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Carpet stairs with different carpet at top of stairs?

7 years ago

Our stairs are currently carpeted with the same carpet that extends over the entire upper floor. We need to replace the carpet everywhere. I'd like a nice patterned carpet on the stairs (which are very visible in our downstairs living, dining and entry), but a simpler carpet for the upstairs bedrooms. I can't think of how to transition the stair carpet/runner to the upstairs wall to wall carpet though. Does anyone have pictures of a similar transition?

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Comments (3)

User
7 years ago
One way to make the transition is shown in the link.

Different stair nose molding
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
7 years ago
If you are looking to do a decorative carpet on the stairs (only) then one way to do it is to use the carpet as a RUNNER...not a stringer-stringer carpeting.

The other thing to consider is normally the stairs should match "something". If you have different carpet at the top of the stairs that does not match the stair carpet, that NORMALLY means you have different carpet DOWN stairs. The stairs will match the carpeting on the MAIN floor. I'm not hearing that this is your scenario.

What type of flooring do you have on the main floor? This is what the stairs will be MATCHING if you choose to go this route (stairs not matching carpet upstairs).

The other way to do this is to use the decorative carpet on the stairs and then pay to have an area rug cut and bound in your chosen "stair" carpet. This area rug then sits in the entrance/bottom of the stairs. This is a quick, easy (slightly less expensive) way to get the stairs to match "something".....'cause they really should match something.

Right now they match the upstairs carpet. Once you change this design feature, you need to REPLACE it with another version of "must match something". The bound area rug in the same carpet is one of the fastest ways to do this.

Good luck. Remember to look at your main level flooring and decide whether or not you want to go forward with this concept.
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restless34
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I did exactly that and it looks great. The upstairs carpeting is a solid dark gray/taupe color with a little bit of texture. The carpeting on the stairs is a Nourison all-over patterned broadloom (not a dedicated runner) which has a similar dark taupe in it, as well as many of the other colors in use throughout the house. There is a dark teal accent wall in the foyer, and the main color on the patterned stairs is a lighter tint of that same teal, so It all goes together beautifully. The stairs get to be a focal point while the upstairs transitions to neutral. I see this done all the time, there are no "shoulds" as long as the two carpets look good side by side and, more importantly, YOU like the effect. You are the one who's going to smile every time you see it (or not). Happy decorating!

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