How Can I Decorate My Steps in My Home?

Give your stairs pop with original decorations.

Staircases are usually a transition point in the home, making them difficult to highlight. You may not know whether to match the staircase to the upper or lower floor décor. However, you don't have to tie the staircase into any one room. You can make the staircase stand out in its own right with the right planning and decorations.

Things You'll Need

• Patterned contact paper
• Scissors
• Carpet squares
• Utility knife
• Paint
• Painter's tape
• Paintbrushes
• Paint stamp
• Bookends

Instructions

1. Give your stairs visual appeal with patterned contact paper. Choose a pattern that catches your eye; scrollwork works well as do miniature scenes and geometric designs. Cut the paper to size and stick a panel to the front of each step. You'll get an interesting visual effect when you look at the stairs straight on.

2. Make your stairs warmer and more colorful with self-adhesive carpet squares. Choose squares in several solid colors or with one design. Don't mix and match if you pick a design; the pattern will look too busy. Cut the squares to fit on your stairs with an inch to spare around the edge. Stick the carpet to the stairs with its adhesive backing.

3. Paint each stair a different color. Choose rainbow colors in pastels or jewel tones or shades of one color from light to dark. Paint the top of each stair only to keep the paint from looking too bright.

4. Paint a tread runner on your stairs. Use painter's tape to mark the left and right edges of the runner. Paint between the tapes all the way down the stairs. You may stamp a pattern with a paint stamp on your runner, if desired.

5. Turn stairs into a friendly place with bookends. Place one bookend on each step with the flat part of the end against the wall. Mix bookend styles as much as possible. Store a few surplus books behind the bookends.

Tips & Warnings

• Mix a few of these techniques together to give your stairs a finished, homey look. Combine bookends and carpet treads or colorful stairs and contact paper for a big impact.

References

• Apartment Therapy: 8 Ways to Decorate a Staircase
• Made Manual: 10 Ideas on How to Decorate a Stairway; R. F. Fisher