If you are going to paint with dry-lock the dust issue will be lessened. There is a picture of a poster who did the black paint on the ceiling thing. I haven't seen the finished room but it does disguise the unfinished look. This technique is very popular in restaurants. Once you get living down there the dust issue will be dealt with, with regular cleanings. I like the light paint idea for light better. I am not a fan of dark caves myself. I too would go with scraping and re-painting the floor. I did my laundry room in white and it not only holds up it is easier to sweep. I did mine in Kilz/water lock cement block paint. I would not invest in much if you aren't up for the full job. Three houses tells me no one wants to hang out in what feels like a basement. How old are your kids? Maybe you would be better off to create an indoor play ground down there? Hang a few swings from the rafters, get some toys on wheels let the kids do more gross motor play down there. I also kept all play-dough play downstairs. Without finished walls, warmth, heat source and lots of light, the more natural the better, it just will never be a second family room, in my experience.

Thanks for the help! The hall mirror is 9 feet tall. It came from my great grandparents house (who died before WW I) and was stashed gathering layers of coal dust in my grandparents attic for 80 years, until that house was sold 20 years ago. I got it because I was the only family member who had a ceiling tall enough for it and knew how to restore it (plus my Dad talked other family members into it!). The delicate looking settee and chairs are from the same great grandparents. I never met them nor my grandparents from my DadÂs family, so having their pieces makes me feel connected to my heritage. It was a large family so I feel very lucky to have what I do. 2 other chairs and a table are from my MomÂs family. I just learned how to post pictures this week so my stair runner has not been "featured" before. But thanks for your kind words! We replaced the wall to wall on the stairs a few years ago. We hoped the wood underneath would be decent enough to varnish but it was not. So we opted to paint with oil based and chose a wool runner that would go with all the current Persian carpets, all the rest of which are handmade wool or silk. This was just ordered from a regular carpet store and installed by them. I still want to glaze (or something) the banisters and spindles, as the builder used 1 coat of cheesy minwax on them in a dead color I donÂt like. But thatÂs a lot of surface area to cover and I donÂt know that IÂll ever get to it. I got halfway through moving furniture today before I got sidetracked. I went to the basement to get this beautiful large antique looking mirror I bought a few years ago and saved for this room when it was "ready". I wanted to see which wall it would look best on before I got too far ahead. When I unpacked it to show my husband I found the brass had corroded in spots like it was diseased. I wanted to clean it up right away so I could have his help to hang it: itÂs too heavy for one person to handle. I have this strong copper and brass cleaner that up to this point has always worked. But 6 hours later I was still cleaning it! So much for getting this room put to rights today. My feet are killing me from standing up cleaning that thing all day. Why is it that every project snowballs into something unforeseen??? Why canÂt I get anything DONE???

Thank you! The consensus here at home also is to not compete with the piece. So probably black/charcoal. Hopefully grouting within the week. I have Kaffe Fasset's book and have always admired Gaudi, so I almost HAD to use the footers. The only reason I had the pale green is cuz the kitties threw one of their dishes off the shelf. I haven't yet figured out how to cut a saucer so the little footer circle stays intact,but I would like that. Kathy

If you're not going to water in the summer, then anything but St Aug will be better than St Aug. It will die if not watered once a month or so. If the zoysia does not do well in the shade, then St Aug is the only option. So then, in prep for sod, no need to rototill or aerate. Just rake or scrape off the surface dead growth. Then lay the sod. Make sure they leave no gaps between sod pieces. The sod pieces should be staggered meaning that it should not look like a checkerboard. They should roll the sod down to ensure good contact between the roots and the soil. Then start watering briefly (5-10 minutes), 3x per day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner times), for the next 2 weeks. Then check a few pieces to see if they have knit to the soil. Try lifting a corner. By then the roots should be biting into the soil. Then you can back off on watering until you are watering deeply (1 inch) and infrequently (once per week max during the hottest heat of summer). That watering schedule may be much different from what your neighbors say and all your local advice, but their daily watering schedule does not develop a great root system. Daily watering also encourages every weed seed to sprout, and you don't want that. So as soon as the sod knits down, start backing off on the watering frequency. Are you interested in an inexpensive organic fertilizing routine. Here is a picture of a zoysia lawn with a handful of alfalfa pellets (rabbit chow) applied a month earlier... You can see the improved color, density and growth. Alfalfa is usually applied at 15-20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. You can buy it at any feed store in 50-pound bags. You and your daughter might appreciate organic.