Monday, 25 March 2013

The stairs...

 It's been a rubbish few days. I came down with my daughters lurgy. I didn't leave the house for four days and I've been too sick to deal with the mess that piles up when you spend a few days in bed. We've had snow all weekend so I should be grateful that I've not been able to go out.

Thank goodness for the Internet. My waking moments were filled with my important research (otherwise known as pinterest.)

I've been thinking about tackling the stairs.
All we've done since moving in, is rip up the green carpet and underlay.

Here's what we have.

 With gaps...


Screws...

On every step
and glue...

Was this much glue really necessary?


Do I just carpet it?

Or what about painted stairs?

Source
Or wallpapered stairs?

Source
 Numbers?

Source
I've been thinking about this for a very long time.
Then last week I opened a magazine and fell in love.

The stairs not the dog!


So it's all white for me. Got my work cut out for me though!

(This is Mollie Makes. The Splash of colour refers to a scarf on the other page. They're not being sarcastic.)
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Location: Hitchin, Hertfordshire, UK

30 comments:

  1. Fiona25 March 2013 at 19:17

    You're brave, they look lovely but I'm thinking of the cleaning. Some great idea's there.

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    1. Emma Kate at Paint and Style25 March 2013 at 19:24

      Hmmm, yes mine will be just like the Mollie Makes stairs with the addition of little clumps of cat hair in the corners! And muddy little paw prints...

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  2. Max25 March 2013 at 19:27

    maybe the white out outside is influencing your indoor ideas? noisy with no carpet runner. but it does look lovely x

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    1. Emma Kate at Paint and Style25 March 2013 at 19:34

      We've had the stairs bare for a few years and it's not so bad noise wise. There are only 3 of us here.
      I'm very fed up of the white outside! x

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  3. Plain Jane25 March 2013 at 19:32

    You will obviously have to purchase the dog as well otherwise the whole ambience will change ;) Jane x (love the numbered stairs!)

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    1. Emma Kate at Paint and Style25 March 2013 at 19:38

      I love them too but I think it might be hard to NOT count as you go upstairs! I would love a dog but the bad cat would eat him alive! x

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  4. Sarah25 March 2013 at 20:19

    i painted my stairs a couple of years ago, White gloss on the outside with a runner of black - I used blackboard paint as I wanted a matt finish and other than needing the occasional touch up it looks great but they do seem to attract lots of dust and animal hair (I have the dog to go with the picture). Love the wallpapered look, fantastic idea!

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    1. Emma Kate at Paint and Style25 March 2013 at 20:44

      Sounds lovely!
      I wonder if the paper might tear if you catch it with your heel...perhaps fabric would be stronger...
      My husband is OCD with hoovering. Thank God.

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  5. Hook, Line and Sink Her25 March 2013 at 21:05

    Our stairs look pretty much identical to yours at the moment. We pulled up the hideous green carpet months ago and I much prefer the natural look, even if they currently are rather scruffy. We're going to paint them in a light cream gloss, and I'm fighting a long battle with the bf to put wallpaper on the risers (I really like William Morris' pomegranate print - http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3223/4564780241_f8710603b4_z.jpg ) because he says it'll get scuffed and look rubbish. *sigh* Boys.

    xxx

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    1. Emma Kate at Paint and Style25 March 2013 at 21:26

      What about william Morris FABRIC? Protected with varnish/ pva it certainly won't tear like paper!
      You can't scuff fabric. He just lost the argument! xx

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  6. Donna25 March 2013 at 21:07

    My friend did the wall paper look. Lots and lots of clear varnish. And to be honest it looked stunning.
    I personally like the numbers. x

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    1. Emma Kate at Paint and Style25 March 2013 at 21:32

      They are cute but would you get bored of them? So many possibilities these days, perhaps it was easier in our parents day? Just carpet. xx

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  7. Vix25 March 2013 at 22:00

    I'd say paper but I'm biased!
    Hope the house is lurgy-free soon. xxx

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  8. chalkysoil25 March 2013 at 23:44

    I had wooden only stairs (well vile plywood mdf type stuff) for four years, I got really fed up with their dusty hairyness. Had carpet put down, which feels lovely but the cat has ripped it to shreds already - he has gone through the carpet and the underlay to the wood on the bottom riser and is trying on the rest. And they are a bitch to hoover. I'd be scared of plain white though, my hoover side bumpers leave black marks on the skirting boards, or is it hubs laptop case?
    I look forward to seeing what you do. Hope the lurgy leaves you all.

