It may seem intimidating to install a stair runner yourself, but it’s so darn easy that we’ve done it twice! Thrice if you count demonstrating it on live TV (more on that later). Just follow the steps in our tutorial below, including our trick for making sure your rug is the perfect size for the project.
Adding a rug or runner to your stairs isn’t just a stylish decor choice that can add color, personality, or pattern. It’s also a safety feature! We find that adding a stair runner cuts down on slips, falls, and even makes it easier for our dog to traverse them. They also absorb sound, meaning your less likely to hear your kid clomping up and down the steps. So we highly recommend adding one if you’ve got young children, pets, or even just clumsy adults around.
DIY Stair Runner Before & Afters
The first time we installed a stair runner, it was to replace a dingy carpet runner that came with the house. You can see in the photos below that we not only livened up the stairs with a bold striped rug, we also modernized the steps by painting the risers, trim, & balusters white and staining the wood handrails dark.
For our second install, here in our current home, we used a beachy sisal runner instead. We also painted the treads a wary gray to brighten them up.
The “third” stair runner we added was for a DIY segment we taped for The Rachael Ray Show. We only shot about 3 staples on camera, but we prepped the small fake staircase backstage. It’s too bad we didn’t get to do a whole staircase. That runner is cute!
Overall, you have lots of ways you can customize this project to suit your style and your stairs. So let’s dive into the tutorial!
Tools, Materials, & Cost
Here are the supplies and tools you should have handy to install your own stair runner:
- Stair runner
- Rug pad
- Tape Measure
- String
- Painter’s Tape
- Electric staple gun & staples
- Sharpie
- Scissors
- Needlenose pliers
This doesn’t have to be an expensive project either. Our first runner installation cost less than $300! It mostly depends on the runner you choose and how much you need.
Steps To Install A Stair Runner
Our project in total took us about 20 hours, but that also included removing the old runner and painting the risers and railings. The actual stair runner install only took about 4 hours, although may depend on the length of your stairs. We’ll go into each step in more detail, but here’s an overview of the process:
- Remove your old runner (if needed)
- Measure
- Select a runner
- Paint or stain your stairs (optional)
- Mark your placement
- Cut the rug pad
- Prepare your staples
- Start at the top
- Connect two runners (if needed)
- Finish the bottom edge
Step 1: Remove your old runner
This step only applies if you have an existing rug, runner, or carpet on your stairs that needs to go. This process may take time – especially getting all of the old stapes up! We counted nearly 600 staples in our old carpet. We have a separate stair runner removal tutorial for this, including what tools you’ll want to help get that old carpeting off.
Step 2: Measure
Before buying your runner, you’ll need to measure how much you’ll need. As with any rug, the important measurements are length and width. Knowing this will also help you determine if you can purchase a stock size or need to order something custom.
Measuring runner length
We suggest using a string or flexible measuring tape to determine the length of one step. This means riser + tread, including around the front bullnose edge. Multiply this measurement by the number of steps you have, and then add 10-15% extra. Having too much material is easier to deal with than not having enough!
Measuring runner width
Most stair runners don’t go wall-to-wall. Instead, they leave about 2-3″ exposed on either side (see above). This number is personal preference, and it may be dictated by stock sizes. Measure the width of your narrowest stair, and subtract 4-6″ to get your runner width. Just be mindful that many staircases “flare” at the bottom, so make sure whatever width you choose will fit and look good from top to bottom.
Step 3: Select a runner
Virtually any carpet or rug can be turned into DIY stair runner. However, we suggest choosing something that will be durable and easy to clean, especially if your stairway gets lots of foot traffic. Indoor/outdoor rugs and natural fiber rugs like wool or cotton are great for these reasons. We also suggest something low pile, since they are easier to keep clean. We have used both stock and custom runners for our stairs.
Using a stock runner
For our striped runner, we used a rug from Annie Selke (formerly Dash & Albert) because they are known for their durability. They also have tons of patterns and colors, and most styles come in a variety of sizes. We used two 2.5′ x 8′ Birmingham runners, but they now also sell a 20-foot version and as a customizable size. After 7 years of use, we can vouch that it held up great (apart from some fading from sun) and felt quite soft underfoot!
Stock runners are typically cheaper, but they may require more ingenuity to fit precisely to your space. Don’t worry – we’ll show you how!
