The Great Carpet Debate: How to Dress Up Your Staircase

Dear Ruth,
Our stairs are basically the first thing you see when you enter our front door—any thoughts on how to make them a strong feature in our home?
Goldy R., Aspen 

Dear Goldy,
To carpet, or not to carpet—that is the question.  My answer wasn’t always so black and white because, admittedly, I was pretty anti-carpet when we first moved to Denver.  My thoughts are now more in favor of it (bedrooms for starters), and a stair runner has become an absolute must.

If you don’t currently have wood on your stairs, start there and add a stair runner covering most of the surface, leaving roughly three to six inches on either side.  Another option is to do wood end caps and carpet down the middle or use wood laminate as an alternative to real wood (great-looking and way more economical).

The options are endless, and a runner is a great way to splurge on a high-end carpet without committing to a lot of square feet. 

My current favorite is this blue and white pattern, but I constantly go back to a classic sisal runner, and love it every time I see one installed. 

All stair runners can be bound with various colors and fabrics, which makes customizing your staircase even more fun. 

Source: Elements of Style blog, Photographer: Tessa Neustadt

One last thought would be to add an animal print on your stairs.  It’s amazing how well marks are hidden (camouflage pun intended) on these patterns, and, like jeans, animal prints go with everything. 

Don’t forget to have your spindles and newel posts painted.  Latest obsession over here is all black! Hint: See Go to the Dark Side: Decorating With Black.