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We are fast reaching the point where we must take some action on our ugly staircase before age/health make it impossible for us to do so.

This staircase is the first thing you see when entering the house.

This is the side view from the l.r. See how the woodwork all sort of runs together?

I don't know why they put such fancy railings and balusters on the outside of the house and such plain ones inside but there it is!

As you can see the whole thing is in bad shape and needs to be spruced up.

So what I don't know is should we stick to the natural look of the l.r. woodwork.

Forget that and just paint it?

If so paint it how? Painting a rug on the stairs would not be beyond my capabilities but might soon be beyond my strength.

Or we could just paint the railing dark with white balusters and risers and baseboard. But would that look very odd with the natural woodwork?

this is the staircase from the top looking down.

Normally I love painted staircases as much as I like painted floors, but where the wood work in the l.r. is natural and we don't intend to paint that what is the best course of action?

One idea might be to paint the balusters and front of the steps white and then stain the treads and railing a color close to the rest of your woodwork, which I think you were already suggesting.

I also found a picture of a staircase that used wallpaper to front the stairs. Good luck on deciding on a solution!

Emily, I think I'd go simple. I'd paint part of it white (creamy white)except for the
Tread, handrail and post cap/top, which I would stain and poly.

I'll attach a couple of pics to show you how it looks.

2

3. This is with a darker stain just to give you an idea of it darker.

of course, if you wanted a little more umpf, you could paint a faux rug in the middle.

or you could put your artistic husband to work

or you could wallpaper the riser

stencil

This message has been edited. Last edited by: victoriangirl,

another white and natural one

Here is one done with anaglypta paper.

My preference would be to keep it simple with the white and stained.

As much as I love analypta and lincrusta, I think pictures 1, 2 and 3 are just fabulous.

Before seeing that I thought perhaps, LOS might want to paint the staircase white and carpet the treads but that might not be a good idea as she and her husband are getting older and carpeted steps are a little more tricky than bare treads.

My preference is really for painted staircases but maybe we had best just clean this up really good and then go from there.

It would be a no-brainer if the woodwork in this room were also painted but alas it is not and we want to keep it that way.

I would also love a carpet "painted" on the stairs and risers.

Brenda all those staircases you posted are what I would love! Esp the one with the faux rug!

Thanks Cassia and Lu for your input too! Carpeting would not be for me. It was on the stairs when we moved in and I could not wait to rip it off! Too much vacuuming! and as you say could be treacherous!

I like the idea of some painted areas.

But first is to remove soil and oils so that the wood takes paint or poly.

What ever you decide, your staircase will enhance your interior surroundings.

Wow, vg! I don't know about LOS, but you've given ME some great ideas. My house has all painted woodwork and stained stairs...I would love, love, love to paint those babies. And I really love the anaglypta one, but I think it might get wrecked? My stairs are very shallow and my little feet hit the risers all the time!

Remember that anaglypta paper is fragile, if your feet hit the risers all the time, they will ding and dent the anaglypta paper.
Risers take a beating with those feet that love to kick them!

Do you need to use the stairs while you're working on them?

It looks like they might be shy of finish since they have kind of an ashy dried out look. If this is the case, once you've cleaned them, put a couple of coats of boiled linseed oil cut with turpentine (if you aren't sensitive to odors). Let it soak in good until you don't have any dry looking spots left then go over with several coats of an oil based finish. Gloss finishes tend to be slippery, so if you're looking for a satin end-result, use the gloss until your final coat then go to the satin. This allows the grain to remain more prominent in the finished product. Finishes other than gloss tend to diminish the intensity of the grain. Probably has to do with light reflection in the underlying layers and that product additives are apparently what creates the duller sheens. There's some useless info for ya.

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Do you need to use the stairs while you're working on them?

Yes, and they are dried out because we stripped the whole staircase years ago.

I can not use any oil based things in the house. I am highly sensitive to odors and esp paint products now that they put all those additives into them.

Unless I decide to paint a runner on the stair case we will not be doing anything to the treads, just the rail, risers, baseboard and balusters.

LOS, looks like the treads are what needs treated the most. How about using a paint or stain that has no toxicity or little smell?

I just did a quick search and there are lots of paints out there that offer this. Perhaps you could use something like that.

http://www.greenbuildingsupply...ucts/Paints-Coatings

I also did a pretty sad mockup of how much brighter that area would be with white but maybe your house and style does not lend itself to a brighter look, not sure.

