There are many ways to add interest to your stairs, even more so when they are old. Before we get to changing ours, we did some upgrades which will help us keep them a little longer while we put our attention on other more urgent projects.
We initially painted the risers white and the railing black. However, the side of the stairs to the wall was not pretty. After doing our under staircase project with the dry bar and fireplace, we had some leftover MDF, so I thought why not make use of them for the staircase.
So, I drew up a design that I thought fits my aesthetics, because I know I will be adding trim and moulding to the walls in different areas of the house.
Then, we measured each step to make sure we had the right dimensions. Usually they should be equal, but given that this is an old staircase, it was not!! So each piece had to be cut to measure.
Using a router, we cut all the pieces. The we used an orbital sander to make one of the side rounder for a more refined look. If you don’t have a router, you can also cut the pieces with a jigsaw.
We primed them, then painted them and we glued them to the wall. Finally, for a more finished look, we used caulking to ensure there were no spaces or cracks.
That’s it! it’s such a simple project that goes a long way. It may take some time, especially if your stairs are not equal like ours 🙂 But it is worth it!