So funny! I'm planning to paint the bannister at the new house (TNH) black and am veering towards painting the treads and risers black too... I've been searching for images of black staircases on Houzz and putting them in my entrance hall ideabook. They are few and far between. In your case, I think, with your white walls, maybe the stairs white and the bannister black? (Assuming the white walls continue up the stair walls enabling the b/w contrast.) You've already put black firmly into the equation, adding some more may give more reason for the black rad cab. In my case, there is a very off-centre radiator that could so very easily have been directly opposite the front door in TNH which is rather annoying as it stuffs up the focal point. We are leaving here with every radiator covered with a cabinet - and going to TNH that has loads of radiators ...but no cabinets! Yes, the work ahead is daunting - especially since the area of Ireland we're going to is very basic and not full of DIY resources, etc. I keep thinking I'll paint TNH white - to make things simpler(!) But try as I may colour keeps wandering through my mind! Lovely to be in touch again!

I suggest that maybe Floor to ceiling is going to be difficult unless you have one custom built by a carpenter, which, will be on the expensive side. The problem is obviously the depth. If you buy one of the Shoe cupboards ( many varieties available online ), which have shelves sloping backwards, they take up less depth. The have coat hooks above mounted on a similar type of wood on two different levels, which will enable you to hang more coats. You can always look to having a frame built on the outer edges of where the coats are to hang, so that you can hang doors. Alternatively, the cheapest option is :- hang full length doors of your choosing on the area, attached to a frame on the outside - very cheap to build. Then put a shoe rack in at the bottom and coat hooks at the top.

Love this! A great transformation and a great use of space. Love that the small console table extends into a dining area! Please feel free to head to our website and view our space-saving blogs www.mysmallspace.co.uk

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/23/a-pair-of-doves-moved-on-to-my-balcony-i-wanted-them-gone-then-they-started-nesting