Wow, Brenda that is terrific! How'd you do that?

The treads are worn, but not oily like the railing from our hands down the years. So actually I don't mind the look of the treads as much as the balusters, the railing, the risers and the baseboards.

However I do love the look of a "carpet" painted as a runner on the stairs: tread and risers. A friend had that done in her home once & I thought it looked great. I can do such a painting job and will work out a design. I love the stairs you posted that turn. . . with that rug. . . but that is a different staircase. Truth be told I think my staircase in its straightness would never be too beautiful

Thank you so much for going to such work for me. Wish you were nearby so we could consult one on one!

the problem with this situation is that I am paralyzed because of the struggle between how I KNOW I should do this project and what I would really like.

Just get the paint, make up your mind and go for it Emily. Sometimes if we over think things, it never gets done. I know that it is like that with me.

I did it in paint, which isn't the best way but will give a little idea. I should have made the runner wider. If you do a runner, I would make it wider than on my mock up.

It is hard to get started isn't it?

LoS,I see one thing that needs to be done first.It needs a handrail on the wall side.That can be used for support.I know you really wouldnt like having to move all your beautiful pictures.But that is a must for help when needed.I can see a painted rug in blue and white.Take inspiration from your love of china.

Love all the inspiration pics.I am drooling here.And I dont have stairs & a upper 2nd story.LOL.

jackierentte,
I saw the potential for a mural treatment but thought why spend that creative energy for something people kick, stomp on and scratch...

You got me thinking:
A bit of blue and white quick (tole painting type) strokes of blue against white would be awesome, or a blue center stripe for the 'rug' Could be mottled a bit and the edge of the 'rug' could have detail where feet do not come in contact much.

LOS,
Those hand oils and the dirt and wear that wood is getting is not getting any better! Also, you WILL enjoy it so much after it is done, and when you have your Fall and Holiday decorations up, the stairs will be another great feature for guests to enjoy! Show it off!

Write down all the stages you need to do, break it down into 'portions' that are handle-able. Who knows someone MAY volunteer to help you! OR hire out some parts or all parts, then when clean and sealed, you can decorate it! IF you wish at that point!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mary Ruth,

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Who knows someone MAY volunteer to help you! OR hire out some parts or all parts,

Well DH who has tons more energy than I do, will be the point man on most of this work. don't forget I will be 78 soon and have not the kind of industry I once had. also hiring this kind of work done is simply not possible for us.

Guess I'll have to put on my "nagger" hat. Ever notice how one in a couple is the "nagger"? that role seems to have fallen to DH, not me. So first I have to rouse myself up to do that job! LOL!

Jackie, think our stairs are too narrow for another handrail. We do have the one on the left and when you get past that there is the balusters from the upstairs railing to grab onto.

I love the idea of a blue/white treatment for the runner but the rug in our l.r. is mostly red. Would have to incorporate that somehow.

DD is coming up in a week and she is also talented like you ladies! I will run all these ideas by her! (she sometimes has more common sense than I do)

So many choices it's difficult to know what to do! I also am not getting any younger and often don't want to expend unnecessary energy on some projects.

What I'd do in this case, because of the natural woodwork in the adjacent area, is use one of the one step stain and finish products on everything. WoodSheen sounds like a very easy product to use. Then later do something more wear-resistant on the treads such as a painted runner.

LOS,
I was doing that in a subtle way, a little push, not a shove. I know you can't let it stay that way because your house will stay in perpetual 'unfinished' or 'under-construction' mode, like mine is! lol hate that right now... will get done... will get done...

So, you get the spirit in which I was stating this to you. Attention focused on staircase... and somehow that will call out the help! And YES DH of yours is an approved helper for this project. Let him also commit to a little detail work after it is all sealed and fixed because the idea is not to create something that needs constant tending to.

I love the idea of red and blue. You could do those colors OR do tans and neutrals, or greens to go with outdoors (what you see outside your windows...evergreen trees if any) small sprigs of pine with pinecones? Or branches with pine... small and done in the corners.

Just sayin...

Here is one idea that looks like the old heater grates (stencil the pattern on the risers) The color could be tan or lighter than the stair color, does not have to be white. Or a dark gray to make a shadow.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mary Ruth,

I love this idea of a runner (gold bar across the back of step) with one color then stencil in the 'runner' area only to look like patterned carpet.

