Cassie Bustamante

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One Room Challenge Week 5: DIY Rope Stair Railing, Painted High Stairwell Walls, and When to Call the Pros

May 3, 2017 by Cassie 77 Comments

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Hey there, friends!  It’s time for our One Week Challenge Week 5 update, which means next week is the BIG REVEAL!  I am so grateful to Linda at Calling it Home for putting this all together, and am looking forward to seeing all of the designer reveals as well as the participant reveals.  I think all things considered, I will be ready!  Of course, I had to call the pros this week, but more on that at the end of this post.  First I am going to tell you what I was able to accomplish sans help which is the DIY rope stair railing and the painted high stairwell walls.

By far, the rope stair railing is the most unique piece of this space.

DIY Rope Stair Railing

If you recall, before we had a terrible old wooden railing that was mounted to a piece of wood that was “anchored” to the wall, but actually the top half was loose and coming off… safety hazard!

Eclectic Spring Entry

I am going to share the tutorial for the rope railing next week, because it will be a bit long and I didn’t want to try to squeeze it in with so much during this post.  For now I will tell you that the rope is much heavier than you might imagine, and I was sweating my booty off as I installed it!

Coming in the tutorial, I will show you how I chose my bracket placement for secure mounting, how I cut the rope (MUCH harder than you might think!), and how I created my ends, which I wanted to be like oversized tassels.  But for now, here are some cute puppies to tide you over.  They’re super helpful.

DIY Rope Stair Railing

They just like to be involved with whatever I might be doing.DIY Rope Railing in Entry

(Still loving our entry light.  You can read about it here.)

You may have also noticed that the tassels I ordered from Amazon arrived.  I simply tied them together and draped them on the railing.

Tassels on stair rails

This past weekend, with Chris home, I got out our extension ladder so that I could paint the top part of the stairwell.  I painted the rest of the walls a couple of weeks ago, but I couldn’t safely reach the highest points of the walls, as you can see here.

Painting Almond walls white

I set the ladder on the stairs at a slight angle leaning into the wall I was painting the top of.  It worked well, and I was able to reach that wall perfectly, but when it came time for the sides, I could not reach.  I couldn’t turn the ladder to face that direction, and I was nervous as it was on top of the ladder.  Instead of problem solving, I did what any other woman at the current “time of the month” feeling the pressures of the ORC might have done… I yelled at Chris, “I do not need your help!” and stomped off and walked outside and cried and took a breather.  Probably not my proudest ORC moment, but let’s keep it real, OK?  Once I pulled myself together, I went into the garage and found a couple of long garden stakes and  taped them together using packaging tape.  I then taped my paint brush on the end and used that.  A reader had commented that a paint brush on a pole worked for them, and by golly, it worked for me, too!  This wall is not perfect, but it looks pretty darn good, and certainly much better than it was before.  Hallelujah!  No more almond walls!  Cue the choir of angels!

Painted High CeilingsNow the last update for this week is where I freaked out and decided to take Kenny Rogers’ advice, and know when to fold ’em.  We are thrilled to have some amazing new doors from Metrie.  I chose the true craft door for its simple style that can lend to both modern and vintage design.

Metrie True Craft Door

Originally when planning this round of the ORC, I thought, I can do that!  I can figure out how to hang a door and install new door knobs and it will be an amazing new life skill.  Well, due to a dead car battery in the vehicle we had to use to pick up the doors, followed by the kids being off from school for a week, our pick up of the doors was delayed.  We weren’t able to get them until last week, but I still thought perhaps we could try to do it.  My neighbor trimmed them to the exact sizes we needed for our slightly off-norm door frames which was a huge help.  From there, however, we were stuck and time was not on our side.  Rather than fudge it up in a rush, I decided it was time to call in the professionals.  My friend’s husband does contracting work, and is happy to take on side jobs, so he’ll be hanging the doors for me later this week, and installing the new doorknobs.  Yes, we will be paying, and I’ve been trying to avoid spending a lot this year, but it needs to be done right.  It will be worth it to me in the end!

As for the knobs going on, I ordered these simple Schlage Orbit knobs from Amazon because I loved their shape.  Once the doors are in place, I’ll be painting them black, and I think these knobs will look smashing against that background.

That’s all for this week!  I plan to have my rope railing tutorial ip for Monday or Tuesday, and I will be sure to link back to it in my final reveal post.  Be sure to hop over to Calling It Home for the designer and linking participant updates this week.

