Interior stairs are significant features in most homes and often the first thing your guest see when they walk in the front door. Are your interior stairs welcoming people with the elegance and style your home deserves, or are they simply saying, "this is how you get upstairs"?
Renovating your interior stairs can make dramatic changes to the look and feel of your home. While this article looks at 9 ways to enhance your interior stairs, simply focusing on one or two of them could still create significant improvements to the appearance of your stairs.
There are many different terms used when talking about stairs. This diagram will help clarify some of the terminology associated with stairs.
1/ Refinish / Resurface Your Treads
If your current treads are wood, then they can be revived with relative ease by sanding them down and refinishing them.
If your stairs are currently covered with carpet, then you will probably want to consider removing the carpet and resurfacing your stairs with hardwood.
Resurfacing your stair treads used to be a major task best left to the pros, however manufactured stair treads systems are now available almost anywhere making this a great DIY project.
The stair treads are usually manufactured using a variety of woods and sizes. They are also available for open stringers and closed stringers. You simply select the right stair tread, carefully cut it to fit, install it and finish it. While re-surfacing your stair treads is fairly easy, dealing with the railing can complicate the project.
2/ Get Creative with Your Risers
Whether, your goal is to create interior stairs that are unique to your home or you are just trying to tie your stairs into your home's decor, the stair kicks or risers are a good place to achieve both of these.
Below are a few ideas, however the possibilities are endless. Go ahead, take a chance...they can always be changed later. Besides, think of the conversations it would initiate.
3/ Change Your Stair Runner
Changing your stair runner maybe the simplest way to change the look and appeal of your interior stairs. Selecting the right stair runner for your home may be a little harder...good luck.
4/ Refinish Your Handrail
Wood hand rails come standard with most homes. Replacing your hand rail can be tricky, requiring both specific skills and experience. However, sanding your existing railing down and re-finishing it, can make a very dramatic change to your home and is something most homeowners can handle.
5/ Refinish / Change Your Handrail Balusters
Just as the hand rail can be refinished, so to can the existing wood balusters or spindles.
Do you want them to match the hand rail or be different? Or you can replace your balusters with ornate metal spindles like in the picture. Metal balusters are available in a variety of styles and are easy to install.
Before making this decision, be sure to collect lots of images and carefully consider the decor of your home.
6/ Replace Your Newels or Railing Posts
Replacing your railing posts or "newels" is another way to enhance your interior stairs without replacing the railing.
Newels can be found at building specialty stores and are available in a variety of styles so you can compliment the decor of your home.
If your current railing is a little loose or wobbly, replacing or installing new newels is one way to shore it up and make it stable again.
7/ Refinish or Upgrade Your Stair Trim
Just like nice trim can add elegance and sophistication to a room, nice trim can also totally enhance the look of your interior stairs. When selecting your trim, try to compliment the other trim in your house and your homes decor.
8/ Lighting Can Dramatically Enhance Stairs
Carefully planned stair lighting can not only make your stairs safer and alleviate the need to for turning on and off bright overhead lights, they can also accentuate the unique features of your stairs, enhancing your homes decor and feel.
9/ Find Creative Uses for Wasted Spaces
Just by the nature of their design, stairs always create some wasted space. However, what some people consider wasted space, others consider opportunities. Assess your needs and try to find creative uses for these spaces.
What would further enhance your home: storage; a library; a homework area; wine racks; a play house; a day bed....the potential is unlimited.
Conclusion:
Quinju.com
Before starting your interior stair renovation, make sure you spend enough time gathering inspiration and knowledge about the various products and procedures which will make your stair project a complete success.
Start by getting a free subscription to quinju.com and create a stair project. Quinju.com will provide a quick and easy way for you to collect, store, organizing, retrieve, and share all your project images, contacts and documents.
Next, take some time to read some of our other article that may be of help to you on this project:
This is amazing and very helpful for building a railings thank you for sharing this one!
I’m having a custom home built and I want every single aspect of the house to be unique (I plan to live in it for the rest of my life, if possible) and I love your tips for getting creative. using the space underneath to create a library or put in a little desk as you show really would add that unique flair to the house, as well as save space in other areas, and I love the idea of having lighting added. lights along the step lips like you show would definitely make them safer at night, and add sort of a fun sci-fi feel to the area.
Thanks for sharing very useful Information.