This is Part One of my staircase makeover.  Part Two – How to Install Wrought Iron Spindles – can be found HERE.

We moved out of our starter home in November of 2011, and bought a house one street over.   Literally. Our new home was less than a mile away from our first house.

I loved everything about the new house. The floor plan was perfect for our family. My kids would continue to attend the same elementary school, and our “commute” to school dropped from a mile to about a quarter of a mile. The street was full of my kids’ friends, and the backyard had room for a pool.

I loved everything about the house, except for the VAST amount of golden oak. It was EVERYWHERE. Golden oak kitchen cabinets, golden oak bathroom cabinets, golden oak laundry room cabinets. Golden oak staircase banister and spindles. The hardwood floor that covered almost the entire downstairs? Yep…golden oak.