint stick then fits right onto the fill tube on the can, and paint is drawn up into the handle by simply twisting the handle’s end.
{Please excuse the state of our deck. We are in the middle of refinishing it, and these pictures were taken after it was powerwashed but before the new covering was applied. #diyerproblems 😉 }
Here you can see that my handy hubby has the paint stick loaded with our color of choice, Behr Marquee’s Gray Shimmer. The fill port then slides easily off the can, leaving no mess and allowing us to paint a large section of the wall without having to constantly bend down and refill our roller in a messy tray. Whenever we needed more paint, we simply twisted the handle of the paint stick, and the paint was fed into the roller. SO easy. Hubby was in charge of trim work, I was in charge of rolling, and in just a little over three hours, we had completed our entire project. I was in disbelief. If I would have known it would be so painless, I certainly wouldn’t have waited four months to paint! Want to see the difference?
Our dark, dingy basement entrance is now light, bright, and welcoming! {Which is great since this is how we enter the house 99% of the time!}
Our upstairs hallway isn’t a murky cave anymore! It’s amazing how a little bit of paint can make it look so much lighter and happier!
And probably my favorite part of the transformation is the upper part of the stairwell. The high ceiling is actually a pretty awesome feature of the house, but the dark color on the walls was just making the area look smaller rather than highlighting its positive qualities. The new bright and airy color totally transforms the space. And it was so easy, y’all!
Since the HomeRight Paint Stick has multiple pieces that keep it in good working order, I was confused at first about the best way to clean it, but I found this video extremely helpful in explaining the process and making it a lot easier.
So once I was finished with my oh-so-quick paint job and clean up, it was time to decorate my big, blank space! I have an entire post coming on this soon, but I thought I’d give you a little sneak peek of what’s to come…
Oh hey there, pretty little gallery wall! When I shared a piece of our gallery wall process on Facebook and Instagram a few days ago, I got a lot of questions on how I go about it, so I will be sharing everything from how I curate the pieces to how I land upon an arrangement and hang the final version… stay tuned!
If you have a big painting job that has been looming over you like mine was, don’t let it intimidate you! Grab a HomeRight paint stick and a good can of paint and get moving– you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you finish!! Hope you’re having a wonderful week!
Have you tackled any major paint projects lately? What are your favorite tips and tricks?
I link up at these fun parties!
*A huge thanks to HomeRight for sponsoring this post! My favorable opinion of all things that make my life way easier is 100% my own. 🙂 For more information, see my disclosures here.*
I love their paint stick. It makes painting to a lot faster! You stairway looks so bright now! What a transformation and only 3 hours???? That is awesome!
I know! I couldn’t believe it either! I’m sold for life! 🙂 Hope you’re having a great weekend, Lindsay!
~Abby =)
I have many paint jobs on the Master To Do List. That stick is going to be a miracle worker. Thanks for sharing. The walls look amazing and I really like the sneak peek (looking forward to more).
The paint stick is truly amazing! Hope you’re having a great weekend, Trish!
~Abby =)
Hi, Abby! The new color on your stairwell is so pretty! I also love your new gallery wall! I put up a new gallery wall in my living room, and I love the way it brightens up the room! That paint stick sounds awesome!
Thanks so much, Lauren! Love that you used scrapbook paper for your gallery wall– great idea! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
~Abby =)
man, I need one of those paint sticks! I’m talking about painting my first floor white (that post actually went up today…good timing!) for the same reasons you’ve talked about here and I’m kind of dreading it…maybe the paint stick is my answer!
Ooh I love your white inspiration photos– so pretty! My go-to white right now is Behr Marquee’s Cameo White. I totally credit the Marquee paint (it’s one coat coverage) + the amazing paint stick for this job getting done so quickly! Can’t wait to see what you decide for your first floor! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
~Abby =)
Wow! What a transformation! I am amazed every time I paint what a difference it can make. Looks great.
I know! I love how a few hours and a can of paint can make such a big difference! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend, Miss Heidi!
