So, we gave the mouse a cookie....

This is Hamish the Red (the BAD) meeting Miss Tatiana for the first time. Really Tati is much friendlier than this!! However, for this purpose, it's a BEFORE picture.

I HATE carpeted stairs! We have been talking for most of the nearly three years we've been in this house about improvements....over and above the cleaning and painting and such.

Timmy decided the other day to tackle the stairs, thinking that we would need to replace the stairs, which was fine business as we decided to add a half-wall built in bookcase next to them which would give us a lovely place to add a hand-rail.

However, it turned out the stairs weren't all that bad, but they were kind of started IN the subflooring... which meant we needed to replace the diningroom floor instead of the stairs. Yes, that was me bawling you heard over losing such wonderful flooring(not).
Here you see the semi-after stairs. they still require staining on the step parts. The risers are actually left over Tundra Antique floor boards that I (brilliantly) suggested we place over the older, ratty stuff. Now, on to the floor itself.

Before. No, we haven't removed the 1/4 round trim, the people before us (Harry the Homeowner and family) chose to not replace it after tearing up the carpet and replacing it with this gem of a floor tile. (BTW, that little gap is sure a cat-pleaser!! Hamish lost all manner of objects under there!)
AFTER. I just need to touch up the red paint around the new baseboard moulding. This floor is courtesy of IKEA, my favorite store. It's our fourth wedding anniversary gift to us!

Timmy got the brilliant idea to sharpen his shovel in order to remove the old tile more quickly....look at it fly!