March zipped by, and April’s almost gone! My husband’s busy building his business, and I’m swamped at work, so home improvements are definitely on the back burner. But we’re super excited about our son’s wedding coming up on May 30.
We kicked off upstairs hallway renovations a few weeks ago—ripped out the old carpet, but bronchitis hit pause on progress. Now that I’m back in action, I’m brainstorming ways to brighten up the hallway. With the dog’s doors closed, there’s zero natural light, and I need darker flooring to match the stairs. Board-and-batten is calling my name for some extra flair.
Project menu:
· Wainscotting, bead board, or board and batten for the wall’s lower half
· Fresh, fun ceiling lights
· Stylish LVP flooring
Skipping for now:
· Wall paint (still looking good!)
· Stair/stairwell sanding or staining
As a Technology Manager, I’ve played around with AI tools like Microsoft Copilot. Uploaded a ‘before’ photo and gave it some creative prompts:
1: Told Copilot to keep Agreeable Gray walls, add Cosmos board and batten, medium-tone LVP, and a farmhouse-style ceiling light. The floor doesn’t vibe with the railing, plus the wall color changes with the lighting!
2: Darker LVP? Still not matching the stairwell.
3: Top pick so far; flooring looks great with the railing, but the deep blue might turn the hallway into a cave.
4: Threw in a bigger light fixture—definitely not my thing, but hey, it inspired some ideas.
5 & 6: Experimented with Sherwin-Williams Lullaby (a soft blue), which pairs nicely with Agreeable Gray and both Espresso LVP and whitewashed oak floors.
Now it’s time for my husband to weigh in—can’t wait to see what he thinks!