Front Hall/Staircase

One of our larger upcoming projects is the front hall (upstairs and downstairs) and the front stairs. I don't have a paint color picked out yet, but I'm leaning towards a light, neutral color, either a light beige or gray. The color will have to match four rooms (two bedrooms (green and blue), the Living Room (tan) and the Dining Room (gray-blue). All of the trim and the stairs will be painted white. I'm still undecided about what to do with the treads. They currently have old boring carpet on them, which is also in the upstairs front hall. I haven't decided yet if I want to get a runner and install wood flooring upstairs (it's plywood upstairs under the carpet) or leave it wood and stain it. We'll also be re-painting the front door and installing two new light fixtures (one downstairs on the wall next to the closet and one upstairs centered on the stairs/hall). And the biggest project will be replacing the ceiling. It's old plaster and is all cracked and peeling. Painting the ceiling and walls will be fun too.. yay..

Here are some "before" pictures, taken when we first viewed the house last year (stuff in pictures isn't ours).

Looking in from the Dining Room

This was the ceiling a year ago.. it's only getting worse..

Our old-fashioned doorbell

I love this shelf! I'm not sure what to put on it though. Any suggestions?

The upstairs Front Hall

Looking in at the Guest Bedroom