Family Room & Fireplace Wall — Chester

What the job involved

This was a single-space refresh that grew, in the way these often do, once the owners saw the family room finished and realized the adjoining hallway and bedroom now looked tired by comparison. That's a good argument for quoting a slightly wider scope up front — bringing a crew back for two more rooms costs far more than adding them at the start.

The fireplace surround was the focal point. A painted surround has to be cut absolutely clean against the mantel and the hearth, with no relief and no forgiving trim to hide behind. It's a small area that takes a disproportionate share of the day and it's the first thing anyone looks at.

The rest was straightforward but thorough: patching throughout, spot-priming over old repairs, two full coats on walls, and trim and doors scuff-sanded and refinished so they read crisp against the new wall color rather than yellowed against it.

Repainting trim is the step homeowners most often skip to save money, and it's the one that makes the biggest difference. New wall color against fifteen-year-old trim makes the trim look worse, not better.

Full scope of work

• Family room walls and ceiling
• Fireplace surround and mantel
• Adjacent hallway and bedroom
• Trim, casing and interior doors
• Patch repair throughout
• Two-coat finish on all wall surfaces