Moonkat, wow, it looks like you're making just great headway. I hope you're not overdoing it as I know overhead work is hard on you, especially on the neck. Ouch! If you have one of those seed-filled u-shaped neck pillows, you can put it in the microwave (for 1-2 mins, no more) just before bed and fall asleep with it wrapped around your neck. Yum. I do that every night all winter long. I'm so happy you got a sander you really like. The right tools make a huge difference to getting the job done -- or even wanting to. Hmmm... I ordered on the 26th, and the due date is "January 30, 2009 - February 4, 2009." I ordered through amazon.com but it's coming from the same place yours did. I am eager to see it - lol. ~~ Laurie, yes you can buy a kit (from http://www.elitetrimworks.com/home.php) but I was just doing my own thing and sort of copying the photo. I have a chop saw and I really like it, though I'm super careful with it because it could take off a finger in a blink. ~~ Helene, oh you did wallpaper over it. I am hoping after my mudding and sanding that my walls will be fine under the wallpaper. But I don't think they're good enough to do that other kind of panelling with the little boxes, at least not yet. The longer wall got super torn up from removing those boards. I like the idea of doing it horizontally. that could save time, too. I'll keep it in mind. ~~ Well, everyone, I am trying to decide if I can make the walls look good enough with the beadboard wallpaper, since the other way is so much work and I'm wearing out. What do you think? If you had a split entry, would you do beadboard panelling on the walls? Or opt for something more formal at your entry?

Thank you, ALL of you, for your thoughtful tips and great decorating advice! I tried hard to learn from you and adapt this room to suite our taste and still conform to the home's older southern Low Country style, and think I succeeded. I'm still debating about building cornices, which I would cover in white fabric, for over the window and door areas, but overall, I'm delighted with the warmth of this room. Moonkat and Oceanna, the painting of the wallpaper didn't alter it much. When the paint was wet it looked as though the shadow of the beads had receded, and I didn't like that, but once the paint dried it looked normal again. It didn't even change the textured feel of the vinyl. I used a satin finish paint, and applied it with a thicker nap roller designed for semi-smooth to rough walls, thinking that the longer nap would help get the paint into those indentations the beading makes. I used a brush at the edges to make sure that all the indented parts were covered. I'm not worried about moisture in the tub area, I had paper here before and it held up beautifully through the antics of a splashing, frolicking grandson who I raised for 12 years. I've got cherished photos of him in this tub with bubbles practically overflowing on the floor...it was his favorite play area. Those days are long over, (he graduates next year.....sigh), the tub only gets used by me, and my splashing days are over! Yayagal and Allison, thanks for mentioning my DS. This is his 4th, and hopefully last tour over there. He just got married a month before he left, and I know his wife would love to have him home, too. And Brutuses, thanks for your invitation, but I've seen the photos of your new home, and your doing a beautiful job with that, all on your own! It's stunning, I especially love your new master bath.

One way involves pulling the carpet back, flush cut sawing the tread and riser back from the wall enough to accept the thickness of the waiscot material. You cut the wainscot to the rake,(angle), of the stairs long enough to slip down behind the long point of the tread/stringer transition. Another avenue would be to use the same method above only inserting a stringer mould down behind the stringer and up the rake of the stairs enough to butt the wainscot bottom to it. Last method i can think of would be to leave carpet in place, get a decorative, but haevier moulding and run it up the rake of the stairs slightly above the nose of the treads and butt the wainscot to it. You could put a rabbett cut in the top back edge of the trim to accept the wainscotting behind. Dont know how that would look, but you can play with it using some scraps. On the first two methods, if you aren't competent at using a flush cut saw, you might want to get a trim carpenter to make those cuts for you.

The angle of that last photo definitely shows the true size of the room....thanks for posting it! I like the blinds since they give a lighter, brighter feel. But hey, that's just my opinion. : ) And.........I have to agree with Caminnc's comment about the cushions re: color vs pattern. You have a lot going on with remodeling, so waiting on the window treatment may be wise at this point. Hanging some simple panels on each side of the window, along with the blinds, would change the whole feel of the room, but I understand you wanting to stay with the current WT. I think the white is 'glaring' at you because of all the other dark colors in the area and it appears to be the only white anywhere except for the flower stand. Finish the rest of the tear-out........and the white may grow on you!