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Thoughts on trim for stairs & entry? Photo heavy.

10 years ago

I would love to get opinions regarding board and batten (& trim) additions to our living room/entry area. We removed wall-to-wall carpet and put engineered hickory down. We still have to finish the stairs and add baseboard throughout the house. To maintain consistency, all of the trim/molding will be white. We just added MDF board stringers along each side of the stairs. We will also add white risers and dark treads. Basically going for this look:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B-kuJEsFwyE/UJ13AdjxqJI/AAAAAAAAb_M/gM96wGPejw8/s1600/InstallingStairTreadsRisersDIY25.jpg

Below I have posted numerous photos of our stairs and other shots of this open living space so you have a sense for the feel of this area of our house.

We have encountered a few questions/dilemmas.

1. We donÃ¯Â¿Â½t want to go crazy and add board and batten everywhere, but we thought it might be a particularly nice addition to the stairs. As you can see in the photos, we have cathedral ceilings and lots of tall blank walls. My husband and I are having trouble agreeing on the height of the board and batten on the right side of the stairs. IÃ¯Â¿Â½m inclined to have it match the height of the half wall (with the railing) on the left., but he thinks that since the wall is so tall, it should be run higher (say an extra foot and half higher?). I tried to mock up these two different heights in Photoshop; see photos below. They look a little silly, but hopefully you get the idea!
WhatÃ¯Â¿Â½s your vote on the board and batten on the stairs? None, short or tall?

2. IÃ¯Â¿Â½m concerned look silly to have board and batten JUST flanking the stairs. Perhaps we should carry it around the "entry wall" which would wrap around the coat closet (just to the right of the stairs) and then the front door. Does this seem reasonable or would it still look out of place and require that we wrap it around a larger area of the room? If the latter, I will have trouble deciding where to stop it. We donÃ¯Â¿Â½t want to wrap it around this entire space (at least not now).

Any other thoughts/ suggestions appreciated! Thanks!

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

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Comments (10)

andee_gw
10 years ago
Your inspiration photo has the board and batten on walls on both sides of the stairs. You're proposing to do only one side (or are you planning to put the same treatment on the handrail side?). If only one side, I think it will look lopsided. The photo also shows the board and batten going around two corners (and then we don't see anymore). You have so many walls and angles and corners and ceilings, I think even more visual confusion would be introduced. You do have a few decorating challenges in your lovely renovation, but I'd leave the b&b out of it.
berrybear
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks, andee. Yes, we were planning on also putting the B&B on the left side of the wall, which require additional work to deal with the handrail and the "cap" on the top of the half wall. ..... Well, no B&B would make things easier!
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mariposa34
10 years ago
I was just noticing your beautiful floors. Are those hickory?
andee_gw
10 years ago
Well, of course you're planning for both sides! I came back to edit my first reply and saw your response. So, I would make the two b&b sides equal height. I kinda see your DH's point, but I like symmetry, and if I saw the two different wall trims, I would wonder why one was a different height -- I don't think it would occur to me that it was because the wall heights were different.
barbie08075
10 years ago
We did board on batten on our staircase wall- only on one side. However, in our case the other side of the stairs was open with balusters. I am sorry-- I have to agree with Andee and think that B&B would only add to visual confusion in your home.
TxMarti
10 years ago
I can't see B&B in your house. It has too much of a modern vibe and I think the big wall space above the B&B would look too empty.

That wall would be a great place for some big art though.
berrybear
Original Author
10 years ago
mariposa34, the floor is hickory. we're pleased with it.

many thanks to the rest of you. indeed, we need to get some large art pieces on those walls! and of course baseboards! :-)
mlweaving_Marji
10 years ago
Different question than what you were asking, but with all your floors so light and natural, why will you be adding dark stair treads? Don't you want your treads to match the rest of the flooring?
berrybear
Original Author
10 years ago
mlweaving, fair question. our plan was to not go too dark but to match the darker streaks in the hickory (and in the cork floor in the entryway)....just to provide a little contrast. perhaps the darken the hand rail that runs up the stairs as well.
chispa
10 years ago
Agree with other replies so far.
- No to B & B
- Yes to matching the treads to your floors by staining them the same light color.

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