Whether it’s located directly in front of you when you open your entrance door or is hidden away in a cute little corner of your cottage, your staircase probably plays a pretty major role in making your home more welcoming. After all, this is one of the largest design features of any property, and the chances are that the eyes are naturally drawn here, even for guests who have no real cause to head upstairs.

In reality, though, as we’re quickly realising from trends like the painted staircases seen in the homes of even top designers like Sao Paulo, there’s no reason why our stairs should keep on being an afterthought. In fact, by stripping back standard, uninspiring carpets that often end up looking tired from heavy usage anyway, we can transform these functional additions into one of the most striking home features possible.

Of course, if you’ve always had carpeted stairs, a painted staircase can seem like a pretty daunting move. To help put your mind at ease, we’re going to consider precisely why this could be a move worth making in any kind of property.

1, Painted stairs are cost-effective

While stairs tend to have a relatively small surface area, the work that goes into cutting and fitting a carpet for this purpose can see installation costing easily as much as it would in your largest room. This is the case on even a straightforward modern staircase, but older properties with winding and narrow staircases particularly pose problems that can end up costing a great deal. Unfortunately, the complexity of this task means that you can’t just ditch the experts and expect decent results for less. By comparison, painting your staircase couldn’t be easier, and will only cost as much as the expense of a decent floor paint that’s specifically designed with durability and non-slip benefits in mind. Then, you’ll be able to get stuck straight in without once worrying about escalating labour costs or the expense of entire rolls of carpet that are only going to get cut up to fit this purpose.

 

2. The best designs

The growing prevalence of painted staircases inside the homes of top designers and stylish celebs is also a testament to the fact that paint is one of the best options from a modern design perspective. This is especially true considering that staircase carpets are most often chosen for function alone, and can quickly become worn down and tired because of the usage they receive. By comparison, painting your staircase in any colour of your choice allows you to tie this feature into other elements of your rooms in an entirely new way, and can work amazingly with decor choices or colour schemes in general. The stripped-back simplicity of a painted staircase also lends itself perfectly to more elaborate choices elsewhere in this space, including most often the addition of a stair runner, a striking stair rail, or some art pieces that really set your stairs alight. None of which would look half as good if it was drawing attention to a carpet that you’d likely rather no one looked at too closely.

3.  An always fresh finish

Sort of in keeping with the design benefits of a painted staircase is the fact that this style choice can also provide a far fresher finish than a sometimes stifling carpet. In large part, this is because removing the volume of carpet and underlay can, in itself, open up even a steep or small staircase, while the polished, sleek finish of any painted staircase is guaranteed to help brighten your space. The ability to play around with even bold and bright colours can also be great for this purpose, ensuring that as well as drawing the eye, a painted staircase can add light and life to even a dingy entrance hall. Not to mention that, from a purely practical standpoint, a painted staircase that is going to retain its condition for longer (if you use the right paints as mentioned) is guaranteed to help any landing or stairway feel far fresher than a carpet that will look tired after even a year or less of wear.

 

4.  A purely practical solution

All other benefits aside, painted staircases also provide the undeniable plus of being a far more practical solution overall. As already mentioned, this practicality can be enjoyed from even the early stages of installation by owners of small or older properties with winding, steep staircases. Even in a modern property, however, painted staircases that simply require regular dusting and mopping to stay looking their best is guaranteed to be an easier choice than carpet that requires difficult manoeuvres with the vacuum cleaner every time. As simple as that, cleaning your staircase can go from being a dreaded chore that you avoid as much as possible, to being one of the easiest cleaning jobs to manage across the whole house.

A final word

The carpeted staircase certainly still has its place, and there’s no reason that you can’t make a great carpet work here if you’re dedicated to the cause. However, with painted staircases becoming increasingly popular for obvious reasons, it’s no longer true to say that carpet should be your go-to stairway choice. Instead, consider these benefits and how they stand to improve your home overall. Then, look out for some of the fantastic painted staircase inspiration now available on sites like Pinterest, and consider realistically if perhaps a painted staircase isn’t a preferable option for your home after all.