5 Ways to Beautify Your Staircase With Paint
See how a creative paint treatment can transform your stairs
Barbara Milner
January 29, 2018
Houzz Contributor. Designer, journalist and vintage hound. I enjoy telling personal stories through my design projects and creating happy, practical spaces that are both inspirational and memorable. I adore edgy elegance and have a passion for vintage objects and curiosities. You can often find me with hair in bun and child in tow at thrift shops and antique markets. www.southhillinteriors.com.
Houzz Contributor. Designer, journalist and vintage hound. I enjoy telling personal... More
Painting your staircase is probably one of the most unexpected ways to breathe new life into a space. It’s an unusual touch that can energize and add character to your home. Plus, your stairs are hardworking and deserve a second look. Here are five ways paint can take your stairs from dull to dazzling.
1. Color the stair treads. This staircase leads to a fourth-story game room for kids, and the two colors of blue on the stair treads create a fun path to follow. By painting just the treads and leaving the risers white, the effect is colorful but not busy.
Here’s another look at the same staircase, viewed from the top. The two colors of blue make a beautiful alternating pattern that is an attractive design feature.
2. Make a rainbow on your risers. Or you can paint just the risers. This staircase adds a colorful, fun design feature to a room that is contemporary, streamlined and mostly white. (Another rainbow touch shows up on the London patio’s outdoor sofa.)
If you decide to create a rainbow effect in your home, I recommend that you keep all your colors within the same tint (level of lightness) or shade (level of darkness or richness) to ensure a cohesive look. And make sure all the paints you use have the same finish.
See more of this home
If you decide to create a rainbow effect in your home, I recommend that you keep all your colors within the same tint (level of lightness) or shade (level of darkness or richness) to ensure a cohesive look. And make sure all the paints you use have the same finish.
See more of this home
3. Leave the handrail unpainted. What this staircase lacks in color it makes up for in style. The all-white treads, risers and stringer, or outside wall of the staircase, work with the white balusters to make a dramatic backdrop that lets the wooden handrail stand out. It’s a clever approach, since the handrail is a real-life version of the material depicted in the wallpaper: the woods.
Wallpaper: Woods, Cole & Son
Wallpaper: Woods, Cole & Son
Here’s another version of the same principle but with a staircase that has a contemporary design. The staircase’s treads and stringers are painted black, while the handrail stays natural wood. Here, the effect is that both the stairs and the handrail stand out.
4. Paint a runner. This staircase in a London home features a wood strip down the center of the staircase, with white painted on both sides of the staircase as well as the bottom riser. The paint job creates an effect of a natural wood runner making its way down the stairs. It’s a clever idea that has some humor to it — since runners are typically made from textiles, a wood stair runner would be an unexpected feature indeed.
Here’s another take on the painted runner. This staircase, in a home in the United Kingdom, also has white sides, but the center is painted a soft gray, and this runner is much wider. This is a more subtle effect and works with the gentle color scheme of this white, gray and wood staircase and landing area. The approach also fits the style of this elegant home with a neutral palette.
Try a color trio. For a more dramatic effect, play with color. This bold color combination of black, white and green paint makes this staircase a statement feature. You will notice the color trio is also carried up to the wall with the use of green picture frames and black-and-white photography. The vibrant Kelly green is also repeated throughout the residence with decor accents like a bold green porter’s chair in the entry and green trellis-patterned drapery in the living room. When considering a color trio for your staircase, think about how the colors will work with the connecting rooms. This will keep it from feeling like an afterthought.
Read more about this home
Read more about this home
5. Add a touch of whimsy with numbers. Painting your stairs using numbered stencils is an easy way to give your stairs a cheeky twist. Without the numbered steps, this staircase would definitely feel less playful and interesting. You can choose to line up your numbers on either side of your stairs or down the middle. Be sure to measure as you stencil each step to ensure the numbers line up. I recommend that you start from the top and work your way down to avoid any potential mishaps with wet paint.
Browse letters and numbers wall stencils
More
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Browse letters and numbers wall stencils
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Another timely article thanks Houzz!
We've been toying with the idea of ripping-up the carpet on the stairs for either timber or engineered timber. (There is uneven concrete underneath).
I was not considering vinyl flooring on the stairs as I felt it would be far to slippery.
After a fall down the stairs and a bad carpet burn down the length of my leg, I'm having second thoughts.
What about sprung floors for the stairs? I'm sure someone would have done it!
Thanks Bethany.
Love this article! More staircase stories, please! I have a 25 foot tall staircase with wallpaper that I am removing. I'm looking for ideas for a wall treatment that is super scrubbable to withstand kids and a big dog. Once It is done, I don't want to re-do it because of the extreme height. (I've even considered paint with clear contact paper over the reachable areas. Haha!)
I copied this "runner" from a magazine photo, and adapted it to by using colors from elsewhere in the house. The runner was painted with oil-based enamel -- one color at a time -- while the edges of the steps were sanded and stained. Then, eerything was covered with a few coats of polyurethane. Everyone seems to like it, and it's held up well for the past 10 years.