Essex House - Stairs

So I always knew I wanted the stairs to make a statement and wanted a design that would keep its style over time. I was really excited to start this project and the possibilities you can do to make your stairs a feature. We really thought about going out ‘there’ by using a design that featured glass, the type of modern design which required no hand rail!!

After several suggestion to our architect on how much it wasn’t going to work for us, hence being the person to shut down a beautiful design. Lets see… I could foresee one of my boys jumping through the invisible banister so they wouldn’t have to walk down the remaining five stairs to get to the bottom. Or… now this was the big one, any amount of glass with these two... is a no, no. So I broke the news and reassured my husband, don’t worry it will look great with a more ‘practical design’ AND you CAN have your modern glass stairs… just in 15 years. Sounded like a good compromise to me! I had to put my practical hat on. The stairs had to be practical, safe and hardwearing for the family without losing the impact I wanted for the space.

I started by creating a mood board of the style I was hoping for; colours, textures, type of radiator and accessories. A light coloured carpet was not going to work for us as the foot traffic on the stairs and hallway to get to the other rooms around the house was constant. So I decided on the colour Lochay (a neutral grey) from a natural wool collection for its durability, stain resistance and comfortability. It took me a few weeks to switch between swatches and decide on how dark I wanted the carpet to be, especially when I had my eye on the runner I wanted to use. I really love how the Carla Rols runner turned out! I felt it would be pattern overload if we used the geometric design on the hallway landing as well. I was happy with how well the colours worked between the runner (Alpine) and hallway.

before pictures of the stairs and hallway.

The hallway was already light and airy even before we started to decorate. Deciding on a colour and style for two flights of stairs wasn’t an easy task. I knew neutral colours on the wall would keep the area light and bright.

MOOD BOARD for stairs & hallway.

My Mood board helped to bring my ideas together. I decided to keep the the wall and handrail quite neutral so the runner design would stand out. I have always been a fan of Farrow and Ball colours and had used the shade Dimpse before in our previous home. This shade of grey works well with darker grey and blue tones. To make the handrail on the stairs pop, I decided on Farrow and Ball Railings to complete the look.

Natural Wool greek key runner in alpine.

We asked our flooring specialist to match the colour of the runner trim to the design since the design was quite bold. Our decorators had the endless task of sanding, filling and sanding again the stairs so that we could paint them with a smooth finish. After many coats of white paint the runner makes a nice feature to the hallway.

the stairs painted white allows the runner to stand out.

oversized clock can also be used like artwork

old stool purchased from an up-cycle furniture store.

I think this vase from west elm works well here.

Wool blinds to add warmth.

I was pleased with the contrast between the runner and the carpet.

Accessories including an oversized clock, vase and up-cycled stool makes the hallway feel like another room in the house.

Greek Key Alpine runner.

The charcoal vertical radiator is both a feature and practical.

So that’s the hallway! It’s never easy choosing the right style for your hallway. My tip would be to make the your hallway a style your are happy to walk pass everyday. Choose colours that uplift you and make you feel good. After all it is one of the first rooms you will always see when wake up and at the end of the day.