“It’s true,” Jamie responds. “We lived
with it for 20 years then finally decided to
do something about it. In fact, we painted
practically every inch of the house—
from the entry, hallway, kitchen, family
and living rooms downstairs, to the four
bedrooms upstairs and bathrooms.”
The Grahams traveled to their second
home in South Carolina for three months
while the work was being done, giving the
painters the leeway to work uninterrupted.
The crew unhinged every door, cabinet and
window jam. The elaborate crown molding
in the entryway received special treatment.
The painters lightly sanded off the glossy
stain, caulked and mitered all joints for a
seamless finish, then primed and painted
everything. The first coat had a satin finish,
and for the final one they used high-gloss
enamel. High gloss works well when you
have the molding detail to pull it off—
which the Grahams have in their coffered
ceiling.
The Grahams favor monochromatic
tones, so the painters gathered various
cream-hued paints to pull together the
rest of the house. The kitchen cabinets, as
well as the living and dining rooms, feature
a warm cream, which is echoed up the
sta