Using a custom runner
For our sisal runner, we ordered a custom outdoor rug from Sisal Rugs. This gave us great control over the exact look – we picked the color, border material, border color, size, etc – and only cost us slightly about $100 more than 2 Annie Selke rugs would’ve at the time.
We have been equally happy with both types of rugs we’ve used – stock vs custom, cotton vs sisal, bold vs neutral – so you should feel good about choosing whatever is best for you.
Step 4: Paint or Stain Your Stairs
If your stair makeover plans include any painting, staining, or other potentially messy updates: do them now! You don’t want to have to worry about dripping a new rug later!
Before we added our striped runner, we stained the handrail a darker color and painted the balusters, trim, and risers white. These were somewhat time-consuming tasks, so they are great to tackle while you’re waiting for your rug order to arrive.
Before adding our sisal runner, we decided to paint the stair treads a warm gray to cover up some discoloration in the stain. We used this Porch & Floor Enamel in Requisite Gray by Sherwin-Williams. It didn’t require a primer and has held up great!
This also is a great time to do any other repairs to the stairs – like if you have a loose or squeaky tread, or need to fix any nearby molding.
Step 5: Mark Your Placement
Once you’re ready to install your runner, start by marking its placement on every step. This will help make sure it stays straight and doesn’t drift to the side as you install it. We used a measuring tape and painter’s tape to mark the edges along each tread, which you can see below.
Alternatively, you can check your placement with a ruler or measuring tape as you go. We just found it faster to tape down guides at the start of the project.
Step 6: Cut The Rug Pad
You’ll want a rug pad under your runner to (1) provide more cushion and (2) keep the runner in place. If you don’t want extra cushion, you can use carpet tape instead. We have used both a felt rug pad and a rubber rug pad with equal success. Just make sure whichever you choose has a non-slip design. Both are sold in multiple sizes, including runner lengths, and don’t need to be very thick (we use 1/8″ depth).
We prefer to use the rug pad ONLY on the tread surface (not the vertical riser). This saves money and also prevents unnecessary bulk against the riser. But it does require some time upfront to cut the rug pad into strips. Luckily they usually cut easily with household scissors. We leave it long enough to wrap around the front nose of the stair.
We leave enough overhang so the rug pad can wrap around the bullnose of each step, as you can tell above.
Step 7: Prepare Your Staples
Here comes the weird step, but we promise it’s worth it! After some trial and error, we found an electric staple gun designed for upholstery projects to be the most effective way to secure a stair runner. A hand-powered staple gun was too light-duty. We needed something with more oomph!
The drawback to this approach is that your staples may be visible UNLESS you take the time to color them first. I know it sounds weird, but trust us. It works!
For our sisal runner, we used a gold Sharpie to roughly color a strip of staples before loading them into the stapler. For our black and white runner, we did the same thing with a black Sharpie.
Matching the exact color of your rug is not important because the main benefit of this approach is that it removes the SHINE of the staples. The staples were mostly visible when they catch the light, so the Sharpie ink dulls them enough that they camouflage into the pattern of the rug.
Coloring one big strip of staples before you put them in the stapler is much faster than doing it individually after they’re stuck into your rug. But you can test it on a few stapled staples first if you want to determine what color offers the best disguise.
Step 8: Start At The Top
Begin stapling your runner under the lip at the top of your staircase. Take your time to position your runner precisely – keeping the top edge flush, and your edges aligned with your tape markings. Use the electric staple gun to secure it at each edge and about 4-5 places in the middle. Your rug’s pattern may determine where best to place your staples so they are as hidden as possible. You can also go back and add more staples later if it is sagging anywhere. The important part now is to just get it attached.
With the runner stapled along the top, pull it tight against the riser and staple along the bottom into the RISER, not the TREAD. At no point during this process will you need to nail into the treads. This way you don’t have to worry about bare feet ever feeling cold metal.
Next, pull the runner tight along the tread and repeat this process, starting with another row of staples under the lip of the next tread.
Use your judgment as to where & how many staples are needed to hold your runner tight to the stairs. With our sisal runner (above) we had two “lips” under each tread, so we had to do two rows of staples along the top of each step. Also, don’t fret if you need to remove a misfired staple now and again. Just keep some needlenose pliers handy.
Continue this process, working down your stairs towards the bottom. Just remember to keep pulling your runner tight and make sure it’s not drifting to one side as you go. Oh, and don’t forget to put down your rug pad strips as you go.
Also, we find the electric staple gun works best when you apply pressure to the back of it as you fire. This helps the staples sink deeper into the swood.
