How to Dress Up Your Stairway

Out of all the areas in our home, probably the area that receives the least attention is our stairway. The reason for this is probably because it is a boring area being as there is not much we can do with it. If ones want to be creative though there are a few things, you can do to give it a bit of interest.

To begin with, it depends on which stairway you are tackling. Is it the one leading to the upper level of your home or the lower level? You can address them both a little differently.

The Upper level stairs.

This is the stair area that is in view and is more open. Here you have to keep your creativity somewhat in check making sure it flows with the rest of the house. You really do not want to make it the focal point but you do want it interesting. The challenge here is really making it tie in with the area, which is likely the hallway. There are staircases however, that run directly off a room such as a living room or kitchen for example.

Assuming the stairs that we are dealing with are running off the hallway, then the walls that the stairs are butted up against will most likely be the same as the hall walls. You do not want to put anything on the stairs or the railing that is going to be a hazard.

If the walls are neutral, consider using stair runners of carpet that are bright and bold perhaps in a floral pattern. This can really add some pizzazz to a once a boring set of stairs.

For the wall on your left going up the stairs, consider using various sized framed mirrors. This will create the illusion of a much bigger area, which is beneficial to a narrow hallway.

If you have stair rails , set a flowerpot to the side of the stairs at the bottom and let ivy twine its way around the stair rails. Do not let it wrap around the banister itself though. This is quite an eye catcher.

The Lower level stairs

You can be a little funky here if you like as in most cases there is a door leading down the lower level stairs. Here you could create a collage of pictures on the walls and paint the stains in some unique geometric designs. Here you can let your creativity run wild.