Staircase Design Ideas – Ways to Transform the Most Seen Room in Your Home

The hallway is the first room that greets you as you enter your home, and a means of getting from A to B, so it shouldn’t be overlooked when it comes to injecting a touch of interior style. Along with considered interior decor, there’s one piece of furniture that stands out from the rest in this transitional space. This is where our original staircase design ideas come into their own.

Whether you have a grand space or something a little smaller, there are plenty of ideas to renovate your staircase into a fabulous feature that is far from ordinary. Chances are your existing staircase is structurally sound – after all, it’s an integral part of your home’s structure. The simplest way to transform your existing staircase from ‘tired’ to ‘wow’ is by staircase refurbishment. This will involve the full replacement of the newel posts, handrails, base rails and spindles with new hardwood components. Avoiding all the upheaval and disruption associated with a staircase replacement; so no plastering, joinery works, building or planning required. When you transform your existing staircase, you will be updating an essential piece of furniture and creating a stylish and welcoming environment at the heart of the home.

There are plenty of clever decorating and staircase design ideas to transform your hallway from drab to fab. Whether you prefer something bold and dramatic or calm and natural. The choice is yours.

Why not opt for a dark, contemporary staircase design that will be a timeless feature for years to come and a great alternative to the more commonly seen timber styles. There is a misconception that dark design elements make a room feel smaller, in the case of our grey riser staircase instantly draws your eye up, giving the illusion of more space. Combined with original steel spindles and a light painted wall colour it provides the perfect centrepiece to build your interior scheme around.

This hallway takes inspiration from Scandinavian design for a lighter, more refined look. The matt slim spindles of the staircase instantly open up the space, while the warm oak helps to create a calm and cosy environment. Traditionally hallways are narrow and lack light, so an interior design scheme combining lighter woods, neutral walls and natural textures can instantly give the illusion of more space whilst not flattening the atmosphere.

If you have an open plan layout, another option for a modern staircase is a glass bannister. By allowing more light into the space, glass, whether combined with timber or steel, can create the perfect, minimal interior.

As hallways typically don’t have vast amounts of space to work with, you need to think about key features carefully such as colour combinations, flooring, lighting and accessories. It’s the most important transitional space in the house, so you need to ensure there is a natural flow as soon as you step through the door. If your home is full of existing character, keep it and simply amplify the features by adding additional fitting decor and a colour palette that suits.

To make the most of this often neglected space, we’ve shared some of our favourite decorating tips to help solve your hallway design dilemmas.

A lot of hallways are narrow corridors, with very little natural daylight, so it’s essential to think about where your light sources are. If space is an issue for you, why not opt for flush ceiling spotlights that can be angled to suit your interior. Alternatively, wall lights are very effective for illuminating artwork, and recessed spotlights within the staircase are perfect for creating a soft, warm ambience. If you have the space, statement lighting such as a chandelier or oversized pendant can look beautifully in proportion and complement your staircase.

To give the illusion of more space use mirrors and glass objects. When hanging mirrors place them facing doorways and windows to make sure as much natural light as possible is bounced into darker corners. Clever painting techniques such as using a light colour on top and a darker shade halfway down your wall can also make a narrow hallway feel spacious.

The choice of flooring depends on your lifestyle. Choose a material that can withstand the everyday wear and tear of people entering and exiting the home. Think about tone, do you want dark tiles or herringbone flooring to offset light walls? Or medium rustic hardwood to enhance any traditional qualities in the space. If you have simplistic decor within your hall, add interest with beautifully patterned original tiles.

For your staircase, you can opt for bare timber treads, a runner or fully carpeted. This is a very personal choice and while the wooden treads are more practical, be sure to add an anti-slip finish to the step surface as we do with our designs.

When it’s time to choose the right shade, it comes down to your personal preference above anything else. A good place to start is by looking at the existing décor in your home for ideas. Colour can make us feel motivated, calm and even create confidence. However, most of us are afraid of using daring shades, especially in the hallway.

It’s essential to think about the flow of your home as a whole. Although we want our hallways to be light and airy, we don’t want them to be a homage to magnolia. If you are opting for a cleaner neutral scheme, think about using an accent colour to add depth and interest. If you’re drawn to botanical greens or rich blues and don’t want to add bold colour to your walls, use soft furnishings and decorative accessories instead. You can use rugs to break up floor space, artwork, a large statement vase, or even paint the inside of your door to add a pop of colour. If you are opting for brighter paint colours, we recommend using matt finishes which create softer reflections and an overall gentler look. As the hallway is a high traffic area, don’t forget to choose a wipeable, more durable option.

A console table offers the opportunity to introduce the style of the rest of your home. It doesn’t have to be a large piece of furniture, you can style up an old bench, slim free-standing console or fitted design. When styling the area, you need first to find your theme or a focal point. Maybe you have a vase you can draw inspiration from, a statement lamp or a piece of art you want to take pride of place. When it comes to placing objects, an odd number of items with the largest as the centrepiece creates symmetry. Some of the best objects when using this technique include stacked books, greenery, trinket trays or bowls and picture frames. To add height and interest, you can lean artwork against the wall or place mirrors above the console. Lamps will also help to achieve height whilst also adding a cosy ambience to your hallway.

If you have a set of photos or an eclectic collection of art, a gallery wall in your entrance is perfect for adding personality and charm to the space. When curating your gallery wall, consider the mood you want to evoke and whether it suits the style of your hallway. You then need to lay the pictures out on the floor and decide on the spacing; you don’t want the wall to become overwhelming, so be careful with the number of frames you use. If you have a larger space to work with and want to add a little more creative flair, you can choose to mix the frames using different finishes and sizes. You can even add exciting decor pieces to the mix such as clocks or small mirrors.

Even smaller homes can benefit from a ‘quiet area’. If you want somewhere to unwind but haven’t got a spare room you could create a cosy hallway space with built-in seating, shelving or a sumptuous armchair.

Learn more about our wooden staircase ideas and view our range of staircase designs or for more hallway ideas, request our free brochure or call to book a design visit today.