One Room Challenge Linking Participaint

*This post uses affiliate links.

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Filed Under: hall, making our home, My House, One Room Challenge

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Comments

  1. [email protected] says

    May 3, 2017 at 7:26 am

    How many times have I said it now? But I really want a rope railing too! Absolutely love the doors you chose too

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:21 am

      you should do one! i spent around $115 on the entire thing which i am happy with!

      Reply
  2. Shelley | Crazy Wonderful says

    May 3, 2017 at 7:46 am

    That rope railing is so cool!!!! Love how you added tassels to the other banister. You sound just like me when it comes to asking for help. I will push myself beyond the edge before asking for it. But, worth it! Those walls look amazing!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:20 am

      i know- why do we do that to ourselves? my husband HATES when i act like that. yet i do it again and again. #bestwifeever

      Reply
  3. Brynne | The Gathered Home says

    May 3, 2017 at 7:59 am

    It looks amazing, Cassie!!! I love the huge tasseled ends of the railing!!! And I completely understand about the stairwell walls – I had the exact same problem in the in the stairwell of the old house! So nerve-wracking!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:19 am

      thank you so much, brynne! the huge tasseled endings were a last minute decision but i love them!

      Reply
  4. Emy says

    May 3, 2017 at 7:59 am

    The rope railing is so cool! I love it! Hooray for paintbrushes duct-taped to poles! 🙂 And I’ve had to walk away from my hubby many times so I wouldn’t murder him in the name of the ORC. 😉

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:18 am

      thank you, emy! i wonder how many murders are a resilt of the ORC?

      Reply
  5. Lisa says

    May 3, 2017 at 8:37 am

    Cassie I totally had a moment like that when I was hanging crown moulding last week. But then because we’re tough we have a meltdown and then get back to work and get the job done! *fist pump emoji* Your light is so pretty, and I can’t wait to see your Metrie doors! Exciting stuff happening over there!!!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:17 am

      i had to have that meltdown so i could pull myself together again and think clearly!!!!

      Reply
  6. Kelly Elko says

    May 3, 2017 at 8:52 am

    I wondered what direction you were going when your supplies included rope and tassels!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:16 am

      haha! next i will use the extra rope for a bedroom swing. and ordering more tassels for DIY pasties. they are going to take off on pinterest.

      Reply
  7. [email protected] says

    May 3, 2017 at 9:32 am

    We are having major door issues over here so I hope yours go smoothly!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:15 am

      and then with a week to go i was panicking we’d have no one able to help!

      Reply
  8. Bre says

    May 3, 2017 at 9:55 am

    Can’t wait to see the tutorial on that rope railing! Such a fun idea!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:14 am

      thank you, bre!

      Reply
  9. Jessica | Petal + Ply says

    May 3, 2017 at 2:19 pm

    Everything’s looking great Cassie! Can’t wait to see those black doors with the brews knobs!!

    Reply
    • Jessica | Petal + Ply says

      May 3, 2017 at 2:24 pm

      *brass!!! haha, not sure why my computer chose to autocorrect/autofill :/

      Reply
      • Cassie says

        May 4, 2017 at 11:14 am

        it must be all the drinking you’ve been doing!and thank you!

        Reply
  10. Tee at Beauteeful Living says

    May 3, 2017 at 3:07 pm

    Thanks for keeping it real, Cassie. It’s exactly what happens when we do “real time” makeovers. It’s part of the thrill and frustration. Lol! Man, I’d be afraid of painting that angle by the stairs! Looks great! Good luck with rest of the projects! Cant wait to see how the doors will look.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:12 am

      it truly is and it will all be worth it in the end. and if it’s not worth it, then check me into an institution please.

      Reply
  11. Joann @ Woman In Real Life says

    May 3, 2017 at 3:09 pm

    Your rope railing is super cool! My husband also painted the stairwell with a brush on a pole, haha. That was after years of not painting it because we didn’t want to pay someone. It worked out well in the end. Good luck with the next week. I agree sometimes it’s best to call a pro.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:10 am

      i have never paid anyone to paint a wall and i didn’t want to start now! hanging doors is another story…

      Reply
  12. Lindi says

    May 3, 2017 at 5:10 pm

    YES! Love the rope railing! I knew it would look great! Can’t wait to see the finished project!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:10 am

      thank you so much, lindi!

