Stylish stairways…
Is your hall, stairs and landing somewhat neglected in terms of décor or do you have a stylish stairway?
Like many of us who live in a house with a staircase, we see the stairs as a purely functional means of getting upstairs and down!
Often centrally located in a home and frequently cited very close to, if not directly by a front door, the staircase is one of the most ‘seen’ areas in your home by both visitors and the occupants alike!
It’s similar to a cloakroom, in so much as chances are a visitor will need to use your downstairs loo from time to time. Much like a hallway, your cloakroom may have been somewhat overlooked when you decorated your home… After all it’s only a toilet and the smallest room in your house!
But like your cloakroom, you may decide after reading this that your hallway needs a bit of TLC to give it the wow factor.
We don’t all get to live in a palatial mansion...
Nor do we get to live in a house where an architect has put thought and style into the stairway, where the staircase is a thing of beauty, where form precedes function.
But if we do live in a property that has an upstairs, we can certainly make the most of this overlooked space in our home.
Where to start?
Consider the traffic flow through your home?
Does your stairway lead directly off a hallway? If so, you may want continuity of decoration, both in terms of the walls but also the floor treatment.
Decide whether you want a carpet or not?
Long gone are the days when each stair has to have the tread, riser and nosing all carpeted. One option might be to choose a runner as a stylish alterative to carpet?
Lighting can transform a room…
Lighting doesn’t have to be simply a ceiling rose or at most wall lighting. Consider adding accent strip lights or spotlighting, recessed into the wall to illuminate each and every step?
Decorate each stair riser…
Why not opt to carpet each tread and decorate each riser? You could wallpaper, stencil, tile or even use PLAANK wall panelling on the upright of each step.
Create a feature wall?
Break up a ‘boring’ wall with an eclectic mix of imagery or family photos. Use lining paper to create a template of each frame and arrange on your wall using temporary adhesive.
Or create a truly interesting feature wall using wooden panelling - then co-ordinate with a matching or complementary wood panelling for each stair upright and have a hallway to be proud of!
