Staining in the main rooms

I finished enough of the cleaning of the trim in the living room where I could start staining.  I taped off some areas and put down drop cloths but still made a total mess.  I painted the stain on with a sponge brush and then let it sit for about 5 minutes and then wiped it down.   

I am mixing two colors to get an approximation of what was initially there.  After one coat, I am going to do a second and may go heavier on the red mahogany in the second round. 

I think that the extra time cleaning was worth it.  I probably should have spent even more time but I am just not sure how many times I can go over a single piece of wood without going insane.  I knew that the PO did a shitty job stripping the wood but I never realized how much dirt and paint and other crap was on the wood.  The difference between the cleaned and finished wood in the living room and the untreated wood in the dining room is remarkable. 

 UNCLEANED WOOD IN THE DINING ROOM

WOOD CLEANED AND WITH THE FIRST COAT OF STAIN IN THE LIVING ROOM

I've set a schedule to try and complete a good portion of this for the holidays.  I'll now alternate between cleaning, staining and applying the final finish to areas until I am done.  I hope to start painting in the living room next week.  We are hosting Thanksgiving Dinner at our house and it would be nice if folks didn't have to eat in a construction zone.