Things here at the beach house are at a bit of a stasis point. I’ve managed to accomplish quite a lot in just three summers (check out the Renovation and Decoration Report for a summary on that) but so much remains to be done. I often find it hard to synthesize the house projects with the kids’ need for summer vacation and a constant stream of house guests. Some projects are small – still looking for night stands in the master bedroom – and some are large, like the kitchen needing a complete overhaul – which you will certainly be hearing more about.
A small project that I’d like to sort out once and for all is our staircase. I’ve written about it extensively here and here before. Long ago it was fully painted white and stripping it is beyond my desire. For all the reasons written about in those earlier posts, a painterly solution and perhaps a runner still seems like the best bet. A favorite inspiration photo I’ve had up on my desktop all winter from Apartment Therapy has grey treads and a dark railing.
I had also featured this photo in an earlier post and I keep returning to it too.
So I had pretty much come to the conclusion that I want to do something similar here at the house when I was offered the best of proof. A Tokyo friend bought a beach place in California and we had been having fun batting around decorating ideas. She and her designer Heather Schmitt had been talking about what to do with a wood staircase that did not match her floors elsewhere and one idea was to paint it. Her colors in the house tended towards a coastal direction – tan, whites and blues – and personally I have been loving and writing about deep blues – think Farrow & Ball Hague Blue – and how calm and neutral they are. So I threw out the idea of white risers with blue treads and railing as an idea to her.
I swear I barely blinked and they were done. Aren’t they absolutely fantastic!
Not long afterward, Emily Henderson posted this Instagram of a staircase she had painted in a deep blue – both treads and railing – commenting that in over a year it hadn’t chipped at all.
So I am planning to take the plunge and paint, but I need to make a decision about color, tone and intensity. My questions for you all are the following…First off, should I go with a grey or a blue? Keep it mid-toned or go dark like my friend? Her stairs are tucked away, but mine are a central feature of the living room/dining room so you will really see them. And for the record, the chairs are not normally pushed up against the railing like that, but I just had a dear friend visit with her four little boys and they thought chairs on coasters were great fun…
Second question concerns the railing. Unlike many of the staircases featured above, mine does not have open treads on the sides – they are fully closed and molded. My railing is also quite busy and detailed.
So I am considering painting the treads, but not the railing, which is different from all my other examples here, but similar to these pink steps. Yay or nay on that one?
While we are talking blue, there is more news on that color from Loi Thai, proprietor of Tone on Tone Antiques in Bethesda, MD. You may recall that he was the winner of the LuRu Home pillow from the giveaway I did this spring. Loi’s home is simply spectacular, as are his gardens, and you can read more about them on his blog, as well as see the details of his newly decorated home office, which includes the indigo dyed Babyteeth pattern pillow that he won.
He is a master at working with soft colors, but I love the way he has jazzed up this space with some unexpected color, patterns and art.
I’m looking forward to hearing your comments – I’d love to get this project checked off my list! For more images and ideas to consider, check out my Painted Stairs Pinterest Board.
I vote for gray and to include the railing. I can’t wait to see how it comes out!
I have an image I would like to share .. which I thought was very Ocean Grove, but unlike you I can not remember what issue which month and definitely not the page number.. so give me a moment or two to go through the last 8 months worth of interior magazines please…
I love the crisp white of your rail and would paint the treads alone in a sandy sisal tone. I hope that whatever you choose, it will look as marvelous as you envision.
I’m thinking basically that with a soft grey color. I love the deep blue but worried it will be too dramatic here.
I love your white railing and I would leave it. I like the idea of painting the treads gray or a dark blue.
I think grey treads might be better so that there are less clashing issues than with blue. But nice white railings – or even a white with a smidge of the grey used so it is a nice complement to each other.
I have this same problem in my house. I’m not sure if I’m fortunate or not to have the original stairs but they’re very funky. I love the worn treads but when I bought the house, they had been painted with 100 layers of paint. I had the floor people sand them down but there’s no clean edges on anything and they just look horrible. Unless you think you can get really clean edges and straight lines when you paint, I would paint everything the same color. Maybe a painted runner down the center that you could tape off.
I’m not a fan of the black and white; it’s a little too severe I think. And those pink ones! They look like Lucille Ball’s lips when was about 80.
Steve, You know I was never talking pink – it was the only example I could find with closed edges and painted treads. My stairs are actually in lovely condition – the issue with the white is that it gets perpetually dirty – even in our Japanese style “shoes off” house.
Thanks, Jacqueline!!! You are the best 🙂
I vote for grey treads in a mid – dark tone, but not too dark. The railings, newel posts, spindles and risers I would leave white. Your staircase is beautiful. If you are installing a runner, you could leave the entire staircase white.
x Loi
That’s my thinking right now. I’m avoiding a runner for two reasons, the first being its another thing to get dirty and the second that it makes each step shallower and I’m not sure I want that. My daughters are both hard core against it too!
Ships grey, leave the white railing…my two cents 🙂
Loved your post! Absolutely grey blues, F&B Parma Grey, etc…
As fabulous as dark is- it will be too dark for your application
xo
Jacqueline, I’m with Loi on this one. I think it will add a richness especially since you have the closed treads. I think you and Tone on Tone (Loi) have two of the best design blogs on the net. I have learned a great deal from you both. Now that I can’t walk for 3 months, I’ll be reading every post – new and old.Wonderful blog.