If you’ve been following our blog, you already know about the best flooring for your living area. But have you ever wondered what the ideal flooring is for your stairs? While unlikely to be at the top of your home renovation list, staircases can have a massive impact on a space, taking something unobtrusive and forgettable and making it a feature outright. Stairs have a great effect on our health if we use them, so why not make them appealing to use? In this guide, we’re going to share a whole plethora of stairs flooring ideas, so you’ll have the foundations of a beautiful stairway.
Things to mull over before picking the best flooring for your stairs
Before you make the leap and go from carpet stairs to hardwood, LTV to engineered wood, there are numerous things you should give some thought to. First of all, what are your priorities? Durability and slip resistance might come top of your list if you share your home with someone with limited mobility. What about warmth and comfort? Do you have pets?
Suffice it to say, there are many characteristics of flooring, so make sure you have a good grasp of what you need before making any decisions. A particular flooring type might look lovely in the magazines but if it doesn’t suit your lifestyle, you might find purchase regret seeping in…
7 of the best flooring options for stairs
1) Best for affordability: Laminate
Laminate boards are a budget-friendly option for your stairs that doesn’t compromise too much on appearance. While not as an effective mimicry of real wood when compared to other flooring types, it does perform adequately in low-traffic areas. In busier parts of the home, you may see a bit of wear and tear.
Upsides: Affordable and DIY friendly, it’s a great option for those working within a strict budget.
Downsides: If installed incorrectly, it can be susceptible to moisture.
2) Best for pets: Engineered wood
Engineered wood has an impeccable knack for staying attractive in the long term, and this is partly due to its impressive durability and scratch resistance. Ideal for pet owners, it’s one of the best floors for dogs and other clawed creatures, making it a cost-effective real wood alternative.
Upsides: With a lower price tag than real wood, ability to enhance property value and easy installation as a floating floor, it’s well worth investing in.
Downsides: Its lifespan doesn’t quite match up to genuine solid wood and can’t be refinished as many times.
3) Best for durability: Solid wood
Real wood flooring brings the organic charm and inviting warmth of nature right into your staircase, creating an atmosphere of timeless elegance. With intricate herringbone and parquet designs, you can achieve visually stunning effects that elevate the entire feel of your home. While solid wood may require additional maintenance, its ability to be refinished and its enduring allure make it a valuable investment for those who appreciate luxury and sophistication.
Upsides: Long-lasting like no other floor, it’s a great investment. They are also easy to maintain.
Downsides: If installed incorrectly, it can be susceptible to moisture.
4) Best for easy installation: LVT
LVT comes in many varieties that are easily installed. This option brings the look of natural materials like wood or stone to your stairs without the high price tag. Available in various styles, colours, and patterns, LVT can work to transform your staircase into a stylish focal point. Not to mention, it’s water-resistant and durable, making it suitable for high-traffic areas.
Upsides: LVT is highly resilient, comfortable underfoot and available in DIY-friendly formats, allowing you to refresh your stairs without professional help.
Downsides: While LVT offers a realistic look, it may not have the same luxurious feel as real wood or stone.
5) Best of both worlds: Carpet runner & hardwood
What a duo! Combining a carpet runner with hardwood stair treads offers the best of both worlds: the elegance of wood with the comfort and safety of carpet. This pairing not only adds visual interest but also provides extra grip and noise reduction while preserving the beauty of the wood on the stair edges.
Upsides: It creates a uniquely chic look and is a less expensive addition than a full carpet.
Downsides: It’s a well-known fact that hat carpet traps dirt and moisture so it’s harder to keep clean and can be stained easily.
6) Best for insulation: Carpet
When it comes to comfort, carpet is unmatched. Not only is it soft to the touch and an attractive addition to an otherwise uninteresting hallway, but thanks to its intermeshing fibres, it’s a brilliant insulator that keeps the home feeling warm and cosy. On top of this, its cushioning qualities dampen sound and are less slippery than hardwood options.
Upsides: Coming in a variety of colours and fabrics, carpet is super versatile and provides more traction than hardwood options.
Downsides: As a high-maintenance choice, it’s harder to clean and more expensive to purchase and install.
7) Best for aesthetics: Tiles
Oooh tiles on stairs? We love them! Whether you go all out and tile the entirety or decide to add a tasteful motif using tiled risers as your vehicle, this is a foolproof way of turning your stairs into a stand-out feature and adding a bit of character that is totally unique.
Upsides: There’s an endless supply of tiles out there for you to choose from, giving you an abundance of design choices. Plus, they’re easy to clean.
Downsides: Installation can be tricky as you have to factor in safety, practicality and building requirements. Weight is also an important concern as tile floors can be heavy.
Staircase styling ideas: how to enhance your chosen flooring
With the best flooring for your stairs selected, it’s time to make your design choice sing. And, by that, we’re talking about styling your staircase.
Getting creative with paint
Of our stairs flooring ideas, here’s one of our favourites: using paint to add personality to your stairs. Whether it’s painting the risers a contrasting shade, adding stripes, or even creating a gradient effect, paint can be an inexpensive way to make your staircase pop. Just be warned that painted wood may be more slippery underfoot than your average hardwood floor.
Complement with matching handrails
Ensure your handrails complement the flooring by matching the material or finish. For example, a dark wood floor paired with a sleek black metal handrail gives a modern, intentional look.
Light it right
Lighting can make a dramatic difference in how your staircase looks and feels. From the modern touch of LED strip lights under the treads or using sconces along the wall to create a warm, inviting ambience, there’s so much to explore.
Introduce height for interest
If you have the ceiling height for it, consider adding a tall piece of artwork, a hanging plant, or a statement light fixture to draw the eye upwards and make the staircase area feel more spacious. This will set off your flooring, offering it a visual weight.
Create contrast
Contrasting colours and materials is a simple recipe for building up interest, depth and character. For instance, pairing dark wood stairs with a light-coloured carpet runner or white-painted risers can create a striking visual effect.
Hang an appealing gallery wall
The wall adjacent to your staircase is the perfect spot for a gallery wall, whatever your style preference. Displaying framed photos, artwork or mirrors is an easy way to make your home look not only lived in and decorated, but professionally styled if you take inspiration from interior designers.
Impress with moulding
Add moulding or wainscoting along the staircase wall to bring a touch of sophistication and architectural detail to your space. With this tip, you can make a new build look like a period home.
Permeate the space with texture
Layering textures, such as a runner on wood stairs or adding a plush carpet, can make your staircase feel more inviting and comfortable. Pair this with textures like the metals of an overhanging pendant light or the brassy tones of some copper picture frames and you’ll build up a visually intriguing scheme.
Elevate your interiors
By thoughtfully selecting your stair flooring and incorporating these styling ideas, your staircase can become more than just a functional element of your home. It can be a stunning feature that elevates the overall aesthetic of your interiors, adding value and beauty to your space.
Whether you choose the warmth of carpet, the timelessness of wood, or the durability of LVT, your stairs can make a lasting impression. If you need help installing any of these, get in touch with Derwenthorpe’s award-winning specialists.
