Stair Runner
or a stairs show Stripes are especially suited to staircases, lending instant elegance to all styles of stairs. A stripe painted on the middle of a timber staircase will define the well-trodden central area of the steps. ****Use a dark colour on the central area to absorb the inevitable wear and tear, with a lighter colour each side for drama and emphasis.
Add a flash of neon OK, I know this is black, white and bright orange, but it’s a great example of how black and white set a timeless style that can then be adapted to different trends. Neon and orange are bang on trend right now, but repainting the stairs in a few years’ time is a cheaper and easier job than re-carpeting. And I bet the black and white runner will still look good.
Bare your stairs To a degree, the Victorians had it right by having stair runners that could (fairly) easily be ripped up and replaced when they got worn. Carpeting across the whole width and length of a staircase will only result in a worn, dirty patch running right up the middle. So the practical option is either a runner or painted treads – with the painted finish coming in cheaper, easier to maintain and just a paintbrush away from a whole new look.
Fit your own stair runner Easily update your staircase with a few rugs, a staple gun and some carpet tape. Measure the width you want your stair runner to be, and look out for rugs with the same measurements. You’ll also need to measure the length of the staircase to work out how many rugs you require. Position each one carefully along the stairs, ensuring they are exactly in the centre, and place carpet tape at both sides. Then use your staple gun to attach them beneath the bull nose of each stair. Use a craft knife to trim each rug so that two rugs join where the tread and the rise meet.
Again, choose a colour palette that will absorb the punishment the steps will inevitably suffer. An element of white among the stripes will bring lightness to the overall scheme, but notice here that forgiving inky blue is the dominant theme. With a carpet runner, you’ll need to decide between a runner that runs the full width of the steps and one that leaves a painted edge of about 10cm each side. The narrower option is visually more attractive, but bear in mind the additional housekeeping required, between dusting the painted timber and vacuuming the carpeted runner.
Q