Video summary
The video documents a comprehensive renovation of a 1920s stairwell, focusing on preserving original features while introducing modern artistic elements. The homeowner begins by highlighting the pristine condition of the original 1920s tile flooring, which they decide to keep despite its appearance, and addresses the need to strip old paint from the iron handrails to reveal their authentic charm. A significant portion of the project involves installing a custom stained glass window designed to counteract the harsh pink light bouncing in from a neighboring house; by incorporating green tones into the glass, the creator successfully neutralizes the unwanted color cast. The design choice to use simple square shapes rather than traditional historic curves is intentional, aiming to modernize the aesthetic of the 1929 Spanish-style home without losing its character.
The creation process for the stained glass window is detailed, starting with a visit to a local store to select various textures and colors before cutting the glass into precise squares using a scorer and pliers. The creator employs a unique technique of transferring the design onto foam board and securing the pieces with nails to manage the assembly, eventually deciding to build from the bottom up to ensure structural stability as they solder the metal came channels together. This meticulous process involves applying flux, melting solder to create strong bonds between the glass and metal frames, and flipping the window to secure both sides before adding a thicker exterior border for durability. The result is a vibrant piece that allows light to shine through beautifully, transforming the atmosphere of the narrow stairwell.
Upon installing the finished window, the creator also experiments with lighting by bringing in a new fixture from their warehouse, ultimately deciding against placing it high up on the ceiling due to its heavy appearance and opting instead for a solution that feels more appropriate for the space's scale. To further integrate the new window into the architecture, the white vinyl frame surrounding the glass is painted a dark chocolate brown, which makes the stained glass appear as if it is built directly into the wall rather than simply added on top. Additionally, the front door is painted in a matching Turkish coffee color to create a cohesive entryway experience that sets the tone for the rest of the home, while a custom-built console table with a crescent mirror and an Italian planter are added near the entrance to enhance the functional and decorative appeal of the foyer.
The final touches involve curating a selective art collection rather than filling every inch of wall space, adhering to the philosophy that less is more in small areas. The homeowner hangs a few large, impactful pieces, including a stunning 1940s Cubist portrait and a whimsical line drawing, to draw the eye without creating visual clutter. After spending considerable time deliberating over additional elements, the creator concludes that the current arrangement strikes the perfect balance between minimalism and personal expression. The completed project successfully transforms the stairwell into a bright, colorful, and inviting space that harmonizes historical architecture with contemporary design sensibilities, proving that intentional choices can yield stunning results even in compact areas.
Read the full video transcript
[music]
>> This here is a door that I enter into my
house every day, and this is the
stairwell that I am first greeted by. As
you can see, it has a tile flooring,
which is great. This is actually the
original 1920s tile in here, so I am not
going to be changing that. I think it's
stunning. Some people think it looks
really dirty. It's super high quality.
They don't make this kind of tile
anymore at all, so you can't even get
it. We need to strip the handrails
because currently, as you can see,
they're covered in paint, and there is
iron underneath those handrails. So, we
have a lot to do. I also am thinking
about glass window. So, let me share
with you guys my little mood board I
have for the stairwell makeover to give
you more of an idea on how the space is
going to transform.
>> [music]
>> Now, this space is very small, so I want
to be extremely intentional with my
selections because I only have a few of
them. So, the first thing I definitely
want to do is strip the [music] iron
handrails that are original to the space
because I think they're going to add
that charm and just a little bit of
contrast as well. Plus, my home is 1929
Spanish, so it fits perfectly with the
vibe, as does stained glass. So, I want
to incorporate a stained glass window in
the stairwell because it is a fun arch
shape, and also it's going to let in a
unique bit of light and deter from the
red harsh bounce I have from the
neighboring home. The stairwell walls
are white, but I have to say it
constantly looks pink in here from the
bounce, so I want to offset that with
some green tone stained glass. That way,
it just kind [music] of neutralizes the
color. A tiny little demilune console
moment with a unique mirror above I want
to do by the front door for [music] an
entry moment, and last but not least,
just some impactful art. I don't want to
go too gallery wall heavy or gallery
wall vibes. I just want some large
pieces that feel [music] impactful and
intentional.
And I want to catch you up to speed with
what I've already done in the space
because I actually started working on
the stairwell about 2 years ago with
painting it a creamier white color. It
was originally more of a yellow tone, as
you can see on the wall in the back, and
I wanted to neutralize it a bit, but in
the nature of neutralizing it, you were
really able to see that pink bounce from
the neighboring home. Just look at this
clip right here. You can see how harsh
the pink bounces there. It's always red
in the stairwell, and it's something I
noticed even more after painting it more
of a neutral creamy white color like
this one. I think my idea to transform
the color in here is going to work, so
stay tuned. I got ahead of myself and
already started putting the paint
stripper on. I thought I was filming on
my camera and clearly I wasn't. I'm just
applying some Citristrip. This is like
the gel Citristrip that's really thick,
and I'm going to go ahead and apply a
generous amount to the handrail. The
second I walked in these doors, I knew
these handrails needed stripped. What
you can see there's little specs of it
underneath, and I think it's going to be
just a great addition to this stairwell.
