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How to Make Your Stairs Special
Statement-making, shoe-stashing, mood-lifting or eyebrow-raising… Elevate your stairs to new heights of splendidness
Are you stairs working hard enough? Like every other part of your home, they have the potential to be a distinctive design feature, not to mention an ingenious storage solution. So don’t just walk all over them – raise your game and give this architectural detail the attention it deserves.
Use paper for pattern
If you think a whole wall of paper is a bit excessive, try pasting the stairs instead. These risers reveal an attractive strip of print that coordinates perfectly with the hard-wearing paint on the treads.
Discover 10 inventive ways to work with wallpaper
If you think a whole wall of paper is a bit excessive, try pasting the stairs instead. These risers reveal an attractive strip of print that coordinates perfectly with the hard-wearing paint on the treads.
Discover 10 inventive ways to work with wallpaper
Admire the angles
Exposing the underside of this staircase has resulted in pleasing zigzags. The light and shadow on the white surface creates a decorative effect. Why not turn the space beneath into a reading nook from where you can enjoy the geometric splendour?
Exposing the underside of this staircase has resulted in pleasing zigzags. The light and shadow on the white surface creates a decorative effect. Why not turn the space beneath into a reading nook from where you can enjoy the geometric splendour?
Store in each stair
These nifty drawers are the ideal storage solution for shoes, bags and anything else you struggle to find when you’re heading out the door. Give each family member their own stair to avoid confusion.
These nifty drawers are the ideal storage solution for shoes, bags and anything else you struggle to find when you’re heading out the door. Give each family member their own stair to avoid confusion.
Be ethereal
Strips of LED lights on either side of these wooden treads create an other-worldly look that should inspire users to glide softly up and down. Side lights like these are a practical choice, from a safety point of view, and also highlight the wood grain beautifully.
Strips of LED lights on either side of these wooden treads create an other-worldly look that should inspire users to glide softly up and down. Side lights like these are a practical choice, from a safety point of view, and also highlight the wood grain beautifully.
Shelve it
The wall beside the stairs is a popular spot for displaying family photographs, but this is also a great area for inset bookshelves. Make sure they’re sorted so they’re easily accessible – kids’ books at the bottom, reference and new tomes in the middle and read-but-not-forgotten novels at the top.
The wall beside the stairs is a popular spot for displaying family photographs, but this is also a great area for inset bookshelves. Make sure they’re sorted so they’re easily accessible – kids’ books at the bottom, reference and new tomes in the middle and read-but-not-forgotten novels at the top.
Paint a runner
Show off your home’s original features with décor that doesn’t distract. A smart Victorian staircase needs nothing more than a lick of paint to look its best. Here, a strip of contrasting colour along the centre of the stairs creates a formal look that’s easy to maintain providing you use hard-wearing floor paint.
Learn whether paint or carpet is right for your stairs
Show off your home’s original features with décor that doesn’t distract. A smart Victorian staircase needs nothing more than a lick of paint to look its best. Here, a strip of contrasting colour along the centre of the stairs creates a formal look that’s easy to maintain providing you use hard-wearing floor paint.
Learn whether paint or carpet is right for your stairs
Tile your treads
Add a riot of classic colour to your staircase in the form of traditional ceramic tiles. Keep things interesting by going for a different pattern of tile on every riser.
Add a riot of classic colour to your staircase in the form of traditional ceramic tiles. Keep things interesting by going for a different pattern of tile on every riser.
Defy convention
Initially mind boggling, but ultimately very practical, these single-width stairs prove you don’t have to accept standard versions of any interior feature. These space-savers are a great idea for mezzanine or loft staircases – and this design’s grey treads add graphic detail.
TELL US…
What would feature in your dream staircase? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Initially mind boggling, but ultimately very practical, these single-width stairs prove you don’t have to accept standard versions of any interior feature. These space-savers are a great idea for mezzanine or loft staircases – and this design’s grey treads add graphic detail.
TELL US…
What would feature in your dream staircase? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
A chunky timber staircase can be a bit oppressive in a compact space. This option is the uplifting opposite. Removing the wall creates a much better flow throughout the ground floor, while lights on the wall side of the stairs give the magical impression that each tread is floating on thin air.