Tag: Dutch Boy

Painted Stairs and Entryway Makeover

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Dutch Boy. The opinions and text are all mine.

Our back entryway got a makeover from the back door all the way up to the second floor!

Paint from Dutch Boy went a long way here, but let’s start at the beginning so you can get a better sense of how things have changed.

I love that our house has a back stairway (so charming!), but it was kind of dismal. The house had been split into apartments before we owned it, and the back stairs likely saw a lot of use from tenants over the decades. The walls were textured and the stairs were carpeted.

We skim-coated and painted the walls and ceiling a couple of years ago when I thought I was going to include this area as part of my One Room Challenge. (I did the front entryway and third floor hall, but only partially worked on the back stairway.) In addition to smoothing things out, we ripped up the carpeting, laid new wooden flooring at the landing, and replaced a handful of steps that we discovered were too far gone to save.

Then we had a plumbing leak. After the first plumbing leak we thought we had fixed. (It’s all fixed now!)

We had to replace the cast iron plumbing stack from the basement to the third floor, which meant opening up the walls and ceilings of each bathroom and all along the back stairway.

There were dark smudges and dirty handprints all over from the plumbers (and knowing what part of the plumbing they were working on, I tried not to think too much about what might have been on the walls). We cleaned things up as best we could and patched the huge holes, but things weren’t looking great.

Those cabinets resting on the foundation ledge are new and not installed yet, but will be at some point soon. I’m trying to squeeze as much function into the back entryway as possible, so I’m thinking they’ll hold things like dog leashes, the kids’ outdoor toys like bubbles and chalk, and spare reusable bags. Stuff to grab before heading out the back door. The cabinets are from IKEA and I cut them down to be half the depth, but there’s going to be some custom work ahead to fill in the gaps along each side. We may also add heavy-duty brown/black carpet on the landing and stairs up from the back door in the future.

Like so.

That rendering is to scale, and I played around with colors and wallpaper patterns in Photoshop before executing the design in real life. You can picture it with the cabinets from the before and after below.

Hello, Etched Arcadia wallpaper! The wall color (Antiquated Lace, 017W, from Dutch Boy Brand’s trending Homestead palette) is a great match for the background of the pattern, giving the whole thing a hand-drawn look.

I considered also painting the wood trim to match the walls, but decided against it for now as it makes sense with the kitchen and rest of the first floor’s unpainted woodwork.

My original plan was to add more detail to the runner. A border, and maybe hand-painted pom-poms or fringe? But as everything came together I felt like it would detract from the space rather than add. I do think that maybe a circle centered on the riser of each stair could be cool and unexpected, but again, not needed.

Tips on Painting Stairs and a Runner

First, do a lead check. Assuming you’re in the clear (we were), you’ll need to clean and sand the stairs. I like to use Dirtex to clean because it works well and doesn’t leave a residue that will interfere with your paint job. Sand with a random orbital sander to get most of the surface area and a mouse sander to get into corners. I do a rough (80-120) grit to start, then come in with a finer (180-220) grit to smooth things out. Clean the stairs again to get rid of the dust, and put a base coat down. Dutch Boy Porch & Floor paint has paint and primer, so no need for a separate step!

I used my lightest color (Antiquated Lace, 017W) for the base coat and then caulked all gaps before continuing on. I like to do that first coat before caulking because I find it’s easier to see the areas that need attention. Next, I put my second coat of paint in the same color on the risers, but used Authentic Black, 437-7DB for the treads. I left the center unpainted because I knew I’d be adding a third color for the painted runner effect.

Dutch Boy paint has the nicest containers for pouring paint! There’s a little spout inside so it’s easy to pour and the top screws back on, keeping it neat and making it easy to store. I used Fruity Pink, 105-2DB, from the same Homestead color palette that I pulled the wall, trim, and riser color (Antiquated Lace) from. The palette makes it easy to pull a cohesive color scheme together, and I also really liked Preppy Pink, North Haven, and their color of the year, Garden Patch, but you know I have a fondness for pale pinks.

I used painter’s tape on the runner’s first coat to get the layout right, then went freehand for the final coat. I used an angled Purdy paintbrush to get a nice line (and that goes for all of the painting — I prefer to paint without taping). I also used the same color in Dutch Boy Dura Clean paint on the back door. I’ve always wanted a pink door! When the weather warms, I’ll paint the other side too.