I love love love iron, so this is
probably the first handrail I would have
chosen even if I did a custom one. I'm
going to apply plastic wrap onto our
stripping agent just to keep it moist so
it can actually dry out. This is going
to make it also heat up a little more.
>> Winnie, you have an audience.
>> Hey Winnie.
>> Winnie.
Hey.
>> It is time, everyone, to strip the
handrails. It is the next morning, and
we let this sit overnight, and it
is peeling. Oh my gosh, it is peeling,
you guys. Like I'm so excited to take
this off. First, I'm going to remove my
plastic.
Oh, it's coming off really good.
Oh my gosh, really nicely. [music]
She needs to breathe.
>> [music]
>> Hey Winnie, with a spackle knife and
removed the bulk of the paint to start
and then I went with a wire brush and
just use that to get all the paint out
of the little detailed areas and
finished it all off with a paint wipe
which essentially will just eat away any
of that extra paint [music] that's there
and reveals a clean finish.
It is time I share with you guys the
stained glass window that I'm going to
be creating. So I actually went to a
Pasadena stained glass store in order to
figure out what glass I wanted to use
for this project. I really needed to see
glass in person. So I started laying out
a bunch of different sheets. Thankfully
they sold it in these 12 by 12 little
sheets like this that had all different
textures, all different colors. As I'm
keeping the design on this window
extremely simple and making the glass
kind of more of the star of the show
doing different colors, different shades
and textures and I'm actually just
tracing out the shape of my window on a
piece of paper that I can use as a
template which I then transferred onto
this larger sheet of paper and got to
cutting the glass which is actually
super super simple especially if you're
cutting squares like this. So you
basically get a glass cutter which is
what I have in my hand there and you put
a little bit of oil on the inside
because it has a wheel that essentially
scores the glass and then you use a
little pair of pliers like this to kind
of snap the score line and it breaks
right across the score. So it's
extremely easy and if you create
yourself a little template you can just
follow that and trace it onto your glass
using Sharpie and cut out all of your
squares. It actually only took us
probably about 45 minutes to do all of
our cuts for all the sheets of glass
that we bought. And since my design is
very very simple with these squares
which I actually love because I feel
like it adds just a nice little modern
feel to the stained glass which can
sometimes feel quite historic which
isn't bad but when you have it going in
a really [music] old space like mine
which is a 1929 home sometimes it can
just read and feel kind of old so I like
that we're modernizing the stained glass
window and giving it more of the square
feel, which isn't super modern. It just
feels that way. And as you can see here,
you can cut really thin facets of the
glass off the edges just using the
little scorer, and then you use a plier
like this as opposed to little snapping
tool for the score line. You just kind
of crunch away the little bits on the
edges until it makes the shape you want.
And you can even use a stained glass.
They have like the actual little
grinders that you can use for shapes,
but I just felt like I didn't need it
for this project since the only rounded
shapes I was doing was more towards the
top of the window.
I transferred my template and all the
glass over to a piece of foam, and that
is so I can actually insert nails into
the foam as I work, which are going to
kind of be placeholders. You're going to
see in a bit because traditionally for
stained glass window, you're actually
supposed to do the outside perimeter
first and then fill it in with all of
your glass. But I was having such a
challenge getting this metal came to fit
around the outside edge, and that's what
this metal stuff is called. It's called
c a m e came, and it's essentially like
a metal channel that has an opening on
either side that your glass kind of
slides into, and then you solder them
together, and that's what kind of
creates the framework for your stained
glass. And there's a thicker piece you
use for the exterior edge, that way it's
nice and sturdy on the edges, but in the
interior of stained glass, you kind of
use thinner pieces like this. That way
it doesn't take up too much surface and
cover too much of the glass up. So I
started working my way from the top
down, which I actually realized that I
wanted to work from the bottom up after
because since I don't have an edge on
this, as I'm working on it, the window
could potentially expand in height, and
I would rather cut off more on the top
than have the bottom row be skinnier
[music] than everything else. So I
started at the top originally, but then
decided to actually switch, which you'll
see in a moment. I mentioned that we
transferred all of our glass over to the
sheet of foam, and that was because you
can see that I'm using little nails
around the top rounded edge to hold all
of our glass pieces in place. Because as
you work on this, if you were to press
against it or put pressure on it to try
to make sure that the glass slides into
the channels, it would just be sliding
all around. So, these little nails hold
everything into place, and you can add
more or take them away as you're
working. But, I started just by cutting
out all the different pieces. Like, I
used a long horizontal strip for all my
horizontal rows, and then I used smaller
vertical pieces for all my vertical
rows. I decided that I wanted to work
from the bottom up. That way, if
anything got cut off, it was just on our
top little arch section. All of the
vertical cuts of came that we were doing
were essentially the same because all of
our squares are going to be the same,
and then all of the horizontal cuts were
also the same. But, I was just working
as I went and would make my cuts as I go
just in case anything fluctuated the
tiniest bit. But, as you can see, those
little placeholder nails really hold
everything in place. It is looking like
a stained glass window. Look at this so
far. The little channels that we're
adding here look so good, and the silver
I actually love it with the green. It
kind of makes it feel a little modern in
a sense. Like, just seeing the glass
looks great, but then the dividers
really separate each panel. And then,
we're using nails to actually um just
kind of place them on the sides to hold
it all in place and lock it together.
