Stair Makeovers For Style

Often when you walk into a house, the first thing you see is a set of steps. Often the stairs are functional, but actually detract from the interior décor. First impressions do count in a house and making the entryway inviting contributes to the whole atmosphere of the house. Since stairs are usually so close to the front door, it only makes sense to have a stairwell that enhances the appeal of the home.

Stair makeovers can start from a variety of positions in relation to the front door. In some homes, they start several steps from the door. In most houses they are off to one side of the door. There are many ways to makeover the stairs to add value to the house and aesthetic appeal to the décor:

Change the railing
Change the balusters
Change the tread
Completely rebuild steps
Cover tread with carpet or runner rug
Change the newel posts

Stair Makeovers

There is a wide choice of railing and baluster designs to fit any style from rugged country to sophisticated elegance. You can use white railing and darker wood treads and risers for elegance. There are even metal balusters made out of copper that have become popular, or you can use wrought iron railing.

The more extensive the remodeling you do, the higher the cost of course. Your choice of materials has the greatest impact on the final expense total. But even if you don't have a lot of money to put into your project, you can still makeover your stairs by changing wall or railing colors, adding lighting, recovering the treads or even just changing the top of the newel post.

When you do stair makeovers, it's a chance to add a personal touch to your home. Give your stairs a new look by changing the treads from carpet to hardwood, or from hardwood to carpet. If you can afford a more extensive remodel, you can actually change the entire staircase unless it's between 2 walls. But even in that situation, there are companies that manufacture new treads that can be installed in enclosed stairwells without tearing out walls.

When you do a more extensive stair makeover, suddenly you have world of design options opened to you. You can install straight or curved stairs for example. A curve can be created at the bottom of the stairwell. You can also change the underlying stair support system so the stair wall adds the entrance way décor. You can bow the bottom steps or use a starting step with bullnose. You can stain the railings and paint the treads and risers, or you can stain the railings and risers and paint the treads. In other words, you can do almost anything you want to do to enhance the appearance of your stairs.