Count The Steps!

Something has irked me since we've moved in, and I honestly have NO clue why it's taken me 5 years to do something about it. For some reason, because of the timing between when the carpet was put in, and the banister was completed, or something or other, we didn't paint the inside of the staircase. It was left this unfinished-banged-up wood, next to carpet and a dark stained banister. Like this:

It's always bugged me, but I assumed painting it at this point would end up in a ruined/paint-stained carpet mess. But The Voice got inside my head, and lately, every.single.time I walked by it, I was itching to try it anyway. I thought maybe I could get the painter's tape down that itty-bitty space between the carpet and banister, without ruining the carpet. And THEN I thought, I have those cute stencils that I've been using to death lately, and they came with numbers- how cute would that be to number the steps!? I'm happy to say, there was little paint spillage, and turned out pretty cute:

What a relief to finally have that yucky wood painted a nice fresh white! One more before and after for you:

I know, probably nothing too exciting for anyone else, but it sure does look nicer to me! Plus, it's fun since I always say to the kids at bedtime, "Time to count the steps, kids." And now they can. Literally. ;)