Stairway to ... ??

The stairway is finished, painted with 3 or 4 coats of satin-finish polycrylic. I lost count, but I like the way it looks. The restaurant wall behind the stairway is made of foam core board. Part of the 2nd landing is braced with an arc detail. I extended that arc to make the entry to the restaurant area. It cried out for a stones, so out came the egg cartons. As seen here, the stones are painted a base gray. They will be enhanced to make them more realistic and the walls will be painted with gesso to mimic smooth plaster.

I wanted two shades of brown for the stairs and pulled two from the rack of paints. I was pleased with the darker shade, which mimics the walnut stain on the floor. When I opened the lighter color, it appeared to be way too orange. On my way back to the paint rack, I passed the base with the tile insert and realized that the color I had in my hand complemented that of the tiles. So, I followed my initial instinct and am pleased with the result. I even added some panel detailing using the lighter color for accent.

The unpainted area will be covered by part of a wall, although I've not worked out the logistics yet. Also, note the missing top of the railing against the wall.

My thought is to make this wall and stairway removable. However, there's the matter of the railing sticking up through the ceiling. I may have to make the wall removable and fix the stairway in place (although dusting it will become a royal pain). Still thinking about this one.

And then there's the challenge of the divider between the foyer and the bar (the area to the right). The irregularly shaped white cardboard is a stand-in for a divider. If I put it here, it will cut through the tiled area. If I move it to the right, it will mess up the restaurant entrance. I think I may have to figure out a jog in the wall, but I'm leaving that for another day!

While waiting for the paint to dry, I filled in the slots on the porch with Spackle. They're now sanded smooth, so they shouldn't show under the floor paint.