So I find myself at an impasse over an important design question: do I want a staircase runner or do I not? With the cold chill of Autumn in the air and winter right behind it, I'm thinking it will be a practical choice to install a staircase runner. But at the same time, I've come around to appreciating the beauty of naked wood stairs. Especially after all the work I did this season stripping them down.
BEFORE
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| With knotty pine banister |
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| with knotty pine banister painted out! |
The very first time I entered this house, even before I put in the offer, I vowed that the ugly Aztec looking runner would be the first thing to go. The first!
Eight month later ( it takes a lot longer to get to projects apparently), I finally got around to it.
Earlier this summer over two days ( or was it a week?) I started the painstaking task of ripping up the old carpet. Next, on my hands and knees, each stair tread was stripped then sanded down to remove old paint and finish on the treads.
DURING
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| Burgundy painted risers?? I mean really! |
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| Minwax stain..medium oak |
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Next, operation stain commenced.
Tip:
Do not stain all your treads the same time or you will be trapped either upstairs or down! Yeah I know it seems obvious, but when you're in a groove you can easily forget this at your peril. Instead, I did every other tread the first day, including a few coats of clear coat to protect all my hard work. The next day I did all the alternate steps. I must confess, I still managed to step n a wet stair accidentilly.
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| I stained first and painted second. Not sure it was the best idea. |
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| So much better no? |
Next, I began the tedious process of taping out and painting the risers a bright glossy white covering over the existing maroon colour.
AFTER
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| Voila! The finished product. |
My stairs are far from perfect. The wood tones are still uneven even with the new stain, but I've been enjoying the rustic vibe. But the next big question is:
Staircase runner or no runner? What do you think? Here are some cute runners to ponder:
Bold stripes perhaps?
Or, do I just paint on a runner like these stairs above?
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| Photo credit: decorpad.com | | |
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And last but not least, the classic sisal?
