Ask A Designer: How To Freshen Up a Frumpy Staircase
In this Ask A Designer column, Gillian Atkins’ shares advice for improving a staircase and foyer.
Replacing the dated beige floor tile with wide-plank hardwood is a great start for updating your entryway and its lovely curved staircase. Don’t go too rustic! That will date your home in the long term.
Choose a hand-scraped pale oak engineered hardwood to give it that warm and airy feeling we all love about the modern farmhouse look. Clad the stair treads in the same wood and paint the risers off-white like the walls.
With light floors, your space can easily handle a simple black iron railing. Choose plain square spindles and a thin iron handrail. Avoid chunky newel posts if you can, and opt for a sweeping curve instead. This look is timeless.
Complete the refresh with a natural- looking fibre stair runner.
Wynter rug in Graphite/Blush by Loloi, $160. Wills & Prior. Wills & Prior
Consider replacing the chair in the alcove with a small round table, then add a vase with real seasonal branches.
Round Torsion dining table in Oak by Alain Van Havre, $2,229. Modern Komfort.Modern Komfort
And if you’re updating your entry cabinets, why not try a freestanding armoire?
Manufactured Wood armoire in Vintage Oak by Red Barrel Studio, $660.Wayfair
Gillian Atkins is a senior designer at Lynda Reeves Design Studio, LRDS.