How to rejuvenate a staircase on a budget?
Staircases are an important design feature of any home, providing more than just functionality. As staircases only tend to suffer from age-related deterioration as opposed to structural damage, restoring or restyling your staircase provides a whole range of possibilities.
A chance to add character, open up your living space or the start point to completely revitalise your design scheme, updating your staircase can have a major effect on your room aesthetic.
Often an overlooked solution due to the perceived work required and/or cost, you may be surprised to find out that there are several different options of what you can do to help breathe a new lease of life into your staircase, without spending a fortune.
In this helpful guide, we explain a range of different ways that you can modernise your staircase on a budget.
What's The Condition Of Your Staircase?
One important thing to note before reading this guide is that this is only applicable to staircases in good structural condition. These helpful tips on how to improve the look and design of your staircase are not suitable for staircases that need to be professionally refurbished or replaced. If you are looking for a staircase replacement or installing a new staircase within your property, then check out our Case Studies at Pear Stairs for some design inspiration, or our Stair Creator to start designing your new staircase.
Paint Spindles, Newel Posts, Handrails, Treads or Risers
The most affordable way to rejuvenate your staircase is to simply repaint parts of your staircase. Staircase parts such as your spindles, newel posts, handrails, treads and risers can all be painted to change the colour scheme of your staircase and make it a standout feature in any room.
The one drawback of this option is that properly repainting a staircase is a fairly time-consuming task. The existing varnish and paint need to be thoroughly sanded off the surface of the wood. Followed by the application of a sealing layer such as a stain-blocking primer and then finally the new paint. At Pear Stairs, we recommend the application of at least two coats of paint and the addition of a protective coating such as polyurethane to prolong the lifespan of your work.
Although this is a time-consuming option due to the extent of work required in order to achieve the perfect finish, it is the cheapest way to create a stunning design feature out of your existing staircase.
Consider Full Carpet Or Adding A Runner
If your staircase looks tired or worn but is still structurally sound, then painting parts like the treads and risers may not have the finish you desire. That is where fitting a carpet is a common solution to revitalise your staircase. The design choice is endless with varying patterns and colour schemes providing an incredible number of possibilities. Carpets will be installed with underlay; these extra layers of protection between the user and the staircase help to provide a level of noise absorption, reducing the sound of footsteps to a minimum.
On the other hand, if your treads are in good condition, then you can always consider using a strip of carpet, called a runner, as a design feature. Choosing to add a runner can create a stunning colour break in your staircase design, allowing you to experiment with patterns and colours to match your design scheme.
Replace Parts of Your Staircase
A more affordable option than you think, you can replace parts of a staircase, such as the handrails or spindles.
Typically, you would replace tired-looking wooden spindles with brand new spindles in the same or a different design. However, if you were willing to explore the possibility of working with an increased budget; you could also replace the existing wooden handles with a modern alternative such as metal spindles or glass panels/balustrades. These will completely transform the style of your original staircase and can make an incredible difference to the aesthetic of a space.
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