I’m Convinced Every Home Should Paint This Sometimes Overlooked Area

view of patterned red and teal stairs from downstairs room

When I step into a home, I’m usually too distracted by design elements like wallpapered bookshelves and dining tables that double as desks to notice anything else. However, in some split-level and two-story homes, the first thing that greets guests is the staircase. And what if that feature had enough pizazz to steal all the attention? Well, in some homes, that’s precisely the case.

I became aware of how powerful a staircase can be in my own family’s home. When you step into my home, there’s a staircase that leads downstairs (split into two parts), and on the landing of the first half, there’s a curved wall. My mom put ‘70s-inspired floral wallpaper in the curved part, where it was complemented by the bright red carpet. It’s the first thing that guests mention when visiting our home.

So, I went to Apartment Therapy’s house tours to see if other folks felt the same way about jazzing up their staircases, and it’s safe to say I’m so impressed with my findings. If you’re considering amping up this commonly-overlooked feature in your home, keep reading.

Mint green and gold striped stairs

Colorful Stripes Draw Your Eyes Upward

The staircase is one of the first things you see when you enter illustrator and fabric designer Faye Hurley’s home, and it immediately brings a smile to my face. The brown and seafoam green stripes draw your eyes upward and perfectly complement the floral wallpaper from Spoonflower. Considering the rest of the home, the painted staircase seems like a no-brainer, as the maximalist house bursts with colors.

See how a range of colors and patterns complement each other in the full home tour.

view of colorful patterned stairs from top floor

An Optical Illusion Is a Striking Moment

Art is abundant in artist and photographer Jan Hoek’s home, so much so that their staircase has become one of the most striking pieces in the space. In their eclectic Amsterdam apartment, Jan hired muralist Gijs Frieling to turn the stairwell into what I believe to be a fascinating optical illusion. (The question they get most often is how they climb the stairs when they’re drunk. Spoiler: They never are.)

Check out the full home tour to see how this staircase fits perfectly with the rest of the space.

Cat sitting on stair in plant filled stairwell.

Mixing Patterns and Colors Creates Visual Harmony

Maximalism reigns supreme in Joel and Kristin Cedar’s home, and murals and colors abound. So, it was likely difficult for Kristin to choose a favorite space in their vibrant Seattle home. However, she said it’s the stairwell covered in cheetah-print wallpaper, retro murals, and a tall plant wall. “I used three grid wall panels and mounted them on the wall studs using grid wall mounting brackets,” Kristin shared at the time of the tour. “Then I filled the wall with plants, hanging them on self-watering wall planters.”

Explore more of this colorful space in the full home tour.

Rainbow pastel stairs

Rainbow-Colored Stairs Add Drama to Each Step

Even though Rosalind Miller is a scientist and academic, her colorful home in London feels like the furthest thing from sterile — especially her happily-colored stairwell. A rainbow-hued staircase leads guests up to a rainbow-hued laundry area, and you can’t help but smile while looking at it. “I’m not scared of paints or colors and tried to choose colors and things that make my heart sing,” Rosalind said at the time of the tour. “It really is a joy to wander around; so many aspects of the home make me smile.”

Visit the full home tour to see more of this wonderfully-colored house.

Further Reading

I Tried the 90/90 Rule and My Closet Is Now Fully Decluttered

Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Article’s DTC Furniture

See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room