PROJECT STORY · POPCORN REMOVAL, STAIR REFINISHING & MATCHING DOORS · FOREST HILL

Smooth Ceilings, Refinished Stairs & Matching Doors in Forest Hill

We removed popcorn ceilings across this lived-in Forest Hill home, added pot lights and refinished the staircase and doors in a matching colour. The most demanding work was beneath the curved staircase, where uneven surfaces took roughly six skim coats to bring into a smooth, flowing curve.

Forest Hill, Toronto, OntarioPopcorn ceiling removal, pot-light installation, stair refinishing and matching door refinishing

The furniture stayed, and so did the pictures

The furniture stayed in the rooms and the pictures stayed on the walls. We masked the work areas before removing texture from the main floor, basement, upper levels and the underside of the staircase.

Furnished Forest Hill dining room with heavy popcorn texture across the ceiling before removal. — BeforeHeavy popcorn texture above the furnished dining room before removal.

The same furnished Forest Hill dining room with a smooth ceiling after popcorn removal. — BeforeHeavy popcorn texture above the furnished dining room before removal.

Forest Hill foyer during skim coating with the ceiling drying and the walls protected behind plastic. — The foyer’s second skim coat drying, with the walls protected behind plastic.

Smooth ceilings and more useful light

The foyer had heavy popcorn texture, a wavy ceiling and a central light fixture. We removed the texture, brought the surface smooth and replaced the central fixture with four pot lights. The living room needed more light too. Its new smooth ceiling was paired with twelve pot lights, making the room brighter and cosier without changing the furniture or the character of the space.

We coordinated the lighting with the ceiling work. The electrician came in after the popcorn had been removed and before we skim coated, so the electrical work was incorporated into the new finish rather than followed by another round of repairs.

Forest Hill foyer ceiling with heavy popcorn texture, an uneven surface and a central light fixture before work. — BeforeHeavy texture, a wavy ceiling and the central fixture in the foyer before work.

The same foyer with a smooth ceiling and four pot lights after popcorn removal and finishing. — BeforeHeavy texture, a wavy ceiling and the central fixture in the foyer before work.

Wide before view of the furnished Forest Hill living room with its popcorn ceiling and central fixture. — Before

Matching wide after view of the furnished living room with a smooth ceiling and twelve pot lights. — Before

Portrait before view of the Forest Hill living room with popcorn texture and a central ceiling light. — Before

Matching portrait after view of the living room with a smooth ceiling and twelve pot lights. — Before

The room kept its existing furniture and finishes while the ceiling and lighting changed.

The hardest ceiling was under the stairs

Beneath the curved staircase, the texture concealed uneven drywall and a pronounced ridge at the corner bead. The surface turned with the stairs, making it much harder to smooth than a flat ceiling.

We returned to it throughout the job, applying roughly six skim coats of plaster. Each coat built up the uneven areas until the underside followed a smooth curve.

Curved underside of the Forest Hill staircase during a skim-coating stage with surrounding surfaces protected. — Another skim coat beneath the staircase, partway through smoothing the curve.

Uneven popcorn texture following the curved underside of the Forest Hill staircase before skim coating. — Before

Matching view of the curved stair underside after the uneven surface was brought smooth. — Before

Roughly six skim coats brought the uneven underside into a smooth curve.

A ceiling repair that finally blended in

One room had already been patched after an earlier leak. The repair had then been sprayed with more popcorn, but the different textures made it stand out rather than disappear.

We removed the texture and refinished the ceiling as one smooth surface. The central light was replaced with pot lights, and the old patch no longer interrupted the ceiling. The basement ceilings were treated as part of the same project, replacing the discoloured texture with smooth surfaces and new lighting.

Ceiling before refinishing with a conspicuous previously repaired area, resprayed popcorn texture and a central light. — Before

The same ceiling refinished as one smooth surface with pot lights in place of the central fixture. — Before

Basement stair area in the Forest Hill home with discoloured popcorn ceiling texture before removal. — Before

Matching basement stair area after the ceiling was smoothed and pot lights were installed. — Before

Discoloured popcorn texture replaced with a smooth basement ceiling and pot lights.

A new finish for the staircase

We refinished the existing treads and handrails and fitted new posts and spindles. The risers and stringers were painted white with Benjamin Moore Scuff-X in Pearl finish.

The staircase finish was complete while work continued on the textured ceiling beneath it.

Wide before view of the Forest Hill staircase with its original wood finish, posts, spindles, risers and stringers. — Before

Matching wide after view with refinished dark treads and handrails, new posts and spindles, and white risers and stringers. — Before

Full portrait before view of the Forest Hill curved staircase with its original wood finish and railing.

Full portrait after view with dark refinished treads and handrails, white risers and stringers, and new posts and spindles.

The full staircase before and after refinishing, with new posts and spindles and white risers and stringers.

Portrait before view along the curved Forest Hill railing with its original posts, spindles and wood finish. — Before

Matching portrait after view with the refinished handrail and new posts and spindles. — Before

The new posts and spindles continue around the curved railing.

Overhead before view of the curved Forest Hill stair treads, handrail and original wood spindles. — Before

Matching overhead after view of the refinished dark treads and handrail with white stair components. — Before

Portrait before view beneath the curved Forest Hill staircase with the original stair finish. — Before

Matching portrait after view with refinished stair wood, white components and a smooth curved underside. — Before

The staircase finish and curved underside changed together through the project.

Bringing the doors into the same colour

We refinished the doors to match the new staircase colour. After the final varnish coat, they were left to dry before being rehung.

Close view of the original Forest Hill door colour before it was refinished to coordinate with the staircase. — The original door colour before refinishing to match the staircase.

Refinished glazed doors protected around their glass panels while drying after the final coat of varnish. — The doors drying after their final coat of varnish, ready to be reinstalled.

Completed Forest Hill entrance with the refinished glazed door installed beside the matching staircase. — The refinished doors back in place, matching the staircase colour.

A different finish, in the same furnished home

The finished view brings the stained staircase beside the smooth curve underneath it. The foyer and living room have new pot lights, while the doors now match the stair colour. The furniture and pictures remain where they were.

Completed dark-and-white staircase beneath remaining popcorn texture and the pronounced ceiling ridge beside it. — BeforeWith the stair finish already complete, the remaining work was the textured ceiling and ridge beside it.

The same staircase after the surrounding ceiling and ridge were brought into a smooth finish. — BeforeWith the stair finish already complete, the remaining work was the textured ceiling and ridge beside it.

FINISHED PROJECT

Smooth ceilings and coordinated woodwork

Completed Forest Hill entrance with the refinished curved staircase and matching glazed door. — The refinished doors back in place, matching the staircase colour.

Wide completed Forest Hill living room with its smooth ceiling and twelve pot lights. — The furnished living room beneath its smooth, newly lit ceiling.

Completed overhead view of the curved staircase with dark refinished treads and handrail beside white stair components. — Refinished treads and handrails, new posts and spindles, and white risers and stringers.

CONTINUE EXPLORING

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