Step 9: Connect Two Runners
If one runner won’t reach the bottom of your stairs, it’s easy to seamlessly connect two separate runners. The best way to do this is to hide the transition under the lip of a tread. Use scissors to cut off any extra material from your first runner so that it terminates under the lip.
Staple that cut end right under the bullnose edge of the tread, just as you have been doing.
Then attach the second runner under the lip, just like you did with the first runner at the top of your stairs. From there, you can continue down your stairs with the second runner. Here is a finished picture of our stairs. Can you find the spot where one runner ends and the other begins?
You can kinda see it there about 3 steps up. The transition is not 100% undetectable, but it’s so subtle you only really notice it if you’re looking for it.
Step 9: Finish The Bottom Edge
Once you get to the bottom, use scissors to cut off any excess material – leaving about an extra inch of material. Fold this extra bit back under the runner and staple it into the bottom of the rise. This fold gives a cleaner, even edge on the bottom (since some runners will fray slightly when cut).
And just like that, you’ve finished your stair runner installation!
You can read more specifics about installing our sisal stair runner, and see more before & after pictures of that space.
Stair Runner FAQs
Here are answers to other questions we frequently get about installing a stair runner.
How well do stair runners hold up?
Our stair runners have held up very well, even with busy kids & pets in the house. Like any rug or carpet, they require regular vacuuming and the occasional stain removal. But as long as you choose a durable material like an indoor/outdoor polypropylene rug or a natural fiber rug, you should have little trouble. We lived with our striper runner for over 7 years before moving, and we only experienced light fading at the bottom (where it got lots of sunlight) and some small, but barely noticeable, fraying on the nose of a step or two.
Do stair runners damage the stairs?
When you install a stair runner, you will put small staple holes in your stair risers. A stair runner also may cause your paint or stain finish to fade unevenly, due to the steps being partially covered. However, both of these can be remedied with wood putty and a fresh coat of paint or stain.
What are the advantages of a stair runner?
In addition to improving the look of your stairs, you’re also making your steps safer and quieter when you install a stair runner. Rugs absorb sound and cut down on the noise of loud footsteps. They also are less slick than wood steps, which makes slips and falls less common.
How do stair runners stay in place?
Stair runners stay in place thanks to a combination of staples and rug pads. The staples hold the rug tight to each riser, helping it form to the shape of the staircase. Rug pads under the tread keep it from moving underfoot. Alternatively, you can use stair carpet rods to hold the rug tight to the riser.
What are alternatives to a stair runner?
In our historic beach home, we didn’t want to install a permanent stair runner. We used two alternate solutions to help our dog not slip on the stairs. On our front steps, we used non-slip sisal treads held in place with carpet tape. On our back stairs, we used clear non-slip treads for a nearly invisible look.
*This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Angela says
This looks so good, great job! I’ll have to see if painting my risers and railings will make the “to-do list” anytime soon.
I painted my bathroom this weekend and wonder why I waited so long. Although I still have some projects to finish in this “make do for now” update it already looks so much better. I lucked out and found the perfect shower curtain at HomeGoods to match, that rarely happens for me! It’s surprising what the power of paint and fresh linens can do to transform a room.
Julie F. says
Beautiful! How did you end up choosing not to change the color of the stairs for the same espresso you used on the rails? I think it’s much prettier with two shades of wood, but I’m sure my first instinct would be to paint everything the same color! Do you have those kind of uses and if so, how do you resist them?!! Help!
YoungHouseLove says
Since the hardwood flooring upstairs is the same tone as the stairs, we didn’t want to stain them dark because then it wouldn’t look seamless anymore and we’d have this obvious line at the top of the stairs where the wood lightens. So it just ended up being one of those happy accidents, haha! My advice would just be to take things one step at a time (instead of painting everything all at once, do just the trim and then just do the walls and then just do the risers, etc) so you don’t take one big drastic step that’s harder to undo). Good luck!
xo
s
Elizabeth says
Wondering about the safety of the polyshades for pregnant women… that product would solve a huge problem I have, but I see it is oil based? (17 weeks pregnant and starting to nest! ;) )
Looks awesome, but that goes without saying, really! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, John applied it since I don’t want to use it while baking the bun (even with a respirator, I just get nervous about that stuff). We had the front door wide open when he did it and while it dried (Clara and I were out for a walk and then at the playground) and he did that other railing outside just laid across two sawhorses, which helped not to get the house too stinky. I would suggest that anyone pregnant should either skip it or recruit someone else to use it and stay clear while it dries. It has no odor now though, which is nice! I would recommend the satin finish too (the semi-gloss kind might be even stinkier since it’s glossier). Hope that helps!
xo
s
Kathleen Mapson says
Simply stunning!!! Y’all do some amazing DIY projects!! #loveit
Brittain says
If I had stairs, I would want them to look like this! :)
Wrenaria says
Gorgeous! Such a stunning transformation. I love the contrast and I’m a total sucker for stripes. Nice work, Petersiks.
