New Oushak on the Landing

<center></center>Thank you all for the kind words about <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-studio-tour-and-huge-give-away-from.html" target="_blank">the studio reveal</a>! I hope all of you have entered <a href="http://keep.com/giveaway2?utm_source=LGN&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=DOLGNCN41514" target="_blank">the $2000 give away</a>! I'll be posting more info and sources and angles of the room soon. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3510.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2018/IMG_3510.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />While I'm working on those posts and tutorials, I wanted to share this pretty rug find with you! My friend <a href="http://www.kendrasmoot.com/" target="_blank">Kendra Smoot</a> tipped me off to an eBay listing for this beautiful little Oushak rug (what a friend, right!?). I think I got it for just over $100 and I love how soft and worn it is. It's slightly overdyed with blue and pink pastels. So pretty!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3589.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2018/IMG_3589.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><a name="more"></a><br /><br />Right now I have it on the landing by the girls' rooms. It fits the floor space perfectly up there. It might end up moving around to one of the other rooms, but I love it here for now.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3599.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2018/IMG_3599.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo xIMG_3508.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2018/xIMG_3508.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There's a lot of black happening up there with the stairs still being bare and all the pretty but dark black doors. I think the rug helps lighten things up.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3584.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2018/IMG_3584.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>I have the little <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/10/serpentine-secretary.html" target="_blank">scalloped secretary</a> on the landing still, but I've yet to decide if I'm going to paint it or leave it as is. I'm leaning toward trying to paint it or doing a <a href="http://www.ornamentalist.net/2010/12/ebony-limed-oak-step-by-step.html" target="_blank">limed/cerused finish</a> on a dark base. I think it would look so pretty if I could pull it off!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3548.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2018/IMG_3548.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3521.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2018/IMG_3521.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I put some art up in the landing too. I've had this very naive painting for a couple years now and it always feels like it belongs in the girls' space. I think it's sweet and I love all the bright pops of colors. The frame was pretty lame though, so I painted out the faux gold glaze with some Gentleman's Gray paint I had laying around, which is a deep, soft navy color.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3529.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2018/IMG_3529.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3532.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2018/IMG_3532.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I leaned the painting against <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2011/05/heirloom-button-art.html" target="_blank">my framed button collection</a> that I made a few years ago using buttons I inherited from my grandmothers. The twisty <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2014/03/diy-concrete-planters.html" target="_blank">concrete planter</a> was a more recent project.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_3554.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2018/IMG_3554.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyway, I'm loving my new Oushak! It makes the landing feel like an actual room! :) Makes me also want to put a little bench up here against the stairs. I also need to pick a flush-mount light for the ceiling, and I really need to finish up the stair runner. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo xIMG_3539.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2018/xIMG_3539.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />PS if you're looking for a Oushak on eBay, always sort the listings by lowest price first. The private seller listings will almost always be auction style and not Buy It Now.

New Oushak on the Landing

Thank you all for the kind words about the studio reveal ! I hope all of you have entered the $2000 give away ! I'll be posting more inf...

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Black Stairs and a New (Old) Rug

<center></center><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_9774.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/IMG_9774.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">ugh! must find a new light fixture soon!!</span></i></div><br />Things are starting to shake out in our foyer! Some of you hyper-observant readers noticed the new black stairs peeking out in one of <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/11/newly-painted-doors-and-walls.html" target="_blank">the photos in this post</a> (or maybe you just saw <a href="http://instagram.com/p/gTNihTQW9c/" target="_blank">my teaser</a> on instagram). And, best of all, my favorite new rug from <a href="http://esalerugs.com/" target="_blank">eSaleRugs</a> arrived over the weekend. Happy Thanksgiving to me!! Isn't it gorgeous??<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_9781.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/IMG_9781.jpg" /></div><br /><br /><a name="more"></a><br />So, about the stairs. I liked the gray paint color okay, but I kept wishing the color was darker, especially as I was <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/11/newly-painted-doors-and-walls.html" target="_blank">picking wall colors</a> and was leaning toward the Brushed Aluminum color, which is a little darker than I was originally planning. You can see my test color here on the wall under the railing by the vent. The gray on gray was a no-go. So I pulled out my gallon of Onyx that I've been using on doors and <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/11/finished-fireplace.html" target="_blank">the fireplace</a> and tried a little bit on the stairs. It was obviously the right choice. I asked the painters to add the stairs to the bid and they didn't charge me much more than the cost of paint (nice!). It made sense to get the stairs finished while the painters were here when this part of the house was sort of out of commission anyway. Also, I don't really regret <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-i-painted-my-stairs.html" target="_blank">all the work I did before</a> with the gray paint color because in the end it actually helped me lean more toward the darker gray on the walls. And most of all, all that filling and sanding needed to happen regardless. So you know, whatever. All's well that ends well.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_9166.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/IMG_9166.jpg" /></div><br />And I really do love how the stairs turned out. The contrast is so pretty against the lighter walls and floors. And the railings are far and away less 80s to me in black.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_9772.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/IMG_9772.jpg" /></div><br />The only downside is the dusty footprints have been killing me, so I moved up finding a runner on my to do list. <a href="http://instagram.com/p/gdjlMawW6d/" target="_blank">You might have seen</a> that I found this rug at Homegoods a week or two ago. I liked the colors and the small repeat on the pattern will make installation SO much easier, and will help to hide dirt, but I wasn't totally sure it was the right choice.<br /><br />Until I found a new old rug for the entry.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_1256.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/DSC_1256.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_9769.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/IMG_9769.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_1243.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/DSC_1243.jpg" /></div><br />It's a 100 year-old Shiraz Persian rug from my favorite rug source, <a href="http://esalerugs.com/" target="_blank">eSaleRugs</a>. I've purchased half a dozen rugs from them in the past few years and every time I've been thrilled with the rugs in person. I got <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2012/09/making-wall-mural.html" target="_blank">Abbey's bedroom rug</a> from eSaleRugs, the runner I had <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2011/05/kitchen-rug.html" target="_blank">in the kitchen in our loft</a> and <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-garden-level-entry.html" target="_blank">the long rug</a> I kept in the garden level entry at the brownstone. They're like priceless little treasures to me. So unique and so beautiful (and all of them were so affordable - less than the cost of a new rug at West Elm). This rug is 4.5x9.5' and it cost about $350 with free shipping.<br /><br />I love how the dye colors are sort of all over the place. The reds and pinks and oranges in the medallions are so pretty! And that inky blue stripe in the black background? Be still my beating heart.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_1342.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/DSC_1342.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_1254.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/DSC_1254.jpg" /></div><br />The two rugs are perfect together, don't you think? I feel like an older patterned rug brings soul to a space and that's exactly what was missing here with the new runner.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_9791.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/IMG_9791.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_9784.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/IMG_9784.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_1398.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/DSC_1398.jpg" /></div><br />Anyway, I'm super happy with how things are starting to come together! We're going back up to my parents' on Wednesday for Thanksgiving, but we'll be back earlier in the weekend and I want to spend some of our down-time hanging art in here and in the living room. I think we'll have ourselves a comfy home just in time for Christmas. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_1334.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/DSC_1334.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_1250.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/DSC_1250.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo DSC_1384.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2014/DSC_1384.jpg" /></div>

