They're likely the last thing you think about when you decorate.
But sometimes when you've put the finishing touches on the area you're renovating, you realize your stairs suddenly don't fit in.
What to do?
CityLine.ca asked Benjamin Moore's Sharon Grech for advice on how to jazz up those stairs.
"There are so many things you can do other than your standard runner," Grech says. "It all depends on your budget, for sure, but I think a lot of times you’ll come into a space and it’s the last thought. You get everything else done and it doesn’t tie in. The important thing to do is think about the colour scheme in the room above and the room below, and really think about how you can link those two together.”
Painting is one way to give your stairs a fresh, new look. Just make sure that you give them a good sanding (if they're wooden stairs), and clean them up before you begin to paint. It's important to use a paint made for floors, rather than walls, Grech notes.
Traditionally, stair treads tend to be darker shades, and risers lighter shades. But this is where you can use your creativity.
"I have lots of examples when I’ve done stenciling, [for example] a full runner look coming down. You can customize your colours and your stencils, you can do them yourself, there are so many fantastic ones online now. You can get something graphic or something really neutral," she says.
And don't feel you need to stick to one colour, Grech explains.
"[A] thing that I’ve been dying to try somewhere is painting colour blocks on the risers, and I think that’d be something great to do in a space where maybe you don’t have a lot going on," she suggests. "So it’s a loft or somewhere where it’s pretty open – even if you just picked three and did some bright colours on the risers. It draws your attention a little bit."
Don't fall into the trap of going with what's trendy, Grech advises. Look at your existing space before you select what style and colours you're going to use.
"I find a lot of times people will just go, 'Everyone in the magazines is doing black and white.' But you don’t have any black and white in your space. You can still take that idea, but tone it down. If you’ve got more neutrals, do a grey tread or a lighter brown or a taupe tread, and maybe more of an ivory riser. And don’t forget about your stringers and your spindles and your rail, all of those are really great opportunities for personalizing the space as well," she says.
Lastly, if you're painting your stairs, don't forget about drying time. You'll want to give your stairs even more drying time than your walls, as they're going to be stepped on.
"Whether you’re using latex or oil remember not to trap yourself downstairs in the basement if you’re painting," Grech laughs. "I often do every other stair, so I can stretch and walk up, and then do the other stairs the next day."
suzanne.ellis@cityline.rogers.com