Sometimes you have to wait for inspiration to strike to figure out a project. We’ve been in our home for 9 years now and I’m starting to see spaces in a whole new light. Maybe working out more regularly is helping my brain after all. HA!
Our stairway wall (the wall downstairs that hides the stairway going up) has been a wall that has been pretty stagnant for some time. It’s pretty much an accent wall unless you find a functional way to use it. Many years ago, we made it into a chalkboard wall and over the years, we have filled it with fun chalkboard art. School pictures were always a favorite way to use this wall.
Yesterday, that all changed, after I organized the storage area underneath the stairs. I felt it was time to make this wall also feel fresh again. I searched my newly organized paint stash and go to work. We are slowly updating all of our trim color to white so I went ahead and tackled that as well. Function-wise, I also thought about how we could better use the wall. Maybe put storage on the wall? Accent table with baskets underneath? Here is what the space looked right before I tackled it.
I decided to use a pint of Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy on the wall. And then our new trim color is Sherwin Williams Alabaster. Here is a progress picture as I was painting.
Here is what the wall looks like now. Though it’s still a dark color, it looks a lot neater with no old chalkboard art (though I still like chalkboards in some spaces) on it. I love the dark/moody color for this wall, since like I mentioned, it’s an accent wall. I’m pretty sure the stairs will be painted white so it will pair nicely in the near future too.
To make the wall more functional, I added a stool and a wall-mounted shoe rack. Previously, our shoe stash was getting out of hand in the baskets. We have go to scale it back! So this will be a limited area for everyone to keep a pair of shoes. The stool might hold another plant one day but it can also provide a place to sit and put your shoes on. With all the masks we have now, it may even be a place to hold those.
Shop Similar Garden Stool / Shop Recycled Kantha Cloth
And I’ve been looking for a spot for this rattan cane plant stand for some time. I think it just found it’s new home. Since it’s slender it won’t interfere with the walkway and it’s perfect for plants. I added a few “easy to care” for plants that will hopefully thrive here. They add necessary color to this accent wall and of course they are good for the air. And I might have a small plant addiction. Maybe not.
Overall, this little makeover probably took 4 hours and most items came from within my home. I actually picked up the plants with groceries too. So, there really wasn’t that much to making this space prettier and more functional. I love shopping my house to make a space come together. I enjoyed using a new paint color as well. Also, it doesn’t take long to fix up or refresh a space and it definitely doesn’t require a ton of money.
Do you enjoy weekend makeovers? Let me know in the comments below.
