How to Paint Over Stripes with Different Finishes

Not only did we help my little brother make over his bathroom but we also helped him paint his dining room.  Well, I sort of helped.  I took my project manager role seriously and I snuck out for a 2 hour lunch one day while he did one of the coats. 

We originally thought painting the dining room would be a piece of cake.  Turns out we were totally wrong.  This room ended up seeming like more work than the bathroom. The walls had this awesome stripes with different finishes thing going on.   

I've never been a fan.  Brother wasn't a fan.  "The Gathering Place" had to go too.  I told him to replace it with "Live. Laugh. Love."  And then he fired me.  I then fired him for having such a messy dining room table.

We figured we'd have to do a coat of primer and two coats of paint on the walls.  We forgot to figure in that the ceiling needed painted.  We also didn't realize that stripes would need sanded.  We think the previous owner painted the entire wall flat and then followed with a heavy coat of gloss.  And by heavy, I mean super heavy.  Awesome.  It took a good hour to sand down the walls.  I did some by hand and brother used a palm sander.  We then had to clean the walls.  Ugggg.  Stupidest painting project ever. 

Ike was in charge at this point because little brother and I were losing our minds.

The walls still had a hint of stripe after two coats so we had to do a third.  We decided that if the stripes weren't covered in three coats we were just going to pretend it was horribly intentional.  We lucked out.

So after a good ceiling painting, sanding, scrubbing, one coat of primer and three coats of paint, my brother had a freshly painted dining room.  Thankfully it's the last room in his house that needed painted. 

I only managed to snap a couple quick photos before we ran out the door and they are pretty horrible.  Luckily they are only progress photos because there is plenty more work to be done in here.

Little brother went with Sherwin Williams Grizzle Gray.  It's a few shades darker than his living room (Sherwin Williams Gray Matters).  This helps the colors flow nicely.

Nate and I making slow progress on talking him into painting the trim.  (It's not in great condition and there are plenty of paint blobs from the previous owner.)  I do think that this color makes the oak trim look pretty decent.  For those of you into that sort of thing.

My brother hates that chandelier.  He's on the look out for something quirky modern farmhouse-esque.  We have a few leads.  He is going to replace the hutch with an antique buffet that is hanging out at our grandparents' house.  There are also plans for a new table.

Can we talk about those chairs though?  He got them for $1 a piece at a local school sale.  I think they are fabulous and would steal them if I had a place for them.

Now it's little brother's turn to come help me paint our two story living room.  Seems fair, right?  Maybe I shouldn't have taken that two hour lunch...