We make good use of the coat rack at the front door, but I wanted to add one back here too. I mounted a coat rack to the wall and added a boot tray and umbrella stand beneath. The family must now only hang outerwear in the designated blush, black, and white color palette. (Ha!)

The spacing of the runner on the curves was tricky, but I taped out the straight runs first (6″ in on each side) and then winged it for the rest. It worked!

The combination of black, white, wood, and pink is one that I’m always fond of. Add in some brass and wallpaper, and you have all of my favorites at once. A wonderful update to what was once a strictly utilitarian entry and stairway!

March 6, 2019
My Son’s Finished Room

This post is sponsored by Dutch Boy^® Paints.

Red and light blue — those were the only parameters I was given by my six-year-old. You got it, kid!

I approach kids’ rooms a little differently than I do the other spaces in a home. If it’s important to a child to incorporate their favorite color, there are ways to make it work. August had been adamant about red walls for a long time, and I was ready to go with it. I let him know that if and when he wanted to change his room, I would help him (read: do it for him). I had a plan in place, but then he started talking about light blue! I made a couple of mockups with different wall colors to show him, and blue won — with plenty of red incorporated elsewhere.

This was pretty early on in the process, so obviously some of those choices weren’t finalized and have changed. And I’m still into that black and white buffalo check, but August picked his fun colorful curtains when we were out together. Still totally cute, and I like encouraging my kids when they take an interest in their surroundings. (Someday they will probably learn to exploit this.)

The entire shell of the room was painted, except the floor.

The ceiling had a few repaired patches from when we rewired, so it got a fresh coat of Dutch Boy^® Platinum Plus Ceiling Interior Paint + Primer in Brightened Cream (005W), flat finish. I used the same color for the wood trim, but used Dutch Boy^® Dura Clean^™ Cabinet, Door, & Trim paint. I also used this product for the doors in Dutch Boy’s Authentic Black (437-7DB).

A quick reminder of the green walls and unpainted fir ‘before’ situation.

I cut in with a Purdy ClearCut Glide angled brush and rolled the walls with Purdy’s White Dove 9″ x 3/8″ roller cover. Someone had asked me for tips on painting behind a radiator without removing it. I say tape off as well as you can, use a mini roller, hope for the best, and don’t examine it too closely!

I knew the walls would be “light blue” per August’s request, but I waited to choose the exact shade until after we had picked up the bedding. I found a linen duvet cover that IKEA is calling green but that I am calling slate blue, and I chose the wall color to complement it — Dutch Boy Frosted Olive (425-2DB). I again used Dutch Boy^® Platinum Plus Interior Paint + Primer in a flat finish. It has Stain-Shield Technology that allows stains to be easily wiped away, which is great for a kid’s room. I used it in our pink guest room recently too, and it’s a great paint priced around $35/gallon.

The walls are lovely, and the black door plus white trim combo gets me every time. That and the life-sized Boba Fett wall decal, of course.

Kids often go for the really saturated, crayon-bright version of a color when you let them choose. If they want red, they want red! Blue is blue! Those vivid hues are great for a piece of furniture or in accessories, but could be overwhelming on the walls. I prefer a more muted color, and I love the way Dutch Boy has organized theirs. The color numbers that start with a ‘1’ are bright, ‘2’ is mid-tone, ‘3’ is muted, and ‘4’ is neutral. I wouldn’t consider any of the colors starting with ‘1’ for the walls — they’d be far too intense for my taste! The one I chose, Frosted Olive (425-2DB) is the perfect shifting blue/green/gray I was aiming for. Very subtle, very pretty.

And why did I pick green when I wanted light blue? The color is on the spectrum where green and blue meet, and the room is north-facing and fairly close to the neighbors. This is not a space that’s flooded in bright sunlight, and northern light reads cooler (making everything look a little bluer). On the opposite side of the house, the “olive” in the name would definitely be more apparent.

The room is about 10×10′ and has the entrance door with transom, closet door, radiator, large windows, and an angled wall to work around. August likes to build and play with LEGO models (could you tell?), so I wanted to keep his red desk in there. I had arranged the room before with the bed centered on the windows, perpendicular, with the desk in the corner. I’ve always liked the idea of a desk or dresser backed up against a bed floated in the middle of the room, but there isn’t enough space to pull it off here. I came up with this somewhat unconventional version of that layout, and it works. The desk functions like a partners desk now, with one kid sitting in the chair and another (or two) at the foot of the bed.