~Abby =)
Oh I love the paint change!!! It looks so much more brighter and welcoming, which is nice if that’s where you come in from most of the time!
Loving the new gallery wall, too!! Can’t wait to read more about that since I ADORE gallery walls!
Oh and we have the same light fixture in our entry way!
Have a fabulous day!
Thanks so much, friend! Yes, hooray for paint, lol. And you know what they say… great minds think alike! 😉 Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend, Selene!
~Abby =)
That only took you 3 hours to do?! That is awesome! I really love the idea of the paint roller having paint stored inside it, especially when it is hard enough to paint over a staircase. And, that gallery wall is total eye candy! Love every little detail in it!
Thank you so much, friend! You are the sweetest! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
~Abby =)
I love this! I’m trying to lighten up my house. The lighter color sure does make a difference!
I hear ya! We had the dark-ish tan color in every room, so we are slowly lightening and brightening one by one! Only a few more to go! Yippee! Hope you’re having a great weekend, Lisa!
~Abby =)
It looks gorgeous! Loving the pale dusty blue with all of your white trim.
Thank you, Sabrina!! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
~Abby =)
That paint stick looks awesome. I have a similar stairwell and was wondering how you managed to paint a straight line at the top where the wall connects to the ceiling or crown molding. That is my biggest concern that’s holding me back!
The paint stick is amazing! I love it! As far as the straight line goes, that would be my hubby up on a high, high ladder using a quality angled brush (We like Wooster or Purdy brands.) to carefully cut in right along the ceiling line. The brush makes all the difference! You can do it! Hope this helps!
~Abby =)
I LOVE this transformation!! Looking forward to your post on the gallery wall. I want to do one in my own home, but I have NO idea where to start! Awesome job!!
Thank you so much, Chrissy! You can do it! Post coming soon! 🙂
~Abby =)
This could not have come at a better time for me. We are gong to be painting our bedroom, that has crazy huge vaulted ceilings. And then our staircase to our basement also with a vault. Really awkward to paint. I was imagining me or my husband balancing a ladder on the stairs, in my imagination it did not end well. This will save us and help keep things cleaner too! I love the color, it looks like you blew out a wall and added a bunch of windows with how light it is now, great color choice!
Thanks, Emily! Your painting job sounds a lot like ours! Best of luck with everything!
~Abby =)
I will vouch for that paint stick! I blogged about my love for it a few years ago. It is definitely one of those tools you could chalk up to being a gimmick until you use it! Seriously a game-changer.
I love the new color. It’s amazing how much brighter it is even though your previous color wasn’t exactly dark. Sweet gallery, too!
Thanks, Melissa! Yes– my hubby was making fun of me when I first broke out the paint stick bc he thought it was a gimmick. Once he saw it in action, though, he’s a total believer! It’s awesome! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
~Abby =)
Abby,
I love how bright and airy your stairwell is now! I’m going to have to get myself one of those paint sticks! We have a ton of painting to do in our house…
I’ve also been wanting to redo the frames on the wall of our stairs. It gets lots of natural light, and it’s all ready painted white. Yeah! But I’d planned to repaint all of the frames black. Now that I’ve seen yours, I think I might use it as an opportunity to bring in another punch of color. :0)
Thanks for the inspiration!
Tiffany
Thanks so much, Tiffany! I totally recommend the paint stick! It’s amazing! Best of luck with your frames!
~Abby =)
That looks beautiful! Love the color choice. And that paint roller is awesome, I’ll have to remember that when my next painting project rolls around!
Thanks, girl! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
~Abby =)
Love the new look of the hallway! What a transformation a little paint makes!
Thanks so much, Paige! Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
~Abby =)
Awesome tips Abby. We are about to tackle painting our living and dining room and have some high ceilings in the living room – this would be perfect!! Also for our kitchen ceiling paneling…thanks for the idea!
Yes! The paint stick would be perfect for that! Can’t wait to see your transformed spaces! Have a great weekend!
~Abby =)