The next step will be to sand it then stain and finish it.
Then we'll be moving on to the final room - the one that will be our bedroom. Up to this point, it has been the catch-all room for all the tools and wood and drywall and paint and... You get the picture!
But I have a picture in my head - coffee-colored walls with white trim and cream/tan carpet; Roman shades in the windows with beautiful sheers drawn off to the side; a small area for hanging and storing clothes (not a closet, but a nook); my husband's recliner near the window for relaxing and reading (I hope!). The excitement is starting to build now that we're very close to finishing.
When we first started working on the upstairs, it was just an open attic that was freezing cold in the winter and sweltering hot in the summer. And now it's looking very much like a warm and cozy living space! And to know that the transformation took part mostly by our own hard work and sweat (with the help of family) is even more encouraging and rewarding for us.
Soon, there will be only one thing missing: the pitter-patter of little bare feet running down the hardwood hallway to come snuggle with us on a weekend morning!