7 Simple Grey & White Staircase Ideas to Reimagine Your Hallway
The colour scheme grey and white is arguably one of the most popular for modern homes in the UK. It’s a versatile and adaptable colour scheme, making it an attractive option for many homes, especially for hall and entranceways because both colours reflect light well.
If you’re looking for grey and white staircase ideas, there are a few things you need to consider before opting for these colours. As grey and white are both fairly light and neutral colours, it’s important that the colours are applied well, this means selecting the best paint for your staircase (if you plan to paint it) and combine this with a beautiful runner and stair rods for a truly timeless finish.
Below, we’ve listed some of our favourite grey and white staircase ideas to help you decide what kind of staircase design you prefer.
Making Use of Natural Light with Grey & White
This colour scheme is the lightest on our list of grey and white staircase ideas. If your hallway is flooded with natural light, what better way to accentuate this than by painting the stairs white, cream of a very light grey?
We’d personally go with a white staircase (semi-gloss painted) with a top runner in grey and brushed chrome stair rods and bars. The key with this grey and white staircase idea is highlighting the natural light with a simple, neutral colour scheme. Understated and elegant, just as a modern staircase should be.
Accent Tones with Your Existing Hallway Design
Take into account the interior design that surrounds your staircase, what colour are the walls? How much furniture do you have in the hallway? What colour is the furniture? You need to be able to answer these questions in order to choose the best grey and white staircase ideas.
For example, a white painted staircase with a dark grey (almost black) carpet runner with chrome stair rods would look great against a dark pastel green or blue wall. You could add pewter stair rods and bars to the runners for a sharp, clean-cut finish. Handrails should be painted black or a dark wood colour to offer contrast to the white/grey staircase.
Work the Neutrals
Neutral colours are a great idea if you’re looking to connect spaces in your hallway or even your staircase. For example, some grey and white staircases might have a grey or grey-patterned carpet runner and a matching grey bannister. This is by no means a “must”, but it certainly offers a subtle and sophisticated finish to any grey and white staircase idea. The key with this idea is to not overpower the staircase with colour, but instead add an element of contrast to the space.
Sleek and Suave
Back to the basics with this one. If you’re not looking to add a stair runner or bars to your staircase, you could opt for a one-tone sleek paint job. We’d go for something dark and sophisticated like a deep midnight blue or even a dark grey for the risers and treads as these colours will be better able to hide scuff marks and dirt. Combine this with a white staircase wall for a contemporary finish.
The Rustic Approach
Rustic designs look great in both domestic and commercial properties, but there’s a knack for getting them right. The key lies in contrast, for example, you need one part of the staircase to offer a stark contrast to the other, like a rustic, wrought iron grey bannister against a white or wooden staircase. Carpet runners and rods don’t really fit this grey and white staircase idea because they’re typically used in modern designs.
The main benefit of a rustic grey and white staircase design is that it’s supposed to look a bit dishevelled, so wear and tear marks are welcomed!
Patterned Carpet Runners
Back to the modern staircase concept, why not consider installing a runner with a pattern or unique design? Take this Richelieu Classic, a grey runner with mute blue borders combined with a wood stair bar that makes for a classy yet understated staircase design. Sure, it includes blue, but as we said before, pastel blues and greens work well with whites and greys, so don’t be afraid to experiment with this colour scheme.
Alternatively, you could opt for a unique Jacob patterned design, which sees glints of gold imprinted into the light grey runner. This would work well if you have a few gold or brass pieces of furniture in your hallway or even some brass-framed pictures hanging on your staircase wall.
Focus on the Bannisters
We’ve talked a lot about grey and white staircase ideas, but the bannisters play an important role too. Whether you’re having new bannisters installed or you’re revamping your old ones, it’s important that they match the grey and white scheme of your staircase. As a general rule, it’s suggested your bannister matches some part of your staircase. For example, if you’ve opted for oak treads and white risers, the bannister should be oak in colour. If you have a white staircase with a grey runner, the bannister can be black or white (not grey as the runner would be the feature piece here).
Ready to Make Your Grey and White Staircase a Reality?
We genuinely believe that one of the best and most cost-effective ways to revitalise your staircase is by installing a modern carpet runner with door bars. We stock a huge variety of different sizes, styles and pile heights to ensure a durable and comfortable transition from your hallway to your upper floor.