RUNNER REDO

Aside from the insane amounts of grass cloth in our hallways and stairwell the runner is a focal point in our home. The colors and style of the existing rug just didn't mesh with the rest of the updates we've made to the house. It's bothered me since we moved in. Shortly after buying our house I knew I wanted to try my hands at installing Dash & Albert runners. They have great colors and patterns plus I love that they are made to be durable with dogs! I searched all the tutorials and was confident I could easily take this on with the help of my husband.

The problem was two-fold really, first my husband has almost no free time and more importantly I wasn't sure it was a project we could make it through and still be speaking at the end of. We are both "leaders" when we take on a project and we don't always see eye to eye. He likes to wing it and I tend to do countless hours of research which generally leads to one or both of us throwing in the towel and not speaking through dinner.

So, the runner sat and sat for a year and a half until I couldn't stare at it any longer. I decided to call in the professionals - which is a big deal since we've done almost every project ourselves thus far. My husband did remove the old runner since it could be done quickly and would save some money.

My biggest regret is that I didn't plan this out better. I really wish I had painted the stair risers before installing the new runner. The molding, risers and banisters are in desperate need of a refresh - they are just about the only trim we haven't repainted and it's going to be much more tedious now with the new runner in place.

Although my husband thought it was a project we could have done ourselves (thus a waste of money) once the new runner was installed he agreed that it was best to hire someone. I don't think we could have gotten it as perfect, the installer really knew what he was doing. He was also meticulous in matching the pattern - can you see where the seams are? For an area of the house that gets so much use it was worth every penny.

This is the Dash and Albert Runner I used - my stairs needed a total of 3 runners and it was JUST enough. 

I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. It brightens up the space and blends with the style of the rest of the house so much better now. Lola happens to be thrilled with it. I'm not sure what it was about the old runner but she actually wouldn't go down the stairs until we replaced it. Now it's her favorite place to hang out - she has a perfect view of everything happening outside!

Do you have one of those projects that you REALLY want done but just think it's not in your wheelhouse?