As for the Phillipines… My grandpa actually lives there, but he came out of it okay, fortunately.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, I’m so glad your grandpa is ok! Sending him and your whole family so much love right now.
xo
s
Cate says
This is great! Do you think it would look good on a flat surface? Thinking this would stretch out a narrow hallway nicely. Also, did you sharpie every single staple?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we sharpie’s every one. It was easier to color them when they were stuck together in rows like the picture. Only had to do around 4 rows of them (maybe took a minute per row). So worth it! As for a flat surface, I think this rug would be really cute in a hallway. We’ve seen it in a kitchen as a runner near the sink and it’s so pretty!
xo
s
Michelle @ A Healthy Mrs says
Love it! What a difference from the before photo — so much more clean & contemporary looking!
Kristen says
Gorgeous!
Eliza says
Hi, I loved the runner but was just wondering when you view it from the top, doesn’t it give you dizzy feeling as the stripes are vertical. I just felt the stripes should have been horizontal to lessen any dizziness :) Otherwise, it looks fabulous
YoungHouseLove says
In photos, black and white stripes seem to give that graphic/dizzy feeling since they photograph really high-contrast, but in real life I’m happy to report that we don’t feel dizzy running up and down (even a sleepy Clara after a nap had no issues with it, and Burger is flying up and down like a maniac as usual). So grateful!
xo
s
Hilary says
I love this so much! My stairs are just carpeted Down the middle, so like a built in runner… The wood treads don’t go all the way across, there’s an indent for the carpet and padding. I wonder if I could do this still. Other rug is beautiful. I am loving all your projects in your new home! Long time fan!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Hilary! I think you could probably make that work too. Anyone have tips or a link for Hilary to share?
xo
s
Britt says
I can’t imagine anything could outshine these beautiful stairs!! Well, maybe Clara walking down them on her prom night.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, sniffle sniffle.
xo
s
caroline [the diy nurse] says
I can’t believe how painting the risers made such a difference. Wish our steps had more than just plywood underneath!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Caroline!
xo
s
Sarah S. says
I have quite a bit of oak woodwork in my home that I’ve been dying to darken up, but the thought of sanding the current finish down before applying new has been keeping me from tackling the job. You’re saying you only had to rough up the surface of your railings before applying new stain? Can you elaborate on this part of the process a wee bit more? Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
Just some gentle sanding to cut the glossiness, but not sanding a ton to get down to the original wood or anything. We just used 150 grit paper.
xo
s
Camilla @ Something Is Done says
WOW that was a monster post! Good work guys!
Laura B. says
Hi. That is very beautiful. I would love to do something like that but my stairs do not continue under the current rug. The treads are only partially on the edge with just the crude framing underneath. Sorry if I can’t describe it very well.
Would this stain work on an oak dining set? Would I have to completely strip it, sand or use TSP to get all the grime off?
Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
I definitely think it would work on a dining set since others have said they used it on furniture with success. I would just follow the directions on the can (they say you don’t have to strip it, but TSP would be nice to clean it before starting I think).
xo
s
Ruth says
We have two flights of stairs and were wondering what to do with them – this runner is a great idea. There is a lot of space and material for reader’s problems over our way if you guys have the time!
http://eightsandsevens.com/blog/2013/11/mid-project-visual-house-tour/
YoungHouseLove says
Woah, that looks like tons of work! Amazing!
xo
s
Jennifer says
It looks wonderful! At first I thought you had painted the handrail. Is that something you had considered? What are your thoughts on painting versus staining something like that?