Here is a picture out of a very old English house, love the almost Amish way about it and the red color.

That last picture reminded me of my old staircase many moons ago.

Here is a staircase I stenciled a very long time ago (over 30 yrs) and it was an old Victorian house with 3 staircases, this was the back one, all beat up, but with fresh coat of paint and stencil it looked so much cleaner and better.

The flash on the camera made that bright spot and sheen.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mary Ruth,

Newel post, stringers, handrail and steps fresh stain. (I normally love the stringers painted but in your case they but up against the living room trim and I hate abrupt changes.) The risers and the spindles painted the same color as your ceiling ( IMHO consistancy is a good thing in architecture.)

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stringers,

I don't mean to be dense but what are stringers? DH says they are underneath supporting the steps, but what do you mean Charles?

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Originally posted by lady of shallot:

quote:

stringers,

I don't mean to be dense but what are stringers? DH says they are underneath supporting the steps, but what do you mean Charles?

Sorry, it's a general architectural term that usually refers to a long horizontal board. With regards to stairs it's the vertical diagonal board that is notched to hold the steps and risers. It may have another name that your DH uses

I am going to move the chair and chest completely away from the stair case. First place we need to do that to work on it but I also think it will help me ascertain just what I want to do! Thank you all for such good ideas.

My attic steps do please me but they are not really usually seen and don't get so much wear.

Here's kind of a gross story. When I went to take this pic I saw what I thought was a piece of fluff or a dust kitty in the corner at the bottom of the stairs. I kind of pulled it out with my foot preparatory to picking it up when I realized it was a tiny dead baby mouse. I don't do well with mice but I also don't like to see them dead. I was afraid of this when we were away for so long esp with the milder winter temps. Now we have to get out the traps etc. This is one time I am so glad to have a husband!

quote:

Originally posted by lady of shallot:

quote:

stringers,

I don't mean to be dense but what are stringers? DH says they are underneath supporting the steps, but what do you mean Charles?

LOS, ask DH if maybe the word I'm looking for is skirtboard (?). Best of Luck. I'm sure you'll pick the right choice, all the pics I've seen of your home look creative, cozy and full of personal style.

LOS I'm going to keep a close eye on this thread and what you do. We still need to do risers on our steps to the basement and I'd love to do something pretty. Lots of great ideas I'm seeing.

quote:

LOS, ask DH if maybe the word I'm looking for is skirtboard (?). Best of Luck. I'm sure you'll pick the right choice, all the pics I've seen of your home look creative, cozy and full of personal style.

Thanks Charles!

Mary Ruth I really like that color you had on the old staircase! That is an old fashioned color. Also the houses and the runners in the.

When I came downstairs this a.m. I noticed the cheap rug we have as a runner between door and stairs. For the width of the rug the border is rather wide and that looked pleasing to my eye. If I paint a runner on the stairs I think I will copy that look. Neutral background (have a crab shell I have always wanted to copy the color of) and then probably some stripes and free hand colored somethings in both the borders and the body of the "rug".

LOS,
Sounds like this is going to be a GREAT and FUN project! I can't wait to see it start to happen!

Do you feel relieved having come to a solution? I know there is work ahead, but with 'knowing' what you want to do, it helps to deflate that huge project a bit, doesn't it?

I'm more conservative/traditional so I'd go for the white risers and stained treads. But, there are plenty of options out there. Here's a wild one.

~Lady50

I love this look.

~Lady50

Yes, Lady 50 that sure is a wild one!

Mary Ruth today I prevailed upon DH to help me move the furniture away from the staircase which visually opens it up. Then he got some sand paper and something (not mineral spirits a/c we didn't have any) This railing is going to be easy to clean once we get the right product.
Another thing is that we are questioning the presence of that old wooden six board chest. We love it but it is large in that space.

Thing is we need something to keep our "lady" on
something that is substantial, but it doesn't need to be so wide. Having the chest there pushes the chair too far out into the room.

We need the chair as there is only a sofa and another chair, so only five seats.

LOS,
I am sure you will come up with a narrower table, chest or something to hold the 'lady'.

I am so happy for you that this area is getting some attention!

Sometimes the longer we put something off, the larger the job gets in our minds until it is a mountain! Now for you this is just a hill!