Stair Tread

Covering wooden stairs with wall-to-wall carpet has long been the go-to solution when it feels unsafe going up or down the stairs. The risk of slipping and then falling down a flight of stairs feels scary, and it can be dangerous. Carpet becomes the way to give a better grip on the stairs, and a comforting sense of traction for humans and dogs alike. Many people choose to avoid the modern trend of concrete stairs for this reason. Or tile, or laminate, and so on.

But there's one big downside of using carpet to make walking on your stairs feel safer. Keeping carpeted stairs clean is a pain. Carting the vacuum up or down as you move to clean the next step, wrestling with the hose in an effort to get the dirt out of that back corner... it’s enough to make you wish you’d never installed the carpet in the first place. 

To Make Your Wooden Stairs Safer

This brings us back to the wonderful solution I mentioned earlier - carpet stair treads. Just enough cushion and grip to help you feel like you have the secure traction you love about carpet, without the hassle.

Everyone in your household will appreciate the added stability, especially older adults. You can add comfort to wood, tile, and other hard stair surfaces; and help to protect them from damage. They also provide soundproofing that softens noise throughout your home, which is perfect for lively children, dogs, and other pets.

Using carpet stair treads helps you get the best of both worlds, and they're a more practical way to remodel a staircase.

How Do I Stop my Stair Tread from Slipping?

Some people wonder if stair treads should be glued on, or even if they should be stapled to the steps to keep them from moving. And if you look hard enough, there’s probably a YouTube tutorial for how to safely execute both of those methods.

But that’s a pretty permanent installation route, and not something we recommend doing with our stair treads.

You might prefer to skip that type of installation in favor of stair treads you can easily remove for cleaning. Also, you might want to give yourself the option to switch out the color or pattern of your stair treads depending on the season!

Not to mention you could skip the tedious process of going to the store and tracking down glue, or double-sided tape, making sure it won’t ruin your stairs, all before finally installing the carpet treads on your steps. 

Now: About Styling your Staircase

Decide on overall style

Where to start when decorating any room can be difficult, but we'd always recommend once you have a vague idea of the overall look and style you want to go for, that will dictate lots of other decisions for you. Katie Thomas, founder of KTM design advises 'Always ensure you determine the overall style before you begin designing and decorating. For a family home, you can make the stairway comfortable and stylish by adding runners and include artwork within the stairwell. Add contrasting textures for a contemporary look, mixing up hardwood stairs with sleek metal banisters. If space allows you can decorate landings with statement furniture pieces that are an appropriate size or add statement artwork for impact.

Pick the best color scheme for the space

The next obvious step when decorating a hallway is to pick a color palette. Of course, the staircase tends to be connected to hallways and landings so don't approach the space in isolation, consider how the colors will work in your hallway too, and the rooms that adjoin the space. 

Do not be afraid to go dark with staircases either. It might sound like a bold move for a smaller space but going all over with a deep and dramatic hue like an inky blue or charcoal grey, can blue the edges of a room and make the space feel larger. And don't just stick to the walls and floors, take the color over the ceiling and even the staircase itself. 

Add personality with wall decor

Staircase wall ideas are the perfect way to add some personal style to the space, however it's a balance, you don't want to overcrowd the space and make it feel cluttered. Even if you want to create a more eclectic, maximalist look still consider how it's going to affect the size of the space – the more you hang on walls the narrower this already narrow space becomes. The key is to just make sure nothing protrudes too far from the walls so stick with slimline frames, fabric wall hanging, and shallow picture ledges. 

Gallery walls are an old favorite when it comes to staircase decorating ideas, but rather than fill the walls with lots of smaller frames, create the same effect but in a more streamlined way by hanging a selection of oversized frames – almost floor to ceiling – equally hung up the staircase wall. Or pinch the idea used in the stairwell above and switch a gallery wall for a shallow, wall-mounted unit you can fill up with decor.

Hang mirrors to reflect light

Mirrors bounce even small amounts of light around, allude to more space, and offer unexpected, alternative views of a room. Consider hanging a large mirror on the wall at the top of your staircase – you'll see it instantly draws the eye along the hallway and to the top of the stairs, elongating the space.