The Main Hall and Stairs

When we first looked at the house, the stairs sold us. Yes, they were covered in inches of white paint with black, yucky varnish and decorated for Christmas (in February) but they said, "This is your home!" After a year of hard work they look like I imagined them. Why did anyone paint these white? The walls were a dirty tan color. The ceiling was a 50's tile stuff - with a few missing and others that dangled by a thread. We love the new paint color - Laura Ashley Gold 4. It changes color with the light from sunny gold upstairs by the window to deep gold downstairs by lamplight. The worst part of the renovation was paint removal. Many hours with dental tools, the heat gun and stripper..... The big wall had cracked, patched plaster and peeling paint. I would never have believed the husband could work such magic and repair it. Some of the plaster walls in the house are too far gone and they have to go- but we like to save them if possible.

The new ceiling downstairs is pressed tin and so much better!

The chandelier was here when we bought the house. The wiring was so old we had it disconnected until it could be rewired when we put in the new ceiling.

The rocking chair and the mirror were here when we bought the house. We added the picture molding and crown molding.

The gallery of children going upstairs.

Same children -just younger - in these pictures.

And the entryway woodwork - pay no attention to the plastic sheeting behind it! That is the parlor renovation going on as I write..... We knew that some of this wood was not old and some was original. As we removed the paint, there were some mysterious hinge marks....??????

The mystery was solved one day when a lady knocked on the door and told me she lived here in the early 70's. There were French doors between the parlor and hallway. Her husband took down the doors and a wall and look what they found....

HIDDEN INSIDE THE WALL!!!!!