The Cupboard Under the Stairs - Part 1

It happened innocently enough.  I was sitting on the floor, crafting.  In a flurry of conversation, quickly lost in the ensuing pandemonium, my husband said something like, "I'm just surprised you haven't done anything with the cupboard under the stairs."

Pause.

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! HOW DID I NOT REALIZE BEFORE NOW - WE HAVE A CUPBOARD UNDER THE STAIRS?

Because. We. Do. People.

And thus the newest project was born: The Harry Potter reading room, in a cupboard under our stairs.

dirty, yellow 'before'

Craft day was on a Friday.  The next day I had cleaned out the cupboard (who's contents are still sitting abandoned in our foyer) and bought ceiling paint.  The first thing I wanted to do was paint the ceiling to look like the sky.  Because Hogwarts Great Hall.  I had the idea to have the lower part of the wall be night and then as the ceiling sloped up have it turn into day.

The cupboard probably hadn't been painted since the house was built nearly 30 years ago, and it showed.  The entire thing was dingy yellow and the covered in scuffs and stains.

A confession: I've never actually painted a real ... painting.  So I was well into trying to do the background fading before I realized I had NO CLUE what I was doing.  I did it by gut.  I painted a light blue over the whole ceiling and then just scrubbed a brush of navy paint around for the night sky.  It wasn't very good.  I spent an hour on YouTube and tried again.  The second attempt was significantly better.

close up of lower 'night'

completed ceiling

I tried a technique to paint clouds my stepmother told me about ... but I wasn't competent enough for that.  Another hour on YouTube, and I started at the bottom and worked my way up.  The first attempts were ok, but the largest clouds in the center didn't turn out so hot.  I talked to my stepsister (an art goddess) and she gave me ideas that I used to touch up.  And ... well, that was it.  I painted the walls a light grey, and the trim ivory.  By Sunday night, I was finished.

There is a good chance that the Black family tree will eventually grace one of the walls ... but for now, it's good enough.

surprisingly perfect cast off

I also replaced the tan light switch with one I had removed from the front foyer when we renovated.  It was too traditional (and gaudy) for that room ...
 but was pretty much perfect for this.

Next time I will talk about the lighting and furniture!

Ceiling, walls, and trim finished