What to paint stairs and balustrades

There are lots of components to a staircase and therefore it can get tricky understanding and also conveying to your painter, what to paint this area.  I have a list below of the elements that you need to consider with details of what to paint stairs and balustrades.

What to paint stairs and balustrades

The stair tread

The stair tread is pretty obvious – it is the part of the stairs that we actually tread upon.  This can be painted or stained if it is timber.  Bear in mind though that uncarpeted stairs can be noisy so a house with lots of boisterous children can create quite a din running up and down the stairs.  The tread also gets a lot of wear and tear and therefore my favourite treatment for painted stairs is to install a carpet runner through the middle.  You still see the simplicity of the painted or stained stairs, but you gain longevity and a quieter home.  It also looks great.

In terms of the paint that you use, opt for a dedicated floor paint which would typically be in a satin or low sheen finish.  Remember you shouldn't use gloss finishes as they can be slippery.

The riser

The riser is the part of the staircase which is upright between treads.  In the image above these have been painted in white.  This look is very appealing with timber treads as they highlight the timber accents beautifully and work with the skirting boards.  Risers can get easily scuffed though so ensure that you use a satin or semi-gloss paint that can be washed to remove marks.

The handrail

The handrail can be either part of the balustrades or for added safety one can also run along the opposite wall.  This can be the same colour and material as the balustrades or it can be contrasting.  I think there is great appeal in the image above where the handrail has been painted in black.

Related: How to use black accents in interiors

The handrail in the staircase above has been stained to match the stair treads which is very effective.

The balusters

The baluster is the material used between the stair tread and the handrail.  These are often in metal or they can be the same material as the handrail.  A collection of balusters forms the balustrade.

In the below example, the handrail and Newell post match the stair treads, while the balusters are painted in white to match the walls and risers.

The Newel Post

The Newell post is the final baluster at the bottom of the stairs that completes the balustrade.  These are larger and sometimes more ornate than the rest of the balustrade and can be either painted the same, can be a different colour or stained timber.

The Newel post on this staircase has been painted to match the balustrades, but the handrail is an accent colour.  The staircase below has the same treatment but the newel post capping has been stained to match the handrail.

The stringer

The stringer is essentially the skirting board that follows the line of the stairs.

This staircase is a bold statement where the treads, risers, handrail, balustrades and newel post have all been painted in black.  This is a good example showing the stringers painted in white.

Wainscoting

Staircases often have wainscoting.  This not only looks great, it gives you the opportunity to paint the remaining walls in a darker tone.  Or you can use the darker tone for the wainscoting and stairs with a lighter wall above.   In contemporary homes, the wainscoting is often painted the same as the wall, however it should be in a satin or low sheen finish to match the finish of the staircase as this will provide protection for the walls in this high traffic area.

Full height panelling can create a beautiful Parisian style look.  Particularly when the handrail and balustrades are in metal.

 

Related: Parisian Style – 7 steps to achieve this look

I hope that my post on what to paint stairs and balustrades has been useful in determining which parts of your staircase you will highlight and also provided you with the terms to brief your painter.