At least that’s how I feel about stairs. I know some people dislike them, but after seeing countless beautiful staircases on Pinterest and a string of inspiring DIY stair upgrades, I found myself wanting stairs—badly. After seven years of living in one-level homes, we finally bought a house with stairs. Half of me worried I’d regret the change; the other half could not wait to pin a thousand stair ideas. I daydreamed about stair runners, balusters, and railings instead of the usual day-to-day stuff.
After three and a half months in our new home, I’m certain about two things:
- We actually like having stairs. They create a nice separation between the social areas on the first floor and the private bedrooms and bathrooms on the second. We’ll always love the simplicity of a single-story ranch, but it’s convenient not to have to clean every room before guests arrive. If there are a few stray socks or a pile of toys upstairs, it’s no big deal.
- We have neglected our stairs from day one, despite being eager to renovate them. Between the dated stair runner, blue-painted balusters, and worn carpet, the staircase looks pretty bleak and in need of a refresh.
Why was the old runner still in place? We planned to remove it before moving, but decided to leave it down to protect the wood stairs during the heavy lifting on moving day. We also thought it would help our dogs get used to the stairs without slipping, so we left it in place until we could install a new runner. We cleaned it, moved in, and told ourselves we’d deal with it in a few weeks. A few weeks turned into months, but I finally felt ready to buy a new runner after falling for several black-and-white staircase looks online.
I saved a handful of inspiration images showing bold striped runners paired with dark railings and white balusters. Those images convinced us to commit to a modern, high-contrast look: a black or ebony railing, crisp white balusters and trim, and a durable striped runner that stands up to traffic and pets.
To find a runner that would hold up over time, I researched well-made brands known for durability and stain resistance. I was drawn to a pattern I’d seen in my favorite inspiration photos, and eventually located the same style from a reputable maker. Finding a photo of the same rug used on a staircase was reassuring—it suggested the rug would work in that application and give me a realistic sense of how it would look on solid wood stairs.
When we found the runner at a discounted price from a reputable online retailer, it felt like a small victory. We ordered two 2’5″ x 12′ runners to cover the stair run and landing. The sale, combined with a promotional discount and free shipping, brought the cost well below what I expected, and kept the project within our budget. The runners are on back-order for a short time, but we’re excited to install them as soon as they arrive.
While waiting for the new runners, I decided it was time to tackle the blue-painted trim and balusters that had been bugging me since we moved in. I primed the trim and did multiple coats of semi-gloss white paint to match the rest of our trimwork. Those stubborn blue streaks required several coats—two coats of primer followed by two to three coats of paint—to fully hide the underlying color. It took patience and careful brushwork, but in the end the white trim looked clean, polished, and fresh.
Painting the lower balusters and baseboards transformed the foyer. What had felt dated and loud suddenly read as crisp and classic. With the blue hidden and the white restored, the staircase already felt closer to our vision: white balusters, a dark railing, and a bold striped runner to tie it all together.
Between the new runner order and the freshly painted trim, we’re finally moving from dreaming into action. The plan is to remove the old carpeting, install the new runners ourselves, and refinish any wood where needed. The result should be a staircase that balances style and durability—an entryway element that’s both practical for everyday life and visually striking.
I still can’t quite believe we have stairs, but I’m excited to make them a standout feature of our home. With white balusters, a dark railing, and a durable striped runner, the staircase will be functional, pet-friendly, and a beautiful focal point when friends walk in the door.