The last several weeks I’ve devoted to getting half-finished projects wrapped up and checked off the to-do list. I’m great at going full steam and starting a project. Finishing the project? NotSoMuch. I’m a 90-percent-er. I get about 90% of the work done and then get distracted with a shiny new fun project. I’m like a dog who sees a squirrel. Totally focused and then all of a sudden,… “SQUIRREL!!”
It’s time to hunker down and get these loose ends wrapped up. Even if I literally die of boredom.
One of the projects that I’ve been putting off for months is finishing hanging chair rail in my family room and breakfast nook. I hung a few random pieces A YEAR ago and then never quite got around to hanging the rest of the moulding. Oops. (See Project #11 on this list.)
Yikes. Well, guess what? I did it. I got er done. It was boring. And it wasn’t as fun as decorating something. But the moulding is hung and painted and… well… it’s done. Hallelujah.
See? Proof. I am the chair rail master. I mastered those chair rails.
I started by using my nail gun to hang all the moulding. Then I used wood putty and filled all the holes. After that I caulked all the edges, and finally, painted it all a semi-gloss white called Alabaster from Sherwin Williams.
For these darn rounded edges I just ended the moulding before the edge. On the staircase wall I cut a piece of chair rail and centered it on the wall.
Here’s the wall totally finished. After I painted the chair rail I went around with my gray touch up paint to make it crisp and clean looking. The gray wall color is called Bedford Gray by Martha Stewart.
I pretty much showed my hand when I shared my fireplace redo. Did you notice the chair rail?
Speaking of fireplace redo, I know that a whole lot of you hate the painted tile. And I just want to say that I don’t love it either. I did this project pretty much for free, and the black tile is better than the ugly beige tile, but it isn’t ideal. I do plan on updating the tile as soon as I want to deal with renting a wet saw. So stay tuned for an update on that. I do still love having a black mantle though. 😉
Anyhoo, here’s another view of the chair rail under the tv. Notice I ended the rail before the rounded edge.
I figured I should paint over my extremely dirty and scuffed up baseboards while I was already sitting on the floor with the trim paint out, so those all got a fresh coat of paint as well.
I’m not much of a taper (haha a tapir. Like the animal. Ben will be proud. It’s his favorite animal.) , but I do tape off the floor when painting baseboards so I’ll have a perfectly crisp line along the floor. Oh, and so the paint doesn’t get all over the carpet.
I know it’s the highlight of your day to look at my dirty and dingy baseboards. What could be more fun than checking out some random bloggers baseboards? I can think of 100 things more fun. But I figure if I had to sit there for hours bored taping and painting them, I might as well bore you for a few minutes by showing you how bored I was. Thanks, I love you too. xoxo
After a year of staring at a half-hung chair rail, I’m thrilled to finally be able to check this little project off the to-do list. My next goal is to finish hanging moulding around all the windows in the house. I only have 9 more windows left until I am totally DONE trimming out all the windows.
So, do you love moulding and trim and chair rail? Or is it just me and Thrifty Decor Chick that can’t get enough of it?
PS I’m guest posting at I am Momma Hear me Roar Tuesday morning. Stop on by and say hi to Cheri. She is so awesome!
I love moulding and all that jazz. You actually inspired me to to wainscoting in my living room and frame out all my windows! Only 3 more to go! I’m glad you told us the steps, because I wasn’t sure if I should caulk before painting or not. Do you not tape off when you are repainting the gray? And also thankyou for showing us how you just ended it at the round corner. Was wondering how I was going to do that. Love your blog! Thanks for all the tips and tricks!
Hooray for finishing that last 10%! I’m the same way. I have so many projects around the house that are “done enough” but I seriously need to finish all of those before I start anything new. Your chair rail looks great, and I LOVE the gray on the walls.
I chase squirrels too! I don’t want to tell you how many projects I have going. Most evolve with the “have to”, “must”. or someone is coming to visit and I get that final push to complete. Your chair rail work is quite nice! I know gray walls are our new neutral. I am painting a couple of room a beautiful midtone gray but waiting until after Christmas.
WOW!! This looks great. I LOVE the gray and white and IF I ever paint the walls, that will be my choice.
I’m one more of those “moulding addicts”! Along with paint, I think mouldings can enhance any space in a very economical way! Your family room looks fabulous!
I’m curious as to why you don’t paint your trim before you put it up? I find it much easier to paint and then install. If I need to caulk, I tape off the wall and get a nice clean line of caulking and then don’t have to touch up the wall paint. I do have to touch up the trim after filling nail holes, but overall I find it much easier than trying to paint the trim once it’s on the wall.
There’s really no big reason. I just get eager beaver to get the rail up on the wall, so I paint afterward. Also, I have painted moulding before hanging and I find that I end up having to mostly repaint it anyway after caulking and puttying, so I just do it all in one fell swoop after its hung.
Oh, and it looks great!
Looks great! I know exactly what you mean about finishing them. I do, but the little things seem to make that one big project go on and on. You know, laundry, carpool, kids needing to eat?!
I love chair rail moulding! We have it in our dining room and it makes such a huge difference. I have been trying to convince Ethan to put up crown in our living room, but it seems to always get bumped to the back of the list. haha Great job!