YoungHouseLove says
We did think about painting the rail but liked the idea of leaving it natural wood in that richer tone. Paint would work too though!
xo
s
Katy says
I really love what you’ve done so far, but i don’t really like the striped carpet you installed on the stairs! It’s tooo much
Victoria says
Oh My! The stairwell reno is stunning! One of the most beautiful I have ever seen. I love the mid-tone wood stairs with the dark handrails and white risers and spindles. So chic. Then, as if that was not enough, you go and put that amazing runner on the stairs. Wow! I am blown away. Everything just meshes perfectly. You guys never cease to amaze me. Sophisticated, clean, fresh, and dramatic. What more could you want? Wow. Just wow.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Victoria!
xo
s
Jackie says
Did you consider painting the end ballister dark like the railings? I really think that would have anchorered and balanced it. It kind of looks funny being all white in the end…
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we went back and forth a lot, but if you read the paragraph and check out the photo right above the budget breakdown you can see why we opted not to stain that!
xo
s
Melinda @ love melinda says
Looks great! So smart with the sharpie on the staples! I like the stain you used on the railings and love that you don’t have to do a ton of sanding.
Lisa says
It looks fantastic. The photo from the top of the stairs reminded me of a photo I saw recently in a Canadian home decor magazine. The homeowner had a beautiful striped and colourful runner on her stairs but instead of artwork at the foot she had a mirror and it reflected back that beautiful runner. Plus did double duty as the usual mirror at the front door. I am always cognizant of what is reflected in any mirror I hang – and think maybe you would see that beautiful runner from some angles, maybe your stunning light fixture from another angle…..
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds really pretty!
xo
s
Rachel says
This looks gorgeous! I now wish we’d gone with stripy stair carpet instead of playing safe with neutral.
On a different topic entirely I’m making key family portraits for some family and friends this Christmas – thanks very much for the idea!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, good luck Rachel!
xo
s
Crystal @ The Hollidays at Home says
Sherry and John-you’ve done it again! Really like the way this turned out. We have a stairway that I’ve been wanting to update and this is definitely inspiring. Can’t wait to show my husband what “Sherry and John” did. You are on first name basis in our household. LOL
Chelsea says
You guys did an amazing job! I wish I had that under my carpet, but it’s just plan on wood without the treads. I did stain my banisters a dark color this weekend though!
http://pinteriordesigns.wordpress.com/2013/11/11/stairway-to-heaven/
YoungHouseLove says
Looks awesome!
xo
s
cassie says
This might be too nosy and feel free not to answer but why did you take down the shout-out to the veterans at the beginning of the post? I thought that was a really nice touch.
cassie says
just realized i was thinking of the give-away! nevermind!
Eris says
I’m so pro stair runner these days. And who doesn’t love a stripe? Look how awesome yours turned out! And painting the risers was such a great decision. Such a treat for a Monday :)
Sam says
What kind of paint and primer did you use? I want to do this to my stairs! Admittedly mine are not in as great of shape, I’d be painting the whole shebang….
YoungHouseLove says
We used Zinsser Smart Prime because it’s low-VOC, but we hear it’s hard to find, so the Kilz primer (the one that’s low-VOC but says “stainblocking” on it works too). Then we just used semi-gloss paint in Simply White by Benjamin Moore on the trim, risers, and white railing posts (it’s nice and wipeable).
xo
s
Anne says
Thank you for the last words re: Philippine Typhoon. We need a lot of prayers during these times. Sending also my warmest thanks from the Philippines. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh Anne, I can’t even imagine. Sending you so much love.
xo
s
Rachael says
I love it when you post stuff like this, as I always so impressed with what you have accomplished over such a short time, it inspires me to get to work on things here.
So, as impressed (and I’m REALLY impressed!) as I am of your gorgeous stairs, right now I am revelling in the fact my living room is finally rid of the ugly wallpaper we’ve been looking at for the last 18 months! Tomorrow, filling and priming. So, I thank you ;-)
YoungHouseLove says
WAHOO! I know how annoying wallpaper can be, so I’m cheering you on from here!
xo
s
Sarah says
Looks great!!! I have been looking forward to this post and love the step by step…I plan to rip carpet off my stairs and paint as well…hopefully the wood underneath is nice enough to stain..I like the look of the natural wood with the white stair risers. Thanks for the inspiration ~ your home is beautiful!!!!
Logan says
I think this is one of my favorite posts ever! What a great breakdown of the process and what an oh-so-satisfying view of that gorgeous runner! Keep up the great work, you guys :-)
Thanks,
Logan
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Logan!
xo
s
Ellen says
Love the stairs and love the hanging fixture even more! Can you tell me about that?? Thanks, Ellen
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Ellen! It’s from a local lighting outlet here in Richmond called The Decorating Outlet, but I’ve seen it on ebay and on shadesoflight.com I think!
xo
s
Carolyn L says
Hey guys!
