Entryway Renovation : Millwork Details
One year ago, we began demo on our entryway, stairs, and upstairs hall… today, we’re still chipping away at the project. I owe you a long overdue update, but things are progressing beautifully (albeit slowly)! I’ve had many messages requesting a project update for this space, so today I’m breaking down where exactly we’re at in the entryway renovation process, what we have left to tackle, and when we’re expecting to complete this beast of a room renovation. Click through for all the details…
Before we dive in, if you’ve missed this renovation and want to revisit where it started, I’ll link some helpful posts for you below:
- Our Entryway and Staircase Plan
- Entryway Renovation : Before Images, Demo, & The Design Plan
- Our Entryway Tile + Alternative Options
- Entryway Renovation : Demo, Stair Parts, & Flooring
Aside from update requests, the question I’m most asked is in regards to our limestone & marble cabochon tile… where is it from, how is it holding up, etc. Definitely check out the tile post I linked above for sourcing! It’s hard to believe we finished tiling the entryway almost exactly a year ago. Having lived with the entry tile for a year, I’m confident it was the right choice for our home! I still love the tile, it’s highly durable, and I have zero complaints. It was worth every penny and the hassle to have it shipped from Europe. I love the warmth, age, and character it adds to our home.
Since I last shared an update, we’ve made lots of good progress. Emmett has nearly finished installing all of the treads, balusters, hand rails, newels, stringer, and risers. Stair millwork is no easy feat, let me tell you… it’s TEDIOUS work, as there are so many pieces and miters. This project makes me thankful my husband is a perfectionist when it comes to finish carpentry. He pretty much has the upper staircase totally finished and is working on wrapping up the five lower stairs beneath the landing. To give you a sense of the time it takes… his goal was to complete two stairs per week. I feel like Emmett deserves a slow clap for all those beautiful miters and cuts!
The upstairs hall hardwood flooring is also finished! We used the same hardwood material we used on our main level, but this time around we installed it in a running bond pattern (rather than herringbone). Why? The upstairs is a bit more casual and it switches things up while remaining cohesive. It’s also far less time consuming to install. It’s the same width, same color, etc. We had leftover material, so it made perfect sense.
Emmett has also been working to replace all of the upstairs hall doors and hardware. He’s about 70% finished with those. He had seven doors to swap and I believe he has five finished. If you’re curious about our doors, check out this post on how I selected our interior doors & hardware style. I’ve yet to prime or painting anything, but that will come later.
He’s also been working on the millwork within the space… base, casing, chair rail, etc. I designed and mapped it all out, so he has been tackling it bit by bit. Millwork is super time consuming, but he’s making good progress… there’s just a lot of it. Last week, we actually ended up at urgent care because a certain someone nicked his thumb with the table saw. Luckily it didn’t require stitches, but he did have to get a tetanus shot.
He also made custom air return and vent covers for me- pictured above and below. He was able to map it out on the CNC at work… how beautiful is our first prototype? I think it looks so elegant! He’ll fine-tune and dial it in, then cut and install our custom returns.
Another big change you’ll notice in the space is the chandelier swap. While I was in North Carolina a couple weeks ago, Emmett pulled an installation switcharoo. He was supposed to be on crutches post knee surgery, but later sent me a video of himself climbing up scaffolding to install my beloved Windsor chandelier (obviously against his doctor’s orders). Yikes. I can’t keep that guy down… that made me very nervous. I leave for a few days and all rules go out the window. The chandelier looks great though! While I loved the Marcel fixture, once the Windsor was released, I knew it was a better fit for our home with its traditional aesthetic. It’s designed by Mark D. Sikes and is such a dream with the creamy shades and curvy arms!
Our stair runners and rods are also here, although they’ll be one of the last components we install. After chatting through our budget and timeline with Emmett, I decided against wallpapering this room. Instead, I’d like to add stripes with paint application. That’s going to better fit our budget and give us the same look I had envisioned in a more timely and practical manner. Here’s a peek at the runner & rug pad from Annie Selke… they’re very nice!
I also thrifted a gorgeous entryway table that will most likely replace my marble one, once this space is totally complete. Isn’t it gorgeous? That was a Facebook Marketplace find.
I think that brings you up to speed! We’ve been persistent over here, but I did want to take this as an opportunity to remind you that home projects and renovating takes time (and money)- and that’s totally normal. Please don’t feel defeated if your home projects also take a year or more to complete. I’ve had some interesting (negative) messages asking why we stopped renovating or what is taking us so long on this project. My response? Home happens at your own pace. Is that boring to watch and follow? Maybe, but that’s where we’re at these days and I’m all for keeping it real. I’d much rather save and play the slow renovating game for a truly timeless outcome that we’ll love for many years. We do all of this work ourselves, we both have full time jobs, life throws some unexpected curveballs, and while renovating is rewarding- so is living…. which I think is the case for many of us here.
Here’s a reminder that renovating is a balance and not a race.
I believe we’re so used to seeing instant before & afters on social media that literally happen with the snap of a finger (a cringey video transition, IMO), and that’s just not reality for the vast majority. Good things take time- including our homes. Ok, I’m hopping off my soapbox now, ha! I hope everyone has a lovely week ahead. I’m excited for this project and to look back and see our progress. All good things to come! I’ll share more posts as things evolve… including a future stair runner installation tutorial. Thanks for sticking around!