      Reply
  13. Susie says

    May 3, 2017 at 6:26 pm

    Your rope railing is fab! When we see it all over Pinterest as the new big thing, we’ll know it started here. So happy you were able to soldier on when the going got tough. Yay you! Can’t wait to see your big reveal next week! Susie from The Chelsea Project

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:09 am

      haha! that sounds dreamy if it catches fire! 🙂 i mean on pinterest… not in real life of course.

      Reply
  14. Design Chic says

    May 3, 2017 at 8:32 pm

    Absolutely love the rope railing – so fun and can’t wait to see your doors!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:08 am

      thank you so much! the doors will be going in this weekend then i will be scurrying to paint and shoot! the nice thing about this space is there’s really no styling to be done as there is no space for shelving or furniture! so that is a plus. 😉

      Reply
  15. Scottie says

    May 3, 2017 at 8:57 pm

    I have never seen a rope railing- what a fantastic idea! It looks great and I love the paint color! (BTW, I would be happy to help you if you ever need to pick stuff up. I have a giant truck with an 8′ bed and would love any excuse to see you again! 🙂

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:07 am

      thank you so much, scottie! i am SO happy with the railing! it’s a huge change from the poorly installed falling out of the wall orange wood one.

      Reply
  16. Ruthie says

    May 3, 2017 at 9:36 pm

    Love the rope railing! I love how unique it is! Go you on painting up so high! I don’t think I could have done that….but I am scared of heights! 🙂

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:06 am

      thank you so much, ruthie! i was petrified, but i just didn’t look down!

      Reply
  17. Kate Smith says

    May 3, 2017 at 10:26 pm

    That rope railing is awesome! Can’t wait to see the whole space next week!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:06 am

      thank you so much, kate! so excited about your nursery!

      Reply
  18. Leslie says

    May 4, 2017 at 12:30 am

    The rope railing is really fantastic! Sounds like it was a a much more difficult project than I thought. Great job!!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:04 am

      it wasn’t so hard and didn’t take much time, just much heavier than i thought… i should have worn gloves, too because i got a tiny bit of rug burn. ha!

      Reply
  19. Kristin Cadwallader says

    May 4, 2017 at 8:29 am

    it’s coming along! feeling very nautical which makes me smile because I’m officially a New Englander now baby! xo

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:02 am

      thank you! love new england- it’s where my roots are!

      Reply
  20. Dannyelle @ Life is a Party says

    May 4, 2017 at 9:05 am

    It wouldn’t be ORC without a few tears, right? Your rope railing looks great, and I think getting the doors done right sounds like a super decision. It will all come together. Looking forward to your big reveal!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:02 am

      oh so true! ha!

      Reply
  21. Carol @ CAD INTERIORS says

    May 4, 2017 at 10:52 am

    Those “time of the month” episodes are awesome for our men, aren’t they?! 🙂 Can’t wait to see the new door and the entire space next week!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 4, 2017 at 10:59 am

      oh my husband knows not to mess with me then and goes into cleaning mode. haha! better to be busy and productive than in my path!

      Reply
  22. Jillian says

    May 4, 2017 at 12:50 pm

    I love the rope railing, it looks fantastic! Good Luck finishing up.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 8, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      thank you, jillian!

      Reply
  23. All Things Big and Small Blog says

    May 4, 2017 at 3:01 pm

    Cassie,

    You did such a great job! I love the rope railing–all your improvements are making me want to rip out our banister and ugly standard railing! (but my husband might be a little mad…) All that sweat was worth it!

    Annie

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 8, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      haha! our railing was not really functional as it was so loose from the wall, so my husband didn’t mind!

      Reply
  24. lesli says

    May 4, 2017 at 4:48 pm

    Super cool! Love the rope railing! Cannot wait for the reveal!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 8, 2017 at 3:00 pm

      thank you, lesli! can’t wait to see yours as well! i just love your fun home!

      Reply
  25. alma says

    May 4, 2017 at 4:51 pm

    Loving the rope railing!! Can’t wait for next week!!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 8, 2017 at 3:00 pm

      thank you, alma!

      Reply
  26. Carol, The Red Painted Cottage says

    May 4, 2017 at 8:13 pm

    APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE for you painting the wall in your stairway! You’re a lot braver than me, but then I have a terrible fear of heights. I’m looking forward to seeing the final reveal next week with those beautiful doors installed. BTW, LOVE the rope railing!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 8, 2017 at 2:59 pm

      oh i was a little terrified up there, but i think i was more scared of admitting defeat in not finishing this space! 😉

      Reply
  27. Jessica says

    May 4, 2017 at 10:20 pm

    That rope rail is perfection! I cannot wait to see the reveal!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 8, 2017 at 2:59 pm

      thank you so much, jess!