I’m sorry if this question was asked already (I hunted for it!), but what prep did you do to the risers before priming and painting? Any at all? Did you sand lightly? It doesn’t look like you stripped them.
Reason I ask is – I’ve been wanting to do this in my house but my husband argues that I should strip/sand the finish and it’s so much more work than I think. Thing is, I thought it was way more work than this…
If I prime with a coat or two of Kilz to avoid bleed-through, then 2-3 coats – will I be ok? Note: I also want to stain the treads dark to match our dark railing – do I not need to strip??
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
If your risers are glossy or slick feeling to the touch, you’ll want to sand and then wipe them down with liquid deglosser (no stripping is necessary, you just want to cut the shine). Since ours were matte/chalky to the touch, we just went right to priming (one coat) and painting (3 coats) – so hopefully that works for ya. As for staining the treads, if you use wht we used on our railing, just a gentle sanding before should work, although I’m not sure that product is made for foot traffic, so I’d read the label. Good luck!
xo
s
Alison says
I am so impressed by your runner!
On a different note, I’ve seen you mention resizing photos so many times that I have to ask… have you thought about learning to use Adobe Lightroom? Once you get up to speed on it, it’s so much faster as an editing and workflow tool than photoshop. I do about 90-95% of my editing (and 100% of my organizing) in LR and only go into PS for really complex cloning etc. stuff (it helps that LR and PS are designed to work together… I always have both open, and it’s easy to pop between them). Anyway, resizing and sharpening photos in LR takes seconds… sooo easy! Just my unsolicited two cents for you. : )
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Alison! Others have recommended it too! We just usually use photoshop to resize things (and have a resizing action set up, so it’s just the click of a button). We don’t do much hardcore retouching or sharpening, but lightroom does sound awesome for that, so maybe we need to learn! Haha!
xo
s
Krystle says
I read but never comment but just had to say how awesome you all did. LOVE it. Love the runner, the painting of the stairs/railing in white, and the dark stain. You must love walking up and down those stairs. I would totally just randomly walk up and down them, or just sit on them.:) AMAZING job/design. You totally need to take a bow on this one.:)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Krystle, that’s so sweet! We’re really enamored with it (and yes, this afternoon right after I put Clara down for a nap, I sat on them for a few minutes on my way down – ha!).
xo
s
Erin says
I think this is one of my favorite projects you guys have ever done!! It really looks amazing! Bravo!! I haven’t read through all the comments, so y’all may have already touched on this, but I was interested to hear y’all are a “no shoes household” as well. I am not a complete germophobe or anything, but we have all tile floors in the desert, and it is so hard to keep them dust and dirt free, plus we have a daughter Clara’s age (and a little man on the way :) ), so I just like the floor to be as clean as possible. At any rate, I am just wondering do you guys enforce this rule with guests, and if so, how do you do it tactfully? I have the hardest time asking people, and the people I do ask (aka family) look at me like I have three heads and seem to have no trouble not complying :/?! Thank you guys for being so inspiring! :)
YoungHouseLove says
I think we’ve just done it so long it’s ingrained in our regular guests (many of whom also have shoe-free houses) and usually when other people who might be less familiar with it show up they see our shoe basket next to the door, which is a nice visual cue, along with our bare feet when we let them in, so that helps. If someone misses those clues, we just usually laugh and say “Clara practically lives on the floor, I’m so sorry but would you mind removing your shoes?” Everyone seems really sweet about it and being a little deprecating and laughing at ourselves about it seems to help. John and I both grew up in a shoes-off house, so that’s also helpful with family (most of our relatives take theirs off from habit too since they grew up the same way).
xo
s
Katie says
I have a weird fascination with the “shoe-free household concept”. I did not grow up in one and I’ve been trying to turn ours shoe-free…my husband of 5 years must be a very slow learner. ;) Do you always ask guests to remove their shoes? For example, Clara’s bday party or holiday celebrations is everyone expected to remove their shoes or are those special occasions exceptions? With the exception of my husband who I tell daily to take his shoes off (!!!) I’m really loosey goosey about it and if a guest picks up on it great, if not no harm.