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    1. Emma Kate at Paint and Style26 March 2013 at 07:41

      Oh nooo! I'd be gutted if our cats ripped up our carpets! At least muddy footprints can be wiped! xx

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  9. Anne26 March 2013 at 06:48

    I do love the look but I'm wondering about the practicality of it all! Could be a lot of hard work, My grandchildren clip clopping about would end up chipping the paint not to mention marmalade's fur!

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  10. Unknown26 March 2013 at 10:44

    Wow there are some great ideas there I love the wallpaper picture. But white will look lovely. Good luck :-) dee xx

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    1. Emma Kate at Paint and Style26 March 2013 at 19:59

      I must be soft in the head. Every time someone comments I find myself questioning my decision! xxx

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  11. Scarlet26 March 2013 at 19:18

    My Mum had painted stairs for a few years. Hers were red, with dramatic black and white wallpaper on the walls and red accessories in the hall. Now it's duck-egg and cream with a carpet as she became worried about slipping on the painted stairs.She's a whirlwind where decorating is concerned. At almost 75 she has just decorated the lounge, 2 of the bedrooms and is set to start the kitchen!

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  12. Idee Fixe26 March 2013 at 21:52

    Okay call me crazy, but I like the way it is! Love the wood down the middle with the white on the sides. Obviously needs touching up, but I think its very creative and interesting looking! XXX

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    1. Emma Kate at Paint and Style27 March 2013 at 07:17

      I think there are too many ill placed screws to have them unpainted! xxx

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  13. Curtise26 March 2013 at 22:58

    I like the wallpapered stairs, Vix's look fabulous. We have LOTS of stairs in our very tall thin 4 floored terrace, and the ones which are just wood (unpainted, Emma Kate, you would HATE them!) do collect cat hair and dust in a most irritating fashion. Mind you, that can be said of the entire house really, I consider it part of the fixtures and fittings.
    The numbers would drive me potty. The "splash of colour" made me laugh! Show us when they're done. xxxx

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    1. Emma Kate at Paint and Style27 March 2013 at 07:18

      Yeah it's going to be a while. I've just discovered my sander is at my dads 200 miles away...xxxx

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  14. Anonymous28 March 2013 at 22:54

    I'm having the exact same dilemma here, our stair carpet is so badly marked and I want to rip it up. Angela at a Typical English Home has really nice white painted stairs and outlined how she did it on her blog.

    I'm a bit worried about the old paint though on ours - probably lead? I know you have to be careful about removing it so would I just paint over it? Anyone know? Good luck, I'll watch with interest - hope you are feeling better now, too.

    Oh and I like wallpaper risers and the chalkpaint runner idea, too!

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    1. Emma Kate at Paint and Style29 March 2013 at 10:18

      Ooh thanks Antonia, I will check out Angelas stairs! I would just paint over old lead paint, but you can get testing kits to find out if it concerns you. It's harmful if you were to sand and inhale it. Painting over will seal it.

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  15. mabelandmaisy28 March 2013 at 23:08

    Oh man! I'm in the same boat as you! We've been living with horrid carpet ( cut into a runner whilst I sanded the sides!) this has done us whilst we did the hall up. The walls ate painted, I'm about to do the woodwork and its time for the stairs...
    I really wanted stripes but now I feel I've missed the bandwagon and hubby isn't keen on the plaid carpet I found!! Time for something else and painting may just be it!! What would you use on them? Mine are in a similar state to yours! :-)) x

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    1. Emma Kate at Paint and Style29 March 2013 at 10:27

      I personally would use an oil based paint for extra durability. Perhaps a floor paint. At least if you paint them, and hate them, you can still carpet over them. How about painted stripes?

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