When people think about remodeling their home, they often think about redoing the kitchen or the bathroom. Few people think about doing a staircase remodel. Few people think of the staircase as anything more than a functional part of the house, but it is. It’s a major visual element that can look dated or can act as a major statement piece. It all depends on what materials are used, where the staircase is located, and what you’ve done to make it stand out or blend in with its surroundings.
If your staircase needs a serious update, here are a few tips for remodeling this part of your home to make it a little more decorative in addition to being functional.
What Needs to Be Repaired or Replaced?
The first part of your stairway remodel needs to focus on what’s broken, worn down, or in need of replacement. You want to make certain that the balusters and treads are properly attached and will hold up to a lot of future use. You may need to make certain new bolts are installed in the treads and that the baluster is firmly attached.
Replace the Entire Thing
Want to make an impression? Replace the entire staircase; this is a drastic measure that may go beyond a simple remodel, but it can truly transform the space around the stairway.
Change the Style
If you don’t want to completely take out and redo the staircase, you can change up the style. For example, removing a wooden baluster and replacing it with a metal one will make the entire space look more industrial. Putting in a glass-railing along one side of the staircase will give it a sleek, modern look. Depending on how your staircase is integrated into the rest of the space, you may even be able to completely remove the baluster.
Add or Remove Carpet
Another remodel tip that can change how your stairs look and function is to either carpet them or remove the carpet. If you carpet the stairs to match the carpet in the room below, it will integrate the staircase more into that room. You can do a carpet runner down the center of the steps, place carpet all the way across, or place carpet only on the top of the step. If your staircase doesn’t have a back to it (the stairs are suspected between two rails and space underneath isn’t enclosed), you can even wrap every stair in the carpet if you want.
If you remove the carpet, it will make the staircase stand out more. You may want to stain or paint the wood or even replace it with something newer depending on the state of the material when you take the carpet up.
Enclose or Reconfigure the Area Under the Stairs
If you don’t have an enclosed space under the stairs, you could enclose it or see if it’s possible to open up the area for storage. This can give you a much-needed extra closet for storage. You may also want to consider reconfiguring the space. Perhaps you want to open it up more to let light into the area behind the stairs. If your stairs are next to the entrance, you may want to build in recessed storage and a bench to create a mudroom. The possibilities are endless.
No matter what you do, remolding your staircase can have a huge impact on the space its in. It’s also a fairly small remodel project, so it may be something to consider if redoing the surrounding room is too much at the moment.
Learn more about the Remodel Works Process!