The wall behind has four wall-mounted shelves arranged in a grid (one with a mirrored back and three with double shelves) for display. Excellent for keeping certain models out of a little brother’s reach.

I wasn’t going for a theme room, but the kid has his preferences! Star Wars, LEGOs, superheroes, and video games. His toys are a major part of the decor.

A red upholstered bed brings in more of August’s favorite color. We picked up an embroidered pillow in a print that matches the curtains, cute white sheets with triangles, and the green (blue) linen duvet set. We’ve had that little ‘a’ pillow for years, and we have other bedding that can be mixed and matched in and still go with the room. An adjustable stool that I grabbed from another room is standing in as a nightstand with a floor lamp beside it. I added a plug-in dimmer switch and looped it up to be within reach from the bed.

The dresser holds all of August’s clothes, freeing up the closet for toy storage. We also have some of the bulky sets behind doors in these old bookshelves we took with us from the last house. It’s a great mix of open and closed storage that keeps the room from feeling too cluttered. The books and toys are all super colorful (and not always neat, day to day), but the subtle paint color keeps it visually calm. The pair of red lamps bring more of that favorite color in, and I like the layered effect of the framed prints behind, suspended from the picture rail.

I took care to get my son’s opinions throughout the process of redoing his room. I incorporated the color scheme he wanted in a way that works within the larger context of our home. We set up areas for the way he likes to play — a large, open area in the middle to spread out, and a desk for detail-oriented work. His favorite toys are prominently displayed, and the art is guided by his interests. I want my kids to feel like their rooms are a reflection of themselves! He loves it, and what’s wonderful is that it makes me just as happy.

August 22, 2017
The Guest Room, Painted Pink

This post is sponsored by Dutch Boy^® Paints.

Why did I hesitate to paint the guest room anything other than pink?

The walls were white when we moved in, and they were fine. Unobtrusive and neutral, but kind of boring. When I finished selecting the furniture working on the room’s and layout, the walls were still white and I thought, hey, this would be a fun opportunity to go really bold with the color! I tried a rich, deep teal. It was a pretty color, but so clearly wrong for the space. I thought about going in a different direction, skim coating the walls and putting up wallpaper, but this was just supposed to be a quick project! I knew repainting was in my future.

I had resisted pink because it’s so often my go-to and I wanted to try something different. But in this case, pink truly was a great choice for the room. Lovely and soft, but still a noticeable color. I used the new Dutch Boy^® Platinum Plus Interior Paint + Primer formula in Peachy-Keen (306-2DB). It turned out awesome! Here’s a shot after I did the cutting in and just before rolling the walls.

I like a flat finish for walls, and this paint has primer built-in. It covered in just one coat even over the dark color. Dutch Boy Paint’s new Platinum Plus formula with Stain-Shield Technology is durable and easy to clean, and it’s a great price at around $35/gallon.

Most of the furniture is the same as it was when I first showed the guest room A few months ago. I moved the bench to the foot of the bed and turned the dresser, but I kept the teal chair and side table where they were, and it’s the same bed (which fits the space so perfectly). The big difference is that I got rid of the single nightstand and brought in a matching vintage pair. I painted them black, using the same paint I used on the doors: Dutch Boy^® Dura Clean^™ Cabinet, Door, & Trim in Authentic Black (437-7DB).

I like to mix sets so that the nightstand(s) and dresser aren’t perfectly matching, and I think every room benefits from interesting vintage pieces or antiques. I’m proud of how this room is turning out, but the matchy-matchy definitely was a little more ‘catalog’ than I personally like for my home. The dresser stayed, but was rotated and put on the adjacent wall.

I’m very into the black nightstands and the contrast they add. I don’t always go for symmetry, but a room with the bed centered like this makes perfect sense for this space.

That peachy pink is so good in the room. The new wall color even made the existing carpet look better! It’s low on the list of priorities to replace, and I think the white walls called more attention to it. Now it’s the subtle flooring backdrop it should be.

The bedding stayed the same too. I added a pom pom bedskirt that’s super cute, but I kept the white sheets, duvet cover with subtle embroidery, and statement pillow. That pillow totally makes the bed, and now the wall color plays up those pink tones.

I’m thinking I’ll probably do something fun with the window in the future, but now that the wall color is right, it doesn’t feel nearly as pressing. And pink! You know I’m always down for more pink. This Peachy-Keen is perfect for a room with interesting angles and not a whole lot of natural light.

