to paint or not to paint stairs

A

Abbica

Registered User
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Hi, can I ask, my head is wrecked for fear I will make a huge mistake. Got the stairs delivered, the usual red deal and I was thinking of doing the whole off white spindles, dark stained handrail with carpet runner going up. I am nervous as my walls are painted a lovely rich yellow, the floor is oak as are the skirting, architrave and doors and I am starting to think the white stairs may clash. Does anyone else have this look and it looks really well or do you think I should follow through with varnishing the spindles instead and dark varnish on the handrails and sides. Don't know which would look better??? Thanks for any advice.
 
Its a matter of personal taste really..... but why not go with varnishing the spindles & if you don't like then paint over - easier to do it that way than the reverse.
 
Mummol, you have hit the nail on the head. I just couldn't see past the whole dark handrail look but as you have it, just varnish it and just paint the spindles etc white. Definitely a lot nicer. Lucky you with the oak though. I am sure the red deal will look nice varnished a few times??? can I ask, what varnish are you using on your handrails, steps and what white paint on the spindles. Sorry for all the questions, but what do you paint first, the spindles and all other white areas, then the varnish or vice versa? Thanks.
 
Abbica

Not sure - presume varnish first as paint is easier remove off that. (haven't got to that stage yet). Between work and kids neither dh or myself have the time to undertake painting projects. I'd also be worried about streaking the paint. Would like it to be quiet smooth.
 
I dunno guys, I have a red deal stairs, we sanded and varnished but the varnish we used was unreal. It dries to the touch in 20 minutes and looks like glass. Came in a tin, highly flammable, not yacht varnish but I can find out the name of it! Sanded and varnished again twice more. 5 kids in house and not a budge on that varnish. The knots on the red deal timber are absolutely beautiful with the shine from the varnish. Just my opiniion. P.S. I had a white painted stairs up until 12 months ago and I absolutely hated it, could not keep the white WHITE!
 
i had the same dilemma as the OP and went off white (jasmine white ) on the spindels and walnut varnish on the hand rail. it looks class. no comparison at all. the red deal look is dead at this stage. most show homes now are back to the white. its a tough job though, 3 coats and lots of hard to reach places.

p.s. i dont have kids so no problem with dirt. if it gets dusty then just a quick rub with a cloth
 
Thanks, so off white, think that is Dulux the Jasmine white in satinwood, but paint the hand rails etc in walnut varnish, think a light walnut varnish if possible and put this on first then proceed to paint on the white but paint the white 3 times and varnish 3 times. Can I just ask you one question before I get shot limerickboy, did you just paint the spindles white and the rest in walnut varnish or did you also paint the backing on the step (not the step itself but the upward bit) white also or did you just leave it with the wood effect? Our capret is kinda beige so I don't want it to look washed out if there is too much white?
 
abbica - dont really know what u mean by the backing of the step. we have dark blue carpet on the stairs and white paint on all of it except the hand rail.i did the white first
 
I think you mean the RISERS" I have seen this done and it looks really good. I painted my mahogany bannisters and now I need to strip the whole lot back because it is sooooo hard to keep clean.

Abbica I think what you are planniong to do with your stairs will look amazing - good luck with it
 
i have red deal stairs. had them stained and varnished for years. about a year ago i got sick of them and painted them. best desicion i ever made! did all my wood work, skirting, doors etc. i had gone into a lot of show houses and noticed that they were all painted. it was a lovely off white colout. apparently they use it in all showhouses. anyway, its dulux and the shade is called gardenia. http://www.icipaints.co.uk/colours/duluxtrade/classic/warm_neutrals.jsp looks more like a light cream here but its not that dark at all. more an off/warm white. everyone remarks on the colour and how nice it is. best of luck.
 
I was just told by my OH that the Risers, thanks poochpal for that, are made of mdf, due to me saying initially that I was doing the stairs this way and painting them so no need for expensive wood except for the handrail? I can't remember, vaguely! So whatever MDF means because the stairs look all wooden to me but he said you can't varnish them so they will have to be painted in gardenia, thanks tabatha, anyway, so at least I have the right colour of off white now so it won't look so washed out. After all of your answers though I came to the conclusion that just the spindles painted white was the nicest look with the cream carpet running up the rich stained wooden stairs but alas, I am sure the white risers will look well also. Thanks for everything.
 
good luck with it. its the right decision to make. also having skirting white and door frames makes the wall colours look so much better than having the timber varnished. i did all the wood work in my house and im very glad i did. when i go into houses now with just the timber effect i really notice the difference.
 
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