And we'll go through and solder all of
the joints and then add our exterior
piece around. I found this to be a
little easier. We tried doing the
exterior piece first, but it seems to be
fitting within the lines pretty well.
So, I think we're going to be pretty
good once we add on the exterior. And
we're also accounting for that piece by
cutting away just a little bit.
>> [music]
>> So, here's what I'm talking about is as
I reach the top of this, I knew my
original rounded cuts that we made
towards the beginning of this process
were probably not going to fit once I
reached the top. So, I was actually
right and I had to recut a bunch of
these just because the little came
portions as you work your way up fill in
the tiniest bit, but it all adds up in
terms of space. So, it shifted our glass
just up the tiniest bit and then we're
getting into the soldering process,
which I should have shared with you
guys. The soldering gun that I'm using
for this it was just like a $40
soldering gun I got on Amazon
and it worked great. You have to
actually apply a material called flux to
all of the areas that you're going to be
soldering and soldering is so
satisfying. If I could literally figure
out how to solder things all day, I
would because the best way I can
describe this is it's almost like
instant dry hot glue. Like it has an
even stronger bond than hot glue, but it
dries instantly and it melts instantly
as well. So, it is just such a lovely
material to work with. Of course, you're
not going to want to touch it or get it
near your skin or anything like that
because it's very hot, but as you work
with this, it's just such a satisfying
process. Like I can definitely see
[music]
getting lost in the process of stained
glass and doing this for hours and hours
and hours and just perfecting all the
little joints and if you do have
separation between your little cut
pieces, you don't have to worry cuz you
can really build up that solder and like
fill in any gap.
I know, I'm a window maker.
I'm a professional window maker. After
[music] a full day of working on the
inside, I was able to do the exterior
piece, which as you can see this is a
thicker piece of the came material and
that's just so that your edge is a
little bit more sturdy. We're going to
solder both sides of the interior
pieces, but then you're also going to go
through and solder on your exterior edge
as well.
Um so, everything kind of gets soldered
together in the end, which is what
creates the frame essentially [music]
for your stained glass window.
My gosh, you guys, we are about to flip
this so that we can solder the other
side. It's looking so good. I'm a little
nervous to flip it, but I think when we
flip it, you'll kind of be able to see
some light shine through it. So, let's
test.
Oh, it's kind of starting
>> Oh, my gosh, it is so pretty. I mean, do
you want me to hold it so you can see?
>> I can see it. It looks insane. It looks
unbelievable.
I know you couldn't see it too much
there, but that was just a little sneak
peek of how it's going to look. So, we
went back through and soldered across
all the front, all the side joints, and
then we also flipped over the window and
soldered the entire backside, every
single part where the metal lines
intersected.
Today's a very, very exciting day. I'm
also just a tad nervous because we are
installing the stained glass window
we've been working on for probably like
the past 10 days or so. And I know not
everyone's going to recreate this
project, so I didn't film absolutely
every single step of it, but I did film
some of the crucial steps just so that
if you do want to take on a stained
glass project like this, you can kind of
have a bit more of an understanding of
what you're going into and the tools and
supplies that you need for it. We are
kind of going to be doing this a very
I'm not even going to tell you guys how
we're installing it to be honest because
it's probably not the professional right
way to do it, but it's a way we feel
that is going to be best because my
windows are vinyl windows, so we can't
screw into the outside exterior. We have
found a solution, I believe. And you
guys going to watch as we lift this
window up in the air. Let's get started.
I also brought a potential light fixture
over from my warehouse today, and it's
right here. It was for the shop, but I
think it could be perfect for right here
because I've never loved this light
fixture. It is pretty, but it's just a
little small for like how grand the
stairwell is. I think we have so much
overhead space, especially like look how
much room there is up here. So, we could
do something a little more grand.
I have it.
Can you see it?
A little? I've wanted to do this since I
moved in like 4 years ago.
And the red helmet bounces in is not
going to affect this color anymore.
Hopefully it fits.
So, good. I'm good over here just so you
can It looks
insane.
No, like way better than I even
was planning on. I was planning on it to
look terrible.
>> [clears throat]
>> I will hold it here just so you can go
down and get a bulb.
>> What if it freaking sucks?
[clears throat]
>> It's extremely sucky, but just
>> Oh my god.
>> It looks so good.
>> Oh my gosh, it looks
>> the designer?
>> Oh my gosh.
Wait, let me see if I can This camera is
so hard to for you guys to see. Look at
the window. Oh my gosh.
It's so hard to share because it's
backlit, but it looks unbelievable.
>> You think?
>> [music]
>> I've been saving this because I thought
I might want to use it in the stairwell
at some point. So, we are going to test.
Let's see if it works. Who knows? Okay,
the bulb look at it.
Oh wait, hold it back. Let me see what
that That bulb is antique. It definitely
is the bulb I think.
>> [music]
>> And it also wasn't screwed in we
noticed.
Yay! Oh my gosh, it's already so good. I
can just tell this is going to be so so
cool in the stairwell. Okay, you guys I
actually decided that this looks like a
tangled mess of iron up there. I think
it actually would look really pretty
like in your eyesight if it was lower,
like maybe above like an entry table or
something, but here it just doesn't
work. It just feels heavy and not the
right vibe.
Okay, let's see if this works.
Hey! Okay, that looks so good. It's a
little scary, but I think I might add
some shades to the light bulbs and it
might like soften it up a little bit,
but for now this is the only light that
feels like it works a bit better here.
So, I think we're going to stick with
this for the moment. Down at the base of
the stairs, there is a little opening
which leads into the lower living room,
but then right to the left of me is
actually the front door and I wanted to
add a little sort of demi-lune style
console and I got this incredible
incredible Italian planter um on a
sourcing trip that I did and this is a
wall-mounted planter, but we actually
had a piece of glass made for the top of
it to sort of turn a wall-mounted
planter into this very narrow console
and it works perfectly in my entryway
area because as you can see, this just
kind of fits right through the archway
there and then I added this crescent
shaped mirror on top which is from
Anthropology. If it's still available,
I'll link it below for you guys and it
was so hot this day that we were
working. So, that's why I was so wet and
a bit storm, but I just love how these
two pieces look together. The little
kind of shapes on the bottom of both of
them just compliment each other so
nicely and I did some simple styling up
there with a little vase and just a
little bowl I actually made in a pottery
class.
If you thought we were done with the
stained glass window, you thought wrong
because I actually am going to be doing
something that's really going to change
the look of it and take a look at it
now. You can really see that white frame
around the outside of the window, but we
are going to be painting the window a
nice dark color to almost make the
stained glass [music] feel built into
the window because currently it
definitely feels almost added in. And
so, I needed to prime the vinyl window
itself, so I put up a bunch of masking
material and also made sure to paper off
the window itself and spray a coat of
primer on this window.
I used a dark chocolate [music] brown
paint color to paint the entire trim of
the window all the way from the stained
glass to the exterior trim section. And
this is just going to widen up our
window and really make it focal and
prominent. I will say that this paint
here completely transformed the way that
the stained glass window looked. And
then I also went in and did touch-ups
around all the areas that we stripped
the paint off of.
On the front door, I went in with the
same Turkish coffee color that I used on
the window trim. And that was just
because I thought at first I might want
to do an [music] accent color on this
door, but then I wanted to do something
that felt like an accent color but also
still kind of blended [music] in with
the space and also just set the tone for
the rest of the home. There was
something about like just walking in and
closing the door, and I feel like this
little area here really gives you like a
good idea of some of the materiality and
the colors [music] and the vibes you're
going to see when you enter the rest of
the space.
I mentioned [music] during the mood
boarding process of the space that I
wanted to be extremely intentional with
the art, and I have been saving a couple
pieces for this stairwell. This first
one being a stunning cubist portrait
that I got a while back, and it is from
1940s, and it is just beautiful. I love
the style of it. I love how there's like
a candle holder on the top right. It's
large-scale. I also added this fun
little kind of line drawing piece as
well on the left wall, which reminds me
of myself and Marie like dancing around,
which I think is perfect for the space.
And just two more pieces of art as
you're walking up. Of course, you could
totally line the entire stairwell with
art if you wanted to, but I wanted to
just kind of make your eye pop around to
a few key pieces that I really love and
adore. And so I hung up the ones that I
did. And I got to say, I was racking my
mind for probably 48 hours trying to
figure out what else I can add to the
stairwell because I'm kind of a
maximalist and I just felt like all I
added was a couple of art and a stained
glass window. Something I'm noticing,
especially in small spaces, is less is
definitely more. In a space like this, I
just love how it turned out. So let me
reveal it to you in 3, 2, 1.
>> [music]
[music]
>> Hey.