Home Tour: Stairway
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I'm so excited to share this home renovation project with you today. Like, really really.
One of the first things I knew we would have to change when we moved into our new home was the carpet. The downstairs is all hardwood and the upstairs is completely carpeted. The stairs were also carpeted, and they showed signs of heavy wear and tear. So after we carpeted the upstairs in berber, we focused on the stairs.
I want to share the stairs portion of this project, because we completely re-worked the "look" and I am so proud of how it turned out. When I say "we", I mean that we had an awesome contractor, Nathan, who did the work, and we just made him sandwiches and pretended like we knew what was going on. But ultimately, the vision we had in our minds was completely translated and he did an excellent job. Thanks, Nathan!
The Changes:
1. We decided to keep carpet on the stairs, since it's the most slip-proof option (and especially because we tote a baby up and down the stairs 20 times a day, hello), but they needed a makeover. The old carpet was scary, so that was an obvious first choice: we re-carpeted the stairway in the new berber. We went with Lowes for the carpet installation and we are really happy with the outcome.
Carpet before:
And after:
2. Next, we decided to put hardwoods on the landing between the two staircases. Why? We wanted to dress up the stairway a bit and there was some leftover hardwood from when the floors were done a long time ago. Bam. New landing. And what a difference it makes!
Old landing:
New landing:
3. We re-stained the banister with a darker mahogany finish. Such a difference, from the old oak-y tone of the previous color! And not only do I love this new shade, but it will handle wear and tear a lot better because it's so dark.
Here's an attempt at a photo of the old banister (cute baby is just an added bonus for your viewing pleasure):
And after:
4. Then we repainted the trim and the banister spokes with a coat of fresh white, to keep everything looking light and lifted.
5. For cosmetic's sake, we hung our city pictures (all the cities we've lived in together) in the stairway because it just seemed like the perfect spot to visit that art work everyday. And I got a big plant to sit by the staircase, which I swear helps me breathe better as I walk up and down the stairs. Plants clean the air!
And there you have it folks! I know a stairway might not be the most exciting renovation you've ever seen, but it was our first one in our new house, so we're pretty proud of it. I can't believe how much brighter the stairway looks!
One more before and after. Because I want to. And because I CAN.
Before:
Aaaaaaand after!
And there you have it! Thank you for checking out my stair renovation! So, what do you think? Have you ever renovated your stairway? Got any tips for home renovation projects? I've got a few more up my sleeve...