YoungHouseLove says
At things like a big party for Clara we’re outside most of the time so we won’t say anything to people about shoes, although most of our friends and family also have shoe-free houses, so a little pile of them usually builds up by the door. After a party I know there will be some big clean-up from all the food/people anyway, but in this house I think people at a party would stay on the first level which I like, since it contains the party mess more than a ranch house does (people seemed to end up everywhere) so we’ll have to see if my theory is correct!
xo
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Natalie Land says
An awesome job once again guys. Would you be able to take a photo of it from the front door?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Natalie! We’d love to grab more photos for you guys (for future posts and also to update our House Tour page).
xo
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Kaesey says
The stairway looks great! What an improvement. =) You must be very pleased, and also relieved to check that off the list.
As for the weekend here, we visited the Victorian fixer-upper my parents just bought. I think they need a blog to document this one! It’s such a cool house but quite a project.
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds amazing!
xo
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Theresa says
Totally off topic…re: entry tile grout
You can change the color with just a bottle of Mapai Grout Refresh ($12 + dollar store paint brush)
A little time consuming especially my mosaic tile backsplash but totally worth it!!
Just finished my kitchen and bathroom including tub surround
I am so pleased with the result.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip!
xo
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AnnM says
I think I hear a choir of angels. Your new staircase is absolutely heavenly!
By the wya, I spent my weekend painting my living room ceiling which are 10′ high. Oh my neck and spine! THIS project, on the other hand has me so inspired to get that runner done. I’m no longer frightened to start! Thank you both :D
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Ann! And oy, we know the pain of painting ceilings, especially tall ones. Hope you neck and back are feeling good again soon!
xo
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karen says
something is throwing me off. i think its the orangish colour of the stair steps. it’s sort of clashing with the rug…or maybe the tile?? i know this is progress…so in the end i’m sure it will be awesome. hope you are feeling better sherry! ps..i recently read that magnesium oil helps heaps with morning sickness. who knew!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, it’s the tile! We’re not crazy about those blue undertones, so when we redo the kitchen tile we’re thinking we’ll carry that into the foyer and the half bath so it’s nice and seamless. Thanks for the morning sickness tip too! I tried magnesium tablets but never oil (and I’m still illin) so I’ll have to give them a try!
xo
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Emily B. says
Wow! What a nice difference. It looks fantastic. I keep envisioning the post at the bottom stained too. I think it would look more complete, not unbalanced. That’s just in my head though – perhaps it would look ridiculous in person.
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah we went back and forth on that for a while, but since the rest of the vertical posts are white we’re happy we went with the white and left just the “stripe” of the railing to mimic the runner on both sides :)
xo
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Jeanna says
I just love the stairs now………… just beautiful! I’m a huge fan of Dash and Albert rugs, you just can’t go wrong :) I was wondering, since you seem to have decided to update the flooring when you do the kitchen……….. if maybe you are going to pull the plug and have the tile professionally cleaned in the meantime. I’ll bet you have tried every potion going to get them clean yourself, and it would look sooooo pretty in the meantime if at least the grout looked clean to go along with your beautiful staircase! What do you think?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, I have tried almost every DIY method in the book (some aren’t prego safe, so those are out for now). We have read some reviews about professional cleaning though and it seems that they don’t all work for all tile (some is sealed or waxed and the cleaning doesn’t do much since stuff is locked under a layer of yellowed sealer) so we’ll have to hopefully find something that we think will work to make it worth the money/time to hire it out! Will keep you posted for sure!
xo
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Gwen, The Makerista says
This looks so amazing and I appreciate you sharing all the details. I love the details…the darker railings and the white posts are perfect.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Gwen!
xo
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Virginia Sowers says
That staircase is now a work of beauty!
Thanks also for the mention of the Philippines emergency and linking to the NBC list of responders–all great organizations. In case you didn’t know, ChildFund International is headquartered here in #RVA.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Virginia! Love that!
xo
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Samara Dykstra says
This looks FANTASTIC guys! I would love to convert the old carpeted upper level hallway and staircase to hardwood and a runner in our home. This gives me hope that I can convince my husband that it is a good idea (we have two littles who we need to protect from falls as well). Thanks for the inspiration!
Katie says
I really love it. Its very sophisticated/timeless It reaaaallly makes me want to put a runner on my bare stairs! How fun will it be to watch the new baby climb the stairs in a year or two? In a cute BG Diaper!
YoungHouseLove says
Ahhh! That visual is making my heart explode. I love it.
xo
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