Before doing anything get a fab entry light not that horrible boob light. I would like to see some more of the spaces in the home before commenting on the staircase.

@Ariane, Your house reminds me of mine. My guess it's about 17 years old. I have the same pinkish beige kitchen( like yours before ) and the oak staircase that I would love to paint. Please keep us posted with your progress.

And I even have a mirror backsplash LOL. It doubles up the mess and items sitting on the countertop . I just have to finish my fireplace wall makeover and after that we will tackle the kitchen .

Hi Sondramartina-

Your house is lovely-

The staircase doesn't need to be painted, but you desperately need to change that carpet on the stairs.

It is drab and boring, and that is what is making your stairs look bad!

You have other options, such as an oriental look with a smaller scale pattern.

You can have a runner made out of broadloom to your size needs with the edges finished by binding or serging, and you might be able to get a good price on a remnant.

Or you could go with jute. Maybe seagrass if you do it right.

Don't use sisal, it can leave water stains.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/advise-on-wool-sisal-runner-for-stairs-please-help-dsvw-vd~4366617

You could use something that looks like sisal but wears and feels much better made out of wool, poly or a wool/poly blend

https://laurelberninteriors.com/2016/07/03/stair-runners-fibers-never-use/

https://laurelberninteriors.com/2016/07/10/bad-fiber-stair-runner-difficult-staircase/

I suggested those two options because you have an oriental pattern rug in your entryway, and the natural textures in the baskets in the table in your foyer, so you can continue either theme.

And may I make a couple of suggestions?

The mirror to the right of the door is really to small to check oneself in, and too late to make any adjustments as one is leaving the house :)

I suggest moving the lovely painting over the foyer table to the wall over the stairs. It will still be visible from the ground in the photo we see, so it will still tie in with the blue colors which works perfectly.

In its place over the table I would put a mirror, but not that tiny one, a marvelous starburst (or other interestingly shaped) mirror of appropriate size and there are literally thousands for you to choose from in all styles.

Here are just a few, to give you an idea, these may not be the size you need.

Good luck!

Hello - I would leave the stair rails and posts as is - and I do agree that the carpet runner is the issue. Perhaps painting the risers white or tiling the risers would be a nice update. Your home is beautiful and traditional. Adding the black would be severe and out of place. :)

Your home is very pretty.

Instead of paint, would staining darker be an option?

I like the idea of changing the runner to something more interesting, too.

Two things stood out to me when I looked at the picture of your entry way. The carpet on your stairs and the light fixture in your entrance. The effort of painting the banister will be lost until you address these two things. Can the carpet be pulled off so you just have wood stairs? A nice entry chandelier would be such an easy update.

I just saw you posted pictures of the rest of your house. Traditional. How does a black banister relate to the rest of your home? Espresso is DATED.

Get a carpet runner in some of the gold and blues from the foyer painting. It'll take your mind off the railings, which are lovely.

Stairs · More Info

Nantucket Summer Home · More Info

Urban Romantic · More Info

Also consider a much more dramatic, colorful rug for the foyer in blues and gold:

Safavieh Vintage Persian Collection VTP409 Rug, Turquoise/Multi, 8' X 10' · More Info

Ariane-

Your sunburst mirror is gorgeous!

And oh my eyes, I didn't even see the candle, sorry :(

I wouldn't paint any part of the stairway, it is perfect as it is, and the stairs match your floors.

I would not get a flush mount in the entry. Get something hanging, and the bottom of the chandelier should hang 7 feet from the floor unless your ceilings are very high or your family is unusually tall. In a one story foyer higher than 12 feet it should hang t feet 6 inches from the floor.

In a two story foyer it should hang at the level of the second story floor.

The diameter of the chandelier should equal the sum in inches of the length in feet of the length plus width of the foyer. If the foyer is 6 feet by 8 feet, 6 plus 8 equal 14 feet, converted to inches equals 14 inches.

Just as a larger foyer needs a wider chandelier, a foyer with a higher ceiling need a taller chandelier to look balanced. An 8 foot ceiling should have a chandelier 20-24 inches high, and for every foot higher the ceiling, add 2.5 - 3 inches of height to the chandelier. A 10 foot ceiling in the foyer needs to be 25 - 30 inches high.

As for what particular chandelier would work well, your style is eclectic.

What type of fixtures do you have on the exterior of your house? What chandelier do you have in your dining room?

The sconces you have on the side of the painting over the fireplace are rather modern. You could get something like that, and that would be nice.

Just bear in mind that your entry way lighting fixture does set the tone for your home.

omg- so much better without the carpet!!

I like both fixtures you have.

The one on Amazon you show is too much crystal too over the top, I think.

I would pick a foyer fixture similar to either one in an appropriate size.

I think I like one similar to the ones over you island if you can get one in the right diameter better, if only because the one over your kitchen table, the whole world has already, so I think you can find a different one for your foyer.

Also, less exposed silver would be better with the sunburst mirror you are going to hang over the table.

You know, if you want to be wild and crazy, try on Photoshop a leopard print rug runner for your stairs. I saw that on one of the sites I listed on my previous comment. It does go with one of your chairs. Don't do it until you Photoshop it and see if you like it.

Your staircase makes me want to pull a dated runner (same colour) off mine lol ! Your stairs are beautiful. I think a darker wood stain would add the drama you are looking for without the harsh contrast that black high gloss would produce. I would only stain the oak banister and oak posts because the white looks just right with the rest of the house. You could also temporarily put new daylight white bulbs in the fixture to improve the lighting for now.

I would lose the 'cloud' trim on the ends of the risers. That trim would go straight to the backyard fire pit!

You need to paint the handrails, and I think white is the way to go. OR it's possible that the wood tone is too match to the wall color. But I love how taking the carpet off the stairs made such a big difference!

Hi, any updates after removing the carpet? Did you paint the handrails? I would love to see the end result because I have the exact same stairs. Thanks!

kiffkat here it is it took me about 2 weeks to finish my staircase but I am absolutely in love.

Here is the end result, live it!