Where does your staircase fit into your interior design plans? Have you thought about it at all? Sometimes, the stairs are like a dead zone in the house. Sure, you may have created a gallery wall of some kind to break up the monotony of an interior wall, but it’s amazing what a little bit of attention can do for a staircase the blends into the background.
Consider One Of These Ideas to Make Your Staircase More Interesting
Maybe it’s time to spruce your staircase up a bit, in which case I have 5 ideas for you to consider:
- Bust out some walls. Often interior staircases are enclosed by interior walls. The goal was to sort of insulate the staircase and “mask off” what is considered a utilitarian space. In today’s open floor plan designs, this can backfire, putting up a big block in a space where openness is the key. Contact an architect or contractor and talk about the potential. You may find you can remove an entire wall, or a section of the wall, which will open things up and expose the staircase to the rest of the home. Then, you can work with an interior designer to figure out what style of staircase or railings will work to your home’s best advantage.
- Change the stair railing. Your staircases railing was (hopefully) originally selected to suit the interior design. If you weren’t the original homeowners, or if you haven’t updated your interior design in a while, there’s a good chance the stair rails aren’t contributing anything anymore. Or, they may even be detracting from your design style. In either case, redesigning your interior should include an analysis of whether your current stair railing works aesthetically. For example, take a look at this Suburban Entryway I redesigned a couple of years ago. Those sleek black railings are a far cry from the wooden, traditional versions they might have been.
- Decorate the risers. This isn’t done very often, and I wonder why? Decorated risers make as much or as little of a visual statement as you want – but they’re guaranteed to add visual interest. In this Portland, Oregon home, the risers are such a beautiful statement with the simple addition of wallpaper. You can paint wallpapered risers with a durable clear, sealant to protect them from scuffs and dings. On the opposite side of the impact spectrum are these ornate, risers with beautiful wood inlay –each one unique. This is a literal example of pattern layering at its best. The good news is that while you are welcome to paint your own risers or commission an artist, tile layer or woodworker to do it for you, Etsy has a wide range of pre-made riser decals that make it easy and more affordable to efficiently do the job yourself.
- Just add a rug. Do you have a beautifully finished wood staircase? While wood is gorgeous, a large expanse of it can wind up being a visual blank spot in a design. Look into beautiful, high quality runners – the area rugs for stairs – and choose one that works with your home décor. In addition to sprucing up your staircase, the rug can add a little color or pattern and will also help to save the wear-and-tear on your finished wooden stairs. The rug can also add a softer texture to interior designs with an abundance of hard, cold or sleek surfaces.
- Supersize an artwork. If your staircase has a landing, odds are there is a large expanse of wall that runs up the side and/or faces the downstairs area at the top of the first landing. These walls are the ideal spot to install a large, oversized work of art. It sure beats trying to keep all those frames on your gallery wall straight…