6 Fabulous Staircase Ideas on a Budget to Renovate Your Home
Your staircase is one of the most prominent features of your home. Not only does it have the obvious practical use of moving from floor to floor, but it is also a crucial element that can make the perfect focal point design statement.
As one of the first features of your home that guests will notice straight away, an outdated, worn out, damaged, or simply shabby looking staircase can make for a poor first impression. In most cases, there is little to nothing wrong with the actual functionality of the staircase, it just looks a bit worse for wear.
If you have an older staircase, one which was installed before modern building regulations were put into place, you may notice loose or damaged stair treads, risers, spindles, and handrails. If you are having problems with the actual hardware of the staircase itself, like in the above cases, we highly recommend consulting a local joiner, carpenter, or tradesman for professional advice.
Even if interior designing isn’t your forte, read on for some of the best staircase ideas on a budget.
- Know What You Want from DIY or a Tradesperson
In most cases, a tradesperson will install a staircase within a few days and you could be looking at charges of £400+. If you have experience working with wood, then renovating your home’s balustrades could be undertaken as a DIY project that could save you hundreds on installation costs.
A balustrade renovation will include a change of handrails, base rails, spindles, and newel posts, however, some stair renovation kits will be easier to install compared to others – it all depends on the way certain pieces within the kit are designed to be held together.
Alternatively, if you want to upgrade to a modern glass balustrade, the cost will depend on the style you choose and the number of stair parts you need for the project. In these instances, we recommend getting in touch with a professional unless you’re certain you can work with fragile items, like glass, safely.
- Replace Old Treads and Risers With Stair Cladding
If it’s your stair treads and risers that are looking worse for wear, then stair cladding may add that needed finishing touch in a cost-effective way. As one of the most innovative low-cost staircase ideas, when it comes to a staircase makeover without the need to buy and install a brand new staircase, stair cladding can create the perfect look within your home with some basic DIY skills.
In order to make the most of these staircase ideas on a budget, stair cladding is available in a range of designs and sizes that fit a variety of staircases and aesthetics. Whether you want something patterned and eclectic, or something more traditional, stair cladding is designed to fit straight flight, wider flight, spiral staircases, mid-landing and kite winder stairs, and comes ready to blend seamlessly with existing flooring.
- Replace your Handrail
Another of our cost-effective staircase ideas involves replacing stand-out features of your stairs – a great way to transform your home without the disruption and expense that comes from a huge transformation project. Depending on the kind of staircase you’re hoping to give an update to or add the finishing touch to, simply replacing the handrail could be all that is needed to give a tired-looking staircase a second wind.
- Have You Thought About Painting?
Do you have a spare bucket of paint laying about in a colour that you adore? Why not slap it onto your staircase for a gorgeous staircase makeover? You can give your staircase a fresh and stylish look by painting stair treads, risers, spindles, newel posts, and/or the handrails in colours you have around the house, or in a new can of paint from your local DIY shop.
The most important thing to note with painting the stairs is that you should thoroughly sand down the wood surface of any fixtures in order to remove any preexisting varnish or paint, then make sure you apply a stain-blocking primer which will seal in any knots before your first application of paint.
When it comes to painted stairs, we recommend at least two coats of semi-gloss paint for the perfect finish; but feel free to experiment beforehand with different finishes that could give you a look that adheres more to your vision.
- Why Not Paint the Steps?
While we’re on the topic of paint, another great way to breathe new life into your staircase is to paint the stairs themselves.
Before beginning, it is essential to prepare the stairs; otherwise, the paint won’t properly adhere and may even chip off. First, remove any debris on the stairs and sand down the areas you’re planning on painting with 60 or 80 grit until the wood is clean and smooth. It is also important to use paint that is rated for floors, with higher quality paint naturally being better.
From here, you can choose colours and styles that suit your desired aesthetic. A word of advice: dark colours tend to conceal dirt and marks better than lighter colours – and a final coat of clear urethane will enhance the durability of the paint and stairs for longer.
- How About a Carpet or Stair Runner Rug?
If painting your staircase doesn’t sound like the option for you, this may have you covered. Another option is to utilise carpet to breathe new life into your staircase, hide imperfections, and create an aesthetically pleasing solution that can instantly make your home look stylish.
With a huge range of styles and colours to choose from, covering your staircase with carpet or a rug will help to make a striking statement to visitors that they will love.
If your treads and stair runners are in good condition, varnishing the natural wood underneath, or even painting and varnishing the steps, before laying a stair runner rug will create a timelessly chic staircase for your home. And for that added bit of flair, why not hold the rug or carpet down with gorgeous looking stair rods?
With a huge range of styles and shapes to choose from, you can use stair rods to create a stunning new staircase easier than you think!
Bring Your Staircase Ideas on a Budget to Life With Our Stair Accessories
At Stair Rods Direct, we stock a fantastic range of stair accessories that will give your low-cost staircase ideas that extra flair. From our range of stylish stair runner rugs to our eye-catching selection of stair rods, we have a solution that will perfectly match your desired decor style. Whatever your budget, we’ll have the perfect product to bring new life to your worn-out staircase.
Do you need more inspiration for staircase ideas on a budget? We have a great range of budget-friendly tips and tricks for transforming your home, so be sure to check out our blog.