Black Stairs and a New (Old) Rug

ugh! must find a new light fixture soon!! Things are starting to shake out in our foyer! Some of you hyper-observant readers noticed the new...

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How I Painted My Stairs

I've decided I definitely want to change the stairs (treads, banister, balusters - everything) down the road a bit. But for now, I knew it made sense to just paint what I've got. <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-staircase-dread-for-treads.html" target="_blank">Most of you agreed</a> that I could change the look enough with paint that it would be worth the time and effort.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo qDSC_0459.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2011/qDSC_0459.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo aaDSC_0438.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2011/aaDSC_0438.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Well, there was definitely time and effort spent! And I'm pretty happy with the change the color makes in the space.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo aDSC_0458.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/aDSC_0458.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><br />I think it will be worth all the effort in the end, once the runner's installed. The hardest part by far was all the sanding. And thank goodness for Bondo!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7381.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7381.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><a name="more"></a>Bondo is one of those products that might look intimidating, but is actually pretty easy to use. You mix a hardening cream with the epoxy base putty in small batches and then smear on the mixture quickly before it starts to set.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7384.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7384.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7394.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7394.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The stuff stinks bad, but it works miracles and fills any hole/crease/crevice/seam you present it with.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7401.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7401.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">After the Bondo had dried for a few hours I sanded the filler down. This was seriously a full day's work. Every tread took about an hour. But by the time I was finished, the Bondo had perfectly sealed all the imperfections and all the hand-scraped detail on the old wood had been sanded away.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7407.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7407.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7413.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7413.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Michael helped me hang plastic sheeting on the walls and we wiped everything down twice.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7415.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7415.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7424.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7424.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7427.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7427.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I used <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-best-and-easiest-to-use-spray-gun.html" target="_blank">my favorite Critter sprayer</a> to paint the stairs with the first coat of tinted blue-gray primer.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7492.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7492.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">And some of the imperfections started to reveal themselves.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7498.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7498.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">As Linus would say - Ruh-ro.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7501.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7501.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">So I caulked and did another coat of Bondo where it was needed and then sanded the whole thing again. (and sniffed and sneezed and coughed the whole time - stupid cold.)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7507.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7507.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><img alt=" photo IMG_7511.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7511.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I sprayed a second coat of primer on and then the first of two coats of Benjamin Moore's Chelsea Gray in the Advance line paint.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7514.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7514.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">The color is light enough to brighten the space a bit, but dark enough to hide dirt perfectly I think. </div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo IMG_7528.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/IMG_7528.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">The treads look almost like solid planks now! I'm so happy with how they turned out. We just saved ourselves a couple thousand dollars by not replacing these oversized treads!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo qqDSC_0481.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/qqDSC_0481.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I have no ideas yet for what I'm going to use for a stair runner, but I'm really excited to pick that out next. I'll be trying something similar to <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2012/12/diy-stair-runner.html" target="_blank">this tutorial</a>.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo aDSC_0488.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/aDSC_0488.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Also, on a whim I pulled out one of <a href="http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/2012/02/magic-of-gold-leaf-pen.html" target="_blank">my old gold leaf pens</a> and painted one of the round screw covers. The pen was pretty dry so the color's not very saturated, but I kind of like the look. What do you think of the gold just on the screw covers?</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo aDSC_0530.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/aDSC_0530.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Before I buy the runner I have lots of touch ups to do and I think I'll paint the walls before installing the runner as well. But at least I'm happy with the direction we are headed in. It was well worth the labor, paint and about $12 in Bondo!</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt=" photo aDSC_0458.jpg" border="0" src="http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd246/jkomenda/ALBUM%2012/aDSC_0458.jpg" style="text-align: start;" /></div>

How I Painted My Stairs

I've decided I definitely want to change the stairs (treads, banister, balusters - everything) down the road a bit. But for now, I knew ...

Read more »