Creative Staircase Wall Painting Ideas to Transform Staircase Walls

It’s well-established that the staircase is one of the most important facets of your interior design, yet also one of the most overlooked. It’s the welcome into your home and is often the centrepiece for your home’s design, too. If you’re searching for a way to enrich your staircase and bring something new to your hallway, painting the staircase wall is a fantastic way to achieve this.

Full staircase renovations can be costly and disruptive: decorating your staircase wall is the perfect solution to breathe new life into the design of the whole area. By painting the wall, you bring an easy creative flair to what could otherwise be a dull or neglected area.

But there are a few things you should know before you get to painting your staircase wall. Luckily for you, as staircase experts, we’re in the know.
We’ve provided these staircase wall paint colour ideas and paint design ideas for your inspiration. Browse through to learn how to choose the colour for your paint, as well as some paint design ideas.

How to Choose Paint Colours for Staircase Walls

When looking at what colour – or colours! – to paint your staircase walls, there are a number of things to consider. Ask yourself, what kind of feeling or effect do you want to create? What existing colour scheme do you have throughout your home? 

The staircase and hallway act to take you from one room to another, so it could be jarring to have a design that isn’t cohesive with the rest of your home. If you have a minimalistic open plan living room that leads to a hallway with a very vibrant and busy design, for example, it can be a harsh change that doesn’t really work. That being said, creating a bold focal point with clever use of colour can be eyecatching and aesthetically pleasing. 

Order in paint samples and paint a small patch of the wall before you commit to using one, as sometimes the colours can come out differently from what you expect. Most of all, just choose a colour scheme that you like! Get inspiration from anywhere: your favourite artwork, colour palettes you see in magazines, flowers you like, anything!

The Most Beautiful Paint Colours for Staircase Walls

The best paint colours for staircase walls are the ones that feel right for you. Here are some ideas for paint colours to use and what different colours achieve:

All White

Never underestimate the power of pure white! White paint brings lightness to what can often be a dim space, especially when you have an enclosed or very narrow staircase. White can also act as a blank canvas against which bolder designs can stand out. If you have brightly coloured stair carpets or other features in your hallway that you want to stand out, a white staircase wall can help these pop even more.

White and Blue

For a classic aesthetic, pairing white and blue together creates a clean, welcoming look. Blue is a calming colour that creates a nice sense of tranquillity. To create this look for a staircase, you could have blue panelling along the side with a white wall above, or you could paint your stair risers and treads in alternating colours. Painting the stair stringer a dark blue and the wall white creates a pleasing contrast, especially when matched to a blue front door for a fully cohesive design.

Black and White

A classic colour combination, back and white are always in style. You can create a trendy look with the smart use of black and white. Black doesn’t have to be intimidating; there are subtle ways to incorporate it. Similarly to above, you could paint the stringer or the stair spindles in black next to a white wall to create a sense of depth.

Dark and Dramatic

Deep reds or purples can create a unique sense of luxury, especially in the traditional home. These colours on staircase walls pair wonderfully with dark wood stairs to create a rich colour palette that suggests extravagance and heritage. Read more about heritage staircase paint colours. 

Pastel Paints

On the other hand, pastel colours are fabulous for bringing brightness and a sense of fun to a staircase. These colours allow natural light to bounce off of them for a wonderful airy feel. Minty greens make a hallway fresh and inviting, pairing well with natural wood for a pleasingly earthy look. Yellow, of course, evokes sunshine and happiness, while delicate pink hues are fun and flirty.

Staircase Wall Paint Design Ideas

You don’t have to stick with one block colour for a staircase wall. Paint can be used to create all kinds of designs and aesthetics. Here are just a few staircase wall paint design ideas for your inspiration:

Add a Mural

A wall mural can be an amazing addition to your home, creating an eye-catching design piece that truly stands out. As staircase walls are often large empty spaces, it’s the perfect place to get creative. Your mural could be anything from a delicate floral design to vibrant geometric patterns. 

Add a Pop of Colour With a Bold Feature Wall

If the rest of your decor is quite understated or neutral, a feature wall in a vivacious, block colour is arresting in all the right ways. It creates an attractive focal point and really brightens up the area. Jazz up your home with a bright yellow feature wall for an infectious sunniness.

Create a Tiled Effect With Paint

Tiles bring a stylish appeal to stairs, but can be expensive and time-consuming to install. With paint, you can recreate this aesthetic with less disruption. Tiles are unique and can contain intricate patterns for a beautiful, thought-out design.

Create an Attractive Contrast With a Stair Runner

Contrast is always great for creating depth and bringing a new dimension to a space. A stair carpet runner is especially great for narrow staircases, making the treads appear wider. They also provide an elegant design piece that you can pair your staircase wall colour with. You could choose a patterned stair runner and match the paint colour of your staircase wall to one of the accent colours within that. Or, another option is two opposing block colours for your staircase wall and stair runner.

Stair Runner Range

Clever Accenting

There’s no need to go to great lengths to paint your whole staircase wall. A stripe of colour running just above the stringer of a staircase can provide an eye-catching highlight, especially if in a luscious orange, for example. This accent colour could be chosen to match the colour in a particular piece of artwork or accessory in your hallway to create a subtly cohesive design.

Vertical Stripes

If you have quite a small space, or if your staircase feels a little claustrophobic, vertical stripes painted up your wall can create the illusion of greater height. You could use gorgeous pastels so this is done with more subtlety, or go bold and bright for a playful look.

If you’re thinking about painting your actual stairs and need some paint ideas for this purpose, we can also help with this. Read about how to paint your stairs the right way for practical tips, including how many coats of paint you should do, as well as our 12 creative painted stair ideas for some creative inspiration.

Enhance Your Staircase With Premium Stair Accessories

If you’re looking to breathe new life into your staircase design as a whole, why not browse of premium range of stair accessories? Our beautifully crafted stair rods, door thresholds and carpet runners provide all you need to add the special finishing touches to your home that make all the difference. 

You can even shop our impressive range by finish or by colour, so you’ll have no problem finding the right accessory for your home. And if you need anything bespoke, just get in touch with our professional team to discuss your needs. 

If you’re looking for even more inspiration for staircase design enhancement, be sure to check out our staircase wall decoration ideas.