Ceilings. Ugh.

I love to paint.  It is instant gratification.   There is nothing like gliding the brush across a wall or a piece of furniture and watching the immediate transformation.  This is exactly the reason I hate painting ceilings.

 I paint all of my ceilings white because I like the visual illusion of added height it gives.  And I use an eggshell finish because I like the way it reflects the light.  The first coat isn't bad but the second coat is just torture because I can't ever see where I've already painted.  Plus, it's just awkward.  I can't ever get into a decent position.  I bought an extending roller handle thinking that might help.  But it didn't.  All of the ceilings in my house are a dingy flat white so I am painting them as I do the walls but geez, it's no fun.

Anyway, I did finish the bedroom.

After

Before

It doesn't look like a huge change in the photos but it is much brighter.  Actually the before photo was taken with a flash and the after without.

Now I need to paint the bookcase and I am refinishing our bedside tables. 

We bought these at Hobby Lobby because we liked the size and height.  Also, the ironwork goes well with our bed.  The color and finish of the wood does not fit at all.  I have been seeing tons of pins on Pinterest (have I mentioned I LOVE PINTEREST?) where they use a gel stain over previously finished wood and they get a wonderful result.  Usually they are going from honey oak to an espresso.  Well, of course, I have to try that.  I am going to use a Walnut gel stain just because that is the darkest color I could find at my local store.  The pins specify a brand that I cannot get here so it may not turn out at all.  

Now, the fact that I have not actually tried this technique yet is absolutely no barrier to my plan of doing the same thing to all of the honey oak trim in my house.  

Yep, I really do that.  I just dive right in.  Shoot, if I tested out every technique before I actually started a project I'd never get anything done.  My philosophy is it's only paint.  If I don't like it, I just paint it again.  

I've started to paint the ceilings heading into the man cave and I'm going to paint the walls after that.  Well, this banister is attached to one of the walls so I really want to do it before I do the walls and I figured this was as good a place as any to start.  

Yes, this is how my mind works and how I end up with 14 projects going at once.  And STILL people ask me how I'm not bored being a housewife.  Seriously?

Well, I have to run.  Much sanding and painting to do!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sandie