Room by room, this house is getting closer to my overall vision for it. This was such an easy change too, mostly just the paint! It was pretty before, but now it feels so warm and personal. Not bad for a gallon of paint and a day’s work.

July 18, 2017
Planning Our Paint Color Palette with the Simply Yours Tool
This post is sponsored by Dutch Boy Paint.

We took on several spaces for the latest round of the One Room Challenge. The work spanned all three floors of our Victorian from the front entry, up the stairs, down the second and third floor hallways, and then back down the other set of stairs and out to the back door. Dutch Boy Paint provided all of the paint we needed, and as you might imagine, there was a wee bit of painting involved.

I wanted each space to have its own identity, but the entries and pass-through areas touch every single room, so there still had to be a sense of continuity and a color palette that would work well throughout the whole house. I knew I wanted black doors and white trim upstairs, so that was an obvious place to start. Here’s a tip — you don’t necessarily want to use the darkest, most true black or the brightest, purest white. The contrast may be too stark and you’ll likely get a better result with a creamier white and a less severe black.

Here’s how the colors I chose (Authentic Black, 437-7DB, and Brightened Cream, 005W) compare to similar shades.

I played around with the colors using Dutch Boy’s Simply Yours Tool. I started with the most extreme black and white, then brought my choices in and added a creamy white (White Linen, 007W) to be used on the stairway walls.

Next, I turned my attention to the front entry color, which I knew would be a shade of pink. I was looking for a pink that was strong enough to stand up to our unpainted oak, muted (not too bright or saturated), and on the peachy/coral side or with a beige/brown base. I’ve starred some of my favorites below, and again, I played around with those in the Simply Yours Tool, then picked up some paint chips to help make my final decision.

There were four strong contenders: Amber Wood (409-4DB), Ole Washboard (409-3DB), Old Oak Trail (409-2DB), and Sandstone Quarry (408-2DB). Each of the four would have looked great with the wood in our front entry, but Sandstone Quarry also worked well with the wallpaper for the second floor hall and the two spaces connect at the top of the stairs.

There were several surfaces to paint, each with their own specific requirements. Below is a breakdown of the products, finishes, and colors used throughout. You can find Dutch Boy Paint at your local Menards store.

Walls and Ceilings
- Dutch Boy Platinum® Paint + Primer (Flat)
- Brightened Cream, 005W (2nd and 3rd floor ceilings, 3rd floor walls)
  White Linen, 007W (1st floor ceiling, front and back stairway walls)
  Sandstone Quarry, 408-2DB (front entry walls)
- Most people will choose a flat finish for ceilings, but it’s also my preferred finish for walls. I like a matte look.
Trim and Baseboards
- Dutch Boy Dura Clean Cabinet, Door, & Trim
- Brightened Cream, 005W
- A durable choice for the woodwork in a great shade of white.
Doors
- Dutch Boy Dura Clean Cabinet, Door, & Trim
- Authentic Black, 437-7DB
- A glossy black finish sets the doors apart and will offer protection against daily wear.
Stair Treads and Risers
- Dutch Boy Platinum® Porch & Floor Paint + Primer (Satin)
- Brightened Cream, 005W
  Authentic Black, 437-7DB
- Black and white stairs are classic, and using the same colors as the doors and trim ties them all together.
Once I had made all of my color decisions, I paired them up together with the Simply Yours Tool one last time. I referenced it while creating design boards and choosing fabrics, furnishings, and accessories. The brown (Olde Metal, 414-7DB) is there to represent the stair runner I had chosen, but I do like the idea of it as a wall color. (Brown is back, I’m telling you.)

If you want to try your hand at creating a color palette, you can do so right here with Dutch Boy’s Simply Yours Tool. Give it a go, and you could win a color consultation or Dutch Boy Paint prize pack (but hurry, the contest ends on 11/24)! You can also like Dutch Boy Paint on Facebook for more inspiration.
November 21, 2016
One Room Challenge: Week 5 (When it Rains, it Pours)

I had planned to finish — completely finish — two flights of stairs over the weekend. The old paint beneath the carpet we ripped up had passed their lead check test, so I did some light sanding on Friday and started cleaning the next morning. I washed the first three steps with Dirtex, then went to empty and refill my bucket. I poured the dirty water down the tub instead of using the sink and before I could get back to cleaning, I heard my daughter Eleanor downstairs.

“Mom!? The bathroom is flooding!”

