Painted Staircase Makeover

The best solution for an old worn down staircase is to paint it.  Come see the best way to paint stairs and still use them while the paint dries!

This spring, we completed the 12 month long project of renovating a space for our family to use.  The last little bit was a painted staircase makeover that pulled the entire project together.

{Click HERE for the bedroom renovation and HERE for the home office we added.}

PAINTED STAIRCASE BEFORE

Digging way back in my photos to one of our first visits of our home, I found this “beauty.”  This is where it all began.

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{Click HERE for the first glimpse of our home.}

And a few months later, demo was complete and James began to work on framing the space out.

Then came insulation…

followed by drywall, which included lots and lots of dust.

At the top of the stairs is a hallway that leads to the two renovation rooms.

{Bedroom Renovation}  {Bedroom Makeover}  {Home Office Renovation}

All along, this staircase and hallway only needed cosmetic changes.  Until…this bottom step cracked.  James easily switched out the stair tread.  With a painted staircase, no one will even notice that it is different.

THE PROCESS

I have always loved the look of a painted staircase.  And because of the condition of this one, it wasn’t worth trying any other solution.

After cleaning the staircase, the next step {no pun intended…} is to prime all the surfaces that will be painted.

Primer dries quickly and can be walked upon in an hour.  My advice is to get whatever you may need from the space for that time.  Then paint yourself out of the space.  Come back in an hour and it will be dry!

{The hallway is starting to look good too!}

Now that the primer is dry, it’s time to add some color!  I chose to color match the green I used on our other staircase risers.  My choice of paint was a porch and floor paint.

Paint the trim along either side of the staircase.  Then begin to paint all of the risers and every other tread.

You can see how I painted the landing in sections as well.  By leaving every other step and part of the landing unpainted, we were able to continue to use this staircase.

Give the paint a few hours to dry and add a second coat.  Let the newly painted steps cure for 1-2 days.  Then go back and paint the treads that haven’t been painted yet.  Now you can use the steps you painted first.  And in another 1-2 days, the entire staircase will be fine to use normally.

PAINTED STAIRCASE MAKEOVER REVEAL

It’s a lot of fun to have an unexpected color on this staircase.

At the top of the stairs is a brick chimney that I gave an unexpected look with a charcoal gray color.

{Spoiler alert: this little nook ahead could become a reading corner.  I have a fun idea that involves a platform type bench covered in comfy pillows.  Stay tuned!}

The entire renovation project was a huge undertaking.  But it feels so good to be on the other side of it.  And really, seeing this fun green painted staircase makes me happy each time I use it.