Renovation Poll – I Need Your Help!!!

We have lived in our new home for almost 5 months now.  It’s a 1912 Craftsman that I think has had more face lifts than Joan Rivers.  Yes, it’s still charming with it’s high ceilings, big baseboards and such but it also has some interesting additions – kind of like Joan Rivers’ nose.  You look at it and think “why?”.  Well, I’m on mission to remove the “why’s” around here over the Winter and I’m thinking the next project is either the Foyer or my office?  I’m just not sure.  Will you help me decide?  I think I need to take a vote because I dislike them both equally and would love to be Samantha and twitch my nose and have them both looking beautiful, but alas I am no Genie in a Bottle so that’s where you come in.  Below is the low-down on both spaces including pictures for your enjoyment.  Which would you choose to renovate?  HELP!

• The foyer was wallpapered with a wallpaper that looks like dry wall texturing.  Kinda bumpy like “orange peel” but much more of it.  The top part of the walls are grey with a door moulding chair rail dividing the lower portion which is – wait for it – wait for it – you guessed it – GREY!  It is a darker shade though.  Imaginative.  Did I mention the original hardwood floors have been painted grey?  I didn’t?  I must’ve forgotten that.  The ceiling you ask?  Oh yes, it’s grey too.  Uh huh – the doors, trim and baseboards are grey as well.  Gosh, you are catching on rather quick!   It kind of looks like a large wrinkly 2-toned elephant in there.  Not so pretty.  

• Oh sure, I’d love to tell you about my office too.  Upstairs we have 3 bedrooms and a bath.  My office is the smallest of the rooms and judging by the seafoam green sponge painted walls, I would gather it was a babies room at one time?  Or maybe a sewing room that was updated by someone with really big hair in the 1980’s?  It’s lovely.  It does have kelly green painted door and window trim which plays with the seafoam green rather nicely.  {that’s sarcasm}  The carpet is a luxurious commercial grade low pile carpet.  You know, that lovely stuff you see in the Doctors office?  Yep, that’s the one.  Did I mention its grey?  Oh yes, it is!  I peeked in the closet and TA DA there’s beautiful hardwoods underneath.  If the office is the grand prize winner, it will be very hard to not pull out every inch of the commercial carpet on the 2nd floor (every room except bathroom).  But I will do my best to resist in hopes of not destroying my marriage!  🙂  

So here’s the plan for each.  Tell me which I should choose!

Foyer:  Remove wallpaper, chair rail & paint walls a sand color, strip hardwood floors and stain a dark mahogany, paint base, window, doors & door trim white, repair and paint ceiling white, new light fixture and all new receptacles, light switches and covers in white.

Office:  Remove carpeting & strip and stain floors a dark mahogany, paint walls a sand color, new light fixture, paint all window, door, base trim white, strip original paneled door and stain dark mahogany.

Foyer – Insert Elephant sounds here!  🙂

Don’t be jealous!  I know you are.  By the way the curtains left months ago!

So which is it?  Option 1 or Option 2?  Thanks in advance for your help!  I really appreciate it – and so does the House.  🙂