Sherry recently teased on Instagram Stories that we were back to one of our favorite projects: installing a stair runner. After laying one down in our previous house seven years ago, it’s become a go-to upgrade for us. It’s approachable for most DIYers, changes the look of the stairs dramatically, and adds real traction underfoot—more on that in a moment.
Why We Wanted A Stair Runner
We don’t automatically cover every staircase. At our beach house we left the original wood exposed because it had a lot of character, and we only added temporary stick-on treads later to help our chihuahua, Burger, get up and down more easily. For this house the decision to add a runner was mostly practical: Burger is 14 and the wood stairs were quite slick, so he avoided going up or down on his own. We didn’t want our daily routine to include ferrying him like a “chihuahua elevator,” so adding a runner made sense. As a bonus, the runner provides better grip for us too.
Why We Painted The Stair Treads
Along with the runner, we painted the stair treads. Part of that was aesthetic: the stairs were a different wood tone than the downstairs floors, and painting the treads helped bridge those tones. There were also finish issues—tape lines and discoloration left by previous painting work made the steps look uneven. We considered sanding and resealing, but because only a few inches of each step would be visible beside the runner, and because refinishing would be dusty and still might not match the downstairs floors, painting felt like the right solution.
We took our time deciding—if you paint something that might later need sanding, it’s wise to wait until you’re sure. After a couple of months of considering our options, we committed, partly to make life easier for Burger. In the end we’re glad we didn’t wait longer.
Prep & Paint
The risers were already painted white, so we focused on the treads. Even though the painted portion sits mostly under the runner, we chose a durable product: a porch and floor enamel recommended by a paint pro. We wanted a color between gray and beige to complement our home and settled on Requisite Gray by Sherwin-Williams. The job involved a lot of careful cutting in and two coats for full coverage; a separate primer wasn’t necessary with this product.
Choosing The Runner
We loved the runner from our last house—Dash & Albert’s striped style held up well for years—so that was our starting point. But after seeing a sisal-look runner installed by friends and experiencing how well it stood up to pets and traffic, we leaned toward a sisal-looking, indoor/outdoor material. It has a classic, slightly beachy vibe, doesn’t shed, and hides wear well. We chose a neutral Belize Dune base with a Narrow Cotton border in Granola, which blended perfectly with our wood tones.
To size the runner, we aimed for roughly a 3″ reveal on each side and ordered a 25″ width. For length we measured one step (tread plus riser) with a string and multiplied by the number of steps, then added extra for the top and bottom. For padding, instead of the standard pad option we ordered premium 2×3 pads and cut them into thirds to place just on the treads where feet land.
Installing The Runner
The installation followed the same process we used previously, with a few adjustments to hide staples and accommodate our stairs’ profile. Our treads have a wider lip under the bullnose, so we stapled just underneath that lip rather than into the bullnose itself. We used an electric stapler and pre-colored staples to blend with the runner—gold Sharpie for this golden-brown sisal tone—mostly to dull the shiny silver so the staples aren’t noticeable.
The first step required some trial and error to find the ideal staple locations. We placed a staple just inside the binding under the bullnose while pulling the runner tight, then worked across the step. On each tread we used about five staples—two toward each edge, two between those, and one in the middle. We also added five staples under the lip against the riser and a row of staples at the bottom of each riser above the quarter round. We avoided stapling into the tread itself.
If a staple landed in the wrong spot, needlenose pliers made removal and re-stapling easy. We regularly checked centering with a tape measure while working. At the bottom we trimmed about 18″ of excess, folded under about an inch for a clean hem, and stapled the folded edge to the riser to finish.
We’re thrilled with the result. The stairs look and feel better, and Burger has happily returned to zooming up and down at his usual pace—now with reliable traction. The runner also complements the home’s original paneling and finishes without overwhelming the space, and the natural sisal look bridges the lighter downstairs pine flooring with the deeper tones upstairs.
This stair update has made our entry cozier and more functional. We have a few more interior and exterior projects to photograph and share, so stay tuned—there’s more to come as we continue settling into this house.
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