Skip to content
Established 1997
 

Modern Staircase Ideas for a Chic Contemporary Home

Foyer in modern home with purple carpeted stairs

The modern staircase can be the centrepiece of your house. Often one of the first parts of your home that you and any guests will see, it’s important to get it right. A contemporary staircase that’s well-designed and well-decorated can breathe life into your home, revitalising your decor and making all the difference.

Whether you’re looking to bring a contemporary twist to a more traditional home or looking to decorate your existing modern staircase, we’ve got you covered. Our modern staircase ideas include everything from balustrade renovation to simple but innovative lighting to inspire your design project.

The Best Modern Staircase Designs

Modern stair design is so appealing because of its versatility. A modern stair comes in all shapes and sizes. It could be blocky and geometric or straight and sleek. If you’re looking to design a whole new staircase or just renovate elements of it to make it more modern, here are the best modern staircase styles:

Get a Glass Balustrade

First floor landing in modern home with stainless steel and glass balustrade, white walls and door open to pink bedroom

The balustrade is one of the parts of a staircase: it’s the name for the side of the stairs, consisting of the bannister, spindles and stringer, that keep you from falling over the edge. By removing the spindles and putting in glass panels in this area, you immediately create a modern, open look. A modern glass stair is great for a small space as it creates the illusion of more open space and allows for more light to shine through. It can also extend an open plan theme fantastically.

Re-Design Your Spindles

Light living room interior with sofa and two armchairs. Drawer with decoration, and staircase. Coffee table on carpet, light hardwood floor. Mock up blank frame, 3D rendering

Replacing your staircase spindles is one of the easiest ways to transform a staircase. A stainless steel spindle adds a metallic chic to your staircase and demonstrates contemporary design prowess. There are countless staircase spindle ideas that you can incorporate to any home, modern or traditional, to achieve a whole new look.

Go Spiral

The spiral staircase is one of the most attractive contemporary staircase designs. Its space-saving nature means it’s the perfect stair solution for a modern loft conversion or a spatially-challenged living space. A spiral staircase can be a sculptural focal point in a living room for elevated interior design that’s hugely impressive.

Modern Wood

Wooden stairs in a wooden house. Architecture and design.

If you’re looking for a modern, elegant staircase design, wood is a sterling choice. The timeless beauty of wooden staircase designs can add authenticity to a modern home without looking outdated. To keep it contemporary, consider a lighter coloured oak to bring a sense of modern brightness to your home.

The Best Modern Staircase Decorating Ideas

When you’re looking for ways to add a modern touch to a stair but don’t have the means to complete a full staircase renovation, decorating your stairs is the perfect solution. 

Modern Staircase Wall Design

The staircase wall can be an exciting blank canvas just waiting for a great piece of decorative flair. There are so many staircase wall decoration ideas to fit the contemporary home. Go bold with a mural wall in a funky contemporary pattern. Create a focal point with a modern design piece like a large artwork or a hanging sculpture. Curate a gallery wall – make sure you know how to hang photos on a staircase wall for the most optimised placement. You could have a feature wall with a zany-patterned wallpaper. Or, follow a cohesive black and white colour scheme to keep it simple and uber-chic. 

The Modern Stair Runner

Moder stair runner

Installing a stair carpet runner allows for an easy bit of design flair for a plain stair. Stair runners come in all shapes and sizes and come with the added benefit of providing extra grip as well as protection from foot traffic. We stock an impressive range of contemporary stair runners like the below Avenue range in sleek black and white geometric design. If you’re installing a stair runner, you’ll need something to secure it to your stairs with: stair rods are the perfect solution. Our range of beautifully made stair rods and brackets are available in a wide selection of finishes, like contemporary chrome, to add the perfect finishing touch to your modern staircase. 

Modern Staircase Lighting

Lighting is another method of modernising a staircase simply but transformatively. For the ambitious, why not carve out niches in your staircase wall in which to place lights to create interesting shadow designs on your wall and stairs? 

Lighting installed into the actual steps of your stair is another interesting way to use lighting to achieve a modern design. Wherever you place your lighting can have the effect of emphasising whatever aspect you want, like an art piece on your wall or contemporary glass panels on your balustrade. Lighting is also a savvy way of decorating enclosed staircases and brightening them up for a more aesthetically pleasing stairwell. 

Modern Staircase Colour Ideas

Apartment interior with beige seat and drawer with books and decoration, yellow floor. Mockup blank wall copy space, staircase with arch door, 3D rendering

A fresh paint job on a hardwood staircase can truly work wonders. Paint the risers in different colours to the treads to create a cool contrast. In fact, the risers are the perfect place to incorporate a little decorative panache. 

You could paint intricate patterns or bright stripes, keeping the treads a neutral colour to allow the risers to shine. Or, white-painted stairs can look clean and contemporary. Match them with a white colour scheme elsewhere for a pleasing cohesiveness and that allows for any design pieces like paintings or sculptures to really stand out. Make sure you’re familiar with the best paint for wooden stairs before you embark on this!

Finish Your Modern Staircase With Premium Stair Accessories

When you need the special finishing touches for your modern staircase in the UK, Stair Rods Direct have got you covered. We have a superb range of beautiful products that are easy to install and can be made-to-measure. Whether you’re looking for stair rods or door thresholds to enhance your modern home, our products are stunning and are made to last. 

Shop by finish to find the perfect accessory to fit your home, including: brass, wood, bronze, pewter and nickel, as well as ultra-modern options like black and chrome. We know that it’s the little things that make all the difference when it comes to interior design.

And remember, all orders over £75 come with free UK delivery as standard.