Interior
Colors, Process, and Prep Work
If the last post was about getting ourselves pointed in the right direction, then this one is about what always seems to happen next at 173... slowing down just enough to make sure we don’t get it wrong.
Because once the paint goes up… well, it’s up.
If It Amounts to a Committee…
Every project here eventually runs through what, for lack of a better term, amounts to a bit of a committee. Not a formal one, just the back and forth between us, a few outside opinions, and the accumulated lessons (and mistakes) we’ve gathered over the years working on 'ol 173. Which, of course, is how probably every homeowner ends up with shelves full of paints and stains!
We had a general direction coming out of Part 1, but “general direction” doesn’t cut it when you’re staring at four full walls of 100-year-old plaster.
So we worked through the spectrum, light to dark, warm to cool, safe to... “what were we thinking?”
And naturally, we didn’t pick one color.
We picked five, six, ummm - maybe 10.
Testing the Field
Instead of guessing, we went right to the walls. Decent size swatches. No shortcuts.
Each one got its own space, its own lighting, its own time of day.
And here’s the thing about test patches, they tell you the truth whether you want to hear it or not.
What looked great on a chip sometimes fell flat on the wall. What we almost didn’t try started to grow on us.
And at least one of them looked completely different every time the sun moved.
So we left them up. Lived with them. Walked past them a hundred times a day.
That’s usually when the right answer starts to show itself.
Meanwhile… The Real Work
While we debated colors, we kept moving on everything else, the kind of work that doesn’t show up in the final photos but makes all the difference.
Plaster & Lath Reality Check
Old houses don’t give you perfect walls, and ours is no exception. We leaned into fixing what we had rather than pretending it was new construction.
Every crack got opened up and patched properly.
Every old nail hole, picture hanger, and mystery divot got filled.
Some areas were quick. Others… not so much.
And by the end, the walls were as solid, and as honest, as they’ve probably been in decades.
Updating the Electrical
This was one of those “while we’re here” moments that you ignore at your own peril.
We replaced every outlet in the room.
Not glamorous. Not visible.
But now everything is properly grounded, and that’s one of those upgrades we’ll appreciate every day without really thinking about it.
Caulk: The Unsung Hero
If there’s a quiet MVP of this entire phase, it’s caulk.
We went around just about everything:
- Trim to wall
- Baseboards
- Door frames
Just about anywhere two surfaces met and time had created a gap, we closed it.
It’s amazing how much tighter, cleaner, and more “finished” a room starts to feel before a single drop of paint goes on.
Where Things Stand
At this point, the room is ready.
- The walls are patched.
- The outlets are updated.
- The gaps are sealed.
And the color decision?
We’re close.
And if experience has taught us anything here at 173, it’s that when we finally stop second-guessing and just go with it, that’s usually when it turns out right.
Next time: committing to a color (for real this time), and finally getting paint on these walls.
Hey, thanks for stopping by - see ya' next time!
