Get into the Groove

Another original feature of our 100+ year old home is a tongue and groove wall beneath the stairs. It's constructed of pine and was covered up with the same wood paneling that covered the rest of the walls in the house. When we uncovered it we thought we'd strip the stain and repaint.

Four layers of paint, chemical wood stripper, blistered hands and scraping later, the wall was clear and the original pine boards were exposed. Stripping the paint was not easy with the grooves and it was a messy, messy job...but with the help of some steel wool and sanding, they look nearly the same as the new closet doors that Robbie built from scratch to cover the closet that is now under the stairs. Pictures here of the wall before stripping with the little silly rectangular closet door and mid-way through stripping with the new closet doors hung.

These pictures show the original balustrade and banister that we had to replace running along the staircase.