My first thought was that one of the kids had stopped up the sink to play and left the faucet on, but nope. Water was raining down from the ceiling. The good news is that we use the third floor bathroom more like a powder room and we won’t have any more rain in the house as long as we don’t use that tub. The bad news is that we may have to rip everything apart eventually when we are ready to find and fix the leak. Good thing I lovingly hand-painted that floor, huh? I had to switch to cleaning up the mess in the bathroom instead of cleaning the stairs, but the house is fine and we were lucky that Eleanor had noticed the leak right away. I would have kept going!

Anyways, that was our Saturday. Sunday, the fire department came to our door and blocked off our street. Lights! Sirens! Action! One of our smoke detectors started going off (false alarm) and as I was talking to a representative from our security system, it went off again before I could give them my password for a dispatch cancellation. I felt awful for wasting the firefighters’ time and apologized profusely.

So our weekend was fun. How was yours?

That’s as far as I had gotten on the stairs by Monday morning. As of today, they are painted and ready for the antelope runner to be installed. Hooray! That’s happening on Friday, but the other stairs won’t be done in time for the big reveal next week. Since installation had to be pushed back, we could only keep our appointment for one day this week and the rest will be done later in the month. I’m bummed, but at least I’ll have one set of stairs to show.

I suppose it’s nice to not have to rush on the others? Silver lining! Because we got all the rest of the carpeting pulled up and surprise! Everything is awful.

I mean, I can appreciate the red painted runner. Someone put some effort into that! But what’s not good is the condition of the floor at the top landing. Gap city. And the bottom is vinyl, but I’m thinking I could use a deglosser on it and paint like the rest. Or just go wall to wall in the landing? Both landings? Should I rip out the bad wood planks and replace them? Oh, can of worms. It’s been a little while since I opened you — how have you been?

Let’s talk paint! Dutch Boy is one of my sponsors for the One Room Challenge, and their Sandstone Quarry (408-2DB) is the color I’ll be using in the front entryway. It’s a pink with a lot of muddy beige/brown to it, but I need that brown base to play off of the unpainted oak. On the walls, the paint will read as a lovely pink and it’s also a good match for the background in the wallpaper I’ll be using upstairs. That pink is sort of the star, and I built a color palette around it with Dutch Boy Paint’s Simply Yours Tool.

The tool allowed me to create a custom sharable color palette so I could visualize how my colors will complement each other. In addition to the pink I chose, there are two whites. The trim on the second and third floors and the stair risers will be Brightened Cream (005W) — a nice, warm white that isn’t too stark, nor too yellow. The other, White Linen (007W), will be used in the back entry and the third floor hallway. It’s still nice and light with the same warmth that Brightened Cream has, but with just enough of a difference to be noticeable. The brown in my palette (Olde Metal, 414-7DB) is just there to represent the colors of the carpet runner and woodwork, and Authentic Black (437-7DB) is for the stair treads and all of the second and third floor doors.

The front entry and third floor is done. Wait, that deserves more exclamation points. It’s done!!!

I went with Dutch Boy Platinum® Paint + Primer for the walls, which made surface prep easy. Then for the stairs, we used Dutch Boy’s Porch & Floor Paint + Primer. It’s an interior and exterior paint that holds up in high traffic areas.

The walls have been skim coated and primed from the back entry up to the second floor. The trim and doors on the second floor have also been primed. Wallpaper has not yet gone up and I didn’t hire it out because I thought I could get started by now. Whoops! It’s here though, and it will look amazing once it’s up.

Next week is the big reveal! If you need me, I’ll just be over here cleaning/sanding/caulking/prepping/painting/wallpapering.

Follow along with the One Room Challenge participants!

• Jana Bek • Chris Loves Julia • Shannon Claire • Coco.Kelley • The Curated House • Driven by Décor • The English Room • From the Right Bank • Sherry Hart • Hi Sugarplum • House of Jade • Hunted Interior • The Makerista • Making it Lovely • Marcus Design • Pencil & Paper Co. • Megan Pflug • Place of My Taste • Suburban B’s • Waiting on Martha • Media Partner House Beautiful • TM by CIH

My One Room Challenge Posts

Follow along from the beginning!
• Week 1: The Before Shots • Week 2: The Design Plan • Week 3: Work Very Much in Progress • Week 4: Those Stairs, That Hall • Week 5: When it Rains, it Pours • Weed 6: Final Reveal!

November 2, 2016