Finally getting somewhere!

We just had a painter come in and mud and texture our walls, plus prime and paint in our stairwell. It no longer smells like cigarette smoke hallelujah!!!! My job now is to prime and paint the walls and trim, then scrub the floors so we can get our living room back...

We are getting redwood for our wainscoting and our ceiling!!! I am so stinking excited because I thought we were going to have to get pine. It is beautiful, rosy reds with white mixed in.

So here is the before pic... Somebody put this siding next to the fireplace, and somebody else covered this cedar with hideous wallpaper. I scraped and peeled and scraped some more to get the paper and adhesive off... (don't mind the stove, we like to do our cooking in the middle of the living room. :)

NOW, the painter ripped off the siding, cut drywall to fit flush with the cedar, and mudded and taped the whole thing.

Ready for primer and paint!!! I am so excited. :) The paint I have chosen is called Withered Moss from Lowes, and I love it!! You can see the swatch I painted in the picture between the windows. I am so ready to not live in a construction zone anymore!!!