      Reply
  28. Tricia Wright says

    May 5, 2017 at 1:22 pm

    After reading how you painted your stairway walls using the brush on the pole, I had that ah-ha moment. So that’s how you do it! I’ve been putting off painting ours for the past 2 years but I’m not brave enough to get on the extension ladder. Your rope railing is amazing! I love the combination of black, white and wood too. Can’t wait to see the reveal!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 8, 2017 at 2:48 pm

      hooray! you can do it, too! and thank you so much!

      Reply
  29. Amber Oliver says

    May 5, 2017 at 4:02 pm

    Loving the new “railing”! Also the models are super cute 😉

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 8, 2017 at 2:46 pm

      thank you so much, amber!

      Reply
  30. [email protected] BoxyColonial says

    May 5, 2017 at 9:08 pm

    oh, those doors are great! and I remain super impressed that you painted the stairwell yourself; I thought for sure that was going to be the call in the professionals moment!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 8, 2017 at 2:44 pm

      thank you so much, gretchen! no, it was the doors… and let me jsut say i shouldn’t have touched them at all. oops.

      Reply
  31. Leslea @ A Heart Filled Home says

    May 6, 2017 at 1:08 am

    The rope rail is such a wonderful idea! I love the tassels too 🙂 And I’m definitely going to remember that paint brush trick for any future projects 😉

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 8, 2017 at 2:43 pm

      thank you so much, leslea!

      Reply
  32. [email protected] says

    May 6, 2017 at 8:56 pm

    That rope railing is such a cool idea! It looks fabulous! Can’t wait to see those doors up and painted.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 8, 2017 at 2:42 pm

      thank you so much, ashley! we had a little change with the doors. 🙂

      Reply
  33. Nicki Parrish says

    May 7, 2017 at 12:03 pm

    We painted our stairwell a few years ago, and let me tell you, it was freaking scary! I painted everything that I could safely reach, and then I made my husband do the scary parts. He didn’t mind, but I will say it will not be done again before we leave this house! Love your rope railing, great job!

    Reply
  34. Jessica says

    May 8, 2017 at 8:47 am

    Love the rope railing!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 8, 2017 at 2:36 pm

      thank you, jessica!

      Reply
  35. Ariel says

    May 8, 2017 at 2:01 pm

    This space is looking SO fresh

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 8, 2017 at 2:34 pm

      thank you!

      Reply
  36. Katy {ashadeofteal} says

    May 8, 2017 at 11:05 pm

    I love that you did the rope railing. It’s so unique and different and it looks amazing!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 12, 2017 at 3:10 pm

      thank you so much, katy!

      Reply
  37. Brittany Goldwyn says

    May 9, 2017 at 10:44 am

    This is SO you Cassie! I love it!! Bravo for figuring out the ceiling dilemma. I have decided that I am going to pay my dad to paint all of our upstairs ceilings because just the bathroom ceiling was SUCH a PITA. We have a high stairwell ceiling that I don’t even want to think about doing!!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 12, 2017 at 3:09 pm

      thank you so much, brittany!!!

      Reply
  38. Jane @SustainMyCraftHabit says

    May 9, 2017 at 11:43 pm

    You are so brave to tackle those high ceilings on your own! I don’t mind heights but ladders scare the crap out of me. Great work!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      May 12, 2017 at 3:08 pm

      thank you, jane!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. DIY Rope Stair Railing - Cassie Bustamante says:
    May 8, 2017 at 5:00 am

    […] I digress… you’re here to learn about my DIY rope stair railing.  Last week in my One Room Challenge update, I shared photos, but today I am going to tell you exactly how I did […]

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Cassie!

I believe that you don't have to spend a lot of money to live a beautiful life and be your best self.  Here you will find budget friendly ideas to live happily, healthily, sustainably, and most importantly authentically.  We all get one chance at this life, and this ordinary girl plans to make hers extraordinary. How about you? Read more...
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Mother, wife, shop owner, blogger, writer, incurable diy-er, furniture painter, coffee and wine drinker, friend. Seeking happiness and passing it on. Read More…

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