Soul Sisters Southern TN Designs

Several people have asked about my stairs and the gallery wall that has transpired over the last few years. I thought I would give some ideas on how to get it started. I LOVE gallery walls..really LOVE! I think my obsession with them are out of control and they are everywhere! But I've always been a big fan of having pics of my family all around me so this is the same just with some extras involved.

So when we bought our house in 2006,it was my dream home! I loved everything about it (well besides the kitchen but that is fixing to change)..everything else was perfect.We have been here awhile and have done some major decorating and I find that it never stops.

Here is the pic of the day we closed. Nice crisp unpainted walls for lots of fingerprints while going down the stairs.Don't you love that cute window??

So within a few weeks we hired someone to come and paint the walls up the stairs since we thought maybe we would die if we did it. Of course it was again the color taupe or gold I might add.It wasn't bad but now I can't imagine it that color.

 

I loved that it had hardwood on the steps instead of carpet but man they are still hard to keep clean with 3 boys and 2 dogs.

 

I had decided to do some pics along the wall and wanted black and white so I started with this first.

 

 

I added things along the way through the years and it looked like this pic.

 

 

I guess it doesn't look bad but as you can see I was painting the whole house! We were right in the middle of an adoption from Africa and this really was the only way for me to stay sane..Paint..I repainted the whole house except for the office that is getting ready for it.

 

This time My hubby decided to get on the ladder and risk his life for me! I held my breath the whole time.

 

And painting on a ladder with flip flips! Can't take the California man out of him. He did survive and I was happy!

 

Today It looks like this..It is my happy. The paint is Benjamin Moore Coventry Blue.It looks grey,blue and a tint of green in at times.The pics stay crooked some of the times as you can tell but they are beautiful. When you first come up with the idea to do a wall you need a plan.Plan for your what pics you want,plan for some odds and ends to go with it and then a color scheme.

 

 

 

 

I knew black and white pics were my choice and I love the turquoise blue,so I just added some of that into the wall with lots of K's for our last name and I had my perfect wall.I did try and choose frames that were the glass kind.

 

I still have a few more to add up around the top but mostly that is where the kids touch when they come down the stairs so I am afraid that they might knock them down.

 

Just to show you some stuff that I have on the stairs that I really love is the sigh.When we were praying for several years about adoption,I just assumed it would be a girl and she would be from Haiti since we  have done mission work there for several years,but God had different plans for us and when I went on a trip to Ghana,Africa and met a boy at the orphanage and was blown away by what God was asking me to do,which was adopt this boy..when I had other plans! I was obedient and our son came home in August of last year and So this sign means something to me. We should always delight in the unexpected,you never know what it will be!

You can purchase this sign on ETSY here but she has a lovely display in Asheville,NC too.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/OldFortStudios?ref=pr_faveshops

 

 

This was made for our birthdays with our wedding anniversary in the middle.This is the 2nd one I got since we added to our family.It is perfect.I purchased it on Zazzle.

 

 

My great grandmother made this for me when I was younger and my mom put it in a frame for me.It is really special to me.This is the only thing I have of what she has made.She was a crafty lady and had a beautiful soul. I never heard her once complain or ever say a harsh word to anyone.When I walk down and see this I am reminded of her daily and wish she was alive to see my boys.

 

 

 It is good to have some vinyl as well in the small spaces and of course know that we are a family of 5,gotta have a number there.

 

 

Upon painting all of the walls I decided to paint the banisters and the steps.I would of loved to have the iron banisters but not like having to pay the price so I just got to work.Spent 2 days doing these and felt like I had been in a car wreck the next 2 days..It was tiresome and I was very sore for the record! But it tied it all together and very pleased.The steps do not stay as dirty as they did with shoes scuffing them up but I do have to keep them clean just as much as before.

 

At the very top of the stairs is a large frame that I spray painted and placed some pics around it.The wall always seemed bare to me so this was perfect..if only I could get rid of the smoke alarm.

 

 

Going down the stairs now and don't you just love the window..Its so cute

 

At the bottom is this little area.I had a small table there but it was just too big. This is actually an old mirror without the mirror and turned upside down! Cute huh??

 

So there you go..Gallery wall complete...Hope you enjoyed looking at it and you can always contact me or my partner Angela for any questions or a consultation for us to help you complete your wall or stairs for you..

 

 Blessings as always, Lisa