A stair runner on our wooden stairs adds texture, style, comfort and safety to our home. We're also glad it quiets the steps!
If you follow me on Instagram, you watched me go back and forth on this seemingly simple update to our home. Ha! I'm happy to report it's finally done and I love how it turned out! (So does my whole family.)
Here's a look at how the stairs looked at the start.
These stairs lead right into our kitchen. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about that when we bought the house, but I adore it! It's so easy to chat with anyone upstairs because the kitchen is the center of our home.
Since the stairs come straight down into the kitchen, this runner is part of my kitchen makeover plans. It wasn't in the original post, but I've mentioned it in later home goals posts.
Why Did We Need a Stair Runner?
Several people told me not to cover our beautiful hardwood stairs with a runner. But after a few people, including our kids, slipped on them, we decided safety came first.
One of my daughters' first reactions to the new runner was, “yay!! Now we can wear our socks on the stairs!” The girls had been too scared of tumbling down to wear socks on them, until now!
Three of our bedrooms are upstairs, including our guest room, and I couldn't stand the thought of my parents or any guest slipping and falling. And if someone still takes a tumble, at least the steps are padded now.
I also wanted to bring some texture and pattern into the kitchen. The stairs come straight down into it, so I've been looking for every way to make the space feel personal.
The good news is that if we ever change our minds, we can pull the runner up and patch any holes. Carpet was on these stairs before we moved in (the previous owners removed it and refinished the treads). I can still see the marks from the old carpet, but it was fine!
Which Carpet Did We Choose?
After looking at cheaper options like sisal or a ready-made runner, I settled on the first carpet I truly loved: Anderson Tuftex Only Natural carpet in Plaza Taupe. It matches our Edgecomb Gray walls, and I like that the herringbone pattern feels lively without being busy or loud.
I ordered sisal samples and worried they would feel too rough. My kids also love to perch on the stairs and chat with me while I cook, so I wanted something comfortable for both walking and sitting. I also read that sisal grows slick as it wears down, so over time a sisal runner could get slippery and cause a fall.
I even bought a sisal runner and planned to DIY the whole thing, but in the end I returned it and went with carpet instead of a DIY project.
Decisions We Made Before Ordering the Carpet
How wide should the runner be? We measured the steps at the top and they are 37 inches wide. So I chose a 30-inch runner, which leaves 3.5 inches on each side.
I also decided to center it on the top of the stairs. At first I wondered whether to center it on the top or the bottom, but I realized that when it's centered on top, the open side of the stairs looks like a wall. Centering it on the bottom opening would have looked strange. Does that make sense?
How will we keep it clean? I've heard many people say carpet is harder to keep clean than wood stairs. Obviously, right?! For starters, we have a “no shoes upstairs” rule, which we had even before the carpet, so less dirt gets tracked up.
We'll also use our Dyson cordless stick vacuum to keep it clean, the same way we always keep the stairs clean. We've had that stick vacuum for 3 years and I still use it daily. Love it!
Stair Runner Installation
I'm a DIYer at heart and knew I could do this myself by ordering a pre-made runner and cutting it just once in the middle. No problem! So many other people have done it on their own.
When I ordered the carpet, I learned that the binders had to “seam together” (is that a thing??) the carpet every 3 steps. So I decided to hire the carpet company's installer to do it. I didn't want to mess it up! In the end I'm glad I did, because the person who placed the order didn't order enough and had to buy more out of his own pocket.
When the installer came back to finish the last 3 stairs, he was in such a hurry that his work there wasn't as good as on the first 12 stairs. But I was able to take my staple gun and staples and fix what he had missed. It told me I could have done the job myself if I had taken my time and worked slowly.
If I ever need another stair runner, I'll probably just DIY it.
In the end, I'm thrilled with how it turned out. I'm glad we're one step closer to finishing the kitchen projects. And I'm loving this view in my home! Now to figure out what to put on the walls in this hallway, if anything. We'll see!
See More Kitchen Updates:
- Traditional Coastal Kitchen Mood Board
- My Traditional Kitchen at Christmas
- Traditional Brass Chandelier in the Kitchen
More Posts You Will Love:
