Random acts of painting: Hallway Gallery…episode one

Apparently this now deserves it’s own category because every paint project I do is seriously a random act.  This project’s idea started out with texts to Heather going something like this:

Me: The kids need an artwork gallery

Heather: So make one

Me: Ok! Maybe I’ll paint the hallway…today! Wahoo!

So back story time.  Now that Hunter is in preschool, I have so many pieces of artwork that come home everyday I don’t know what to do with myself.  I know I can’t keep EVERYTHING, and quite frankly, everything isn’t worth keeping (Oh awesome honey…you really learned how to make black scribble circles today…yay?). But no matter what, I want both kids to know that every piece they makes deserves attention…even if some eventually get tossed. So I hunted around my house to find the perfect spot for a little art gallery for my kiddos..and finally settled on the hallway leading down to the basement!  Which is stupid that I “hunted” around for this because it is seriously the perfect spot.  Lots of wall space for frames, and it’s the stairway leading down to their playroom, so it’s the perfect spot for loads of kid art!
Here is what the hallway looked like before.  Well…before it actually got painted.  Of course I remembered too late to take a plain before pic, but you get the gist.  It’s basically the way the builder left it.  Muddy trim, oak and brass handrails, and plain, flat walls. 

Being that I would rather not spend too much money on this (it was truly a random act) I ransacked the leftover paint cans.  I seem to have an extreme supply.  After throwing up a few, I settled on the dark gray.  It’s Martha Stewart's Bedford from The Home Depot.  It’s also the color that I painted my entryway (seen here).  Our basement is BRIGHT yellow, and although I plan on toning that down soon, the gray makes a nice contrast and transition.  And who in the design world doesn’t love the gray/yellow color combo.  NO ONE…that’s who. Plus, I plan on collecting a bunch of white and super colorful frames to put the artwork in…so having that gray will create the perfect backdrop for tons of kiddie art!

So here is the after!  This has taken me 2 weeks to do, believe it or not, just from painting during naps. Plus, there is this one part at the top of the door where Sonny had to hold the ladder while I precariously balanced to get the paint and then the trim painted (2 separate occasions).  So finally it’s done!  Now all I need to do is spray the handrails white and the hardware a nice oil rubbed bronze, spray a bunch of flea market frames a rainbow of colors, and hang my kiddos' artwork!!