A chevron-patterned wool stair runner is a great addition to a contemporary staircase.
Even though wooden and marble stairs looks amazing they aren’t safe enough. When you have young kids or little pets, the danger of them slipping is very real. Besides, the sound of a child racing down the stairs isn’t something you want to hear very often. That’s why covering your staircase with a carpet runner might be a great idea. Some people don’t like how they look but in my opinion, they can become great stairs decorations. There are so many carpet patterns and colors available that it won’t be hard to choose the one that fit your interior. That’s why stair runners not only provide quiet safety to your stairs but could become a real design element in their own right. We’re here to answer the most popular questions about these runners and show you great examples of how cool they could be.
How wide the runner should be
The basic idea is that the runner shouldn’t cover about 4 inches of stairs from both sides. So if your stairs are 3 feet wide your runner should be about 27 inches wide. For the wider stairs of 4′ and 5′ you should go with at least 32″ runner.
How much carpet would you need
For straight steps, you need to measure each step. The step consists of a riser, a thread, and a nose. Next, you need to multiply the sum of these measurements to the number of steps. Besides you need to add the height of the final riser and about 10″ per flight to allow for tolerance.
What to do with landing areas
There are various ways to deal with them. On the pictures below you’ll find plenty of ideas. The easiest to install is simply to use small square rugs there.
Other tips
Decorative rods are totally decorative elements. They don’t hold the runner in place because it usually is installed using staples or something similar. Although they add an interesting finishing touch to stair’s backs, where the riser meets the tread.
An underpad is quite important even though the runner is a piece of carpet. It should be very thin and dense so the carpet doesn’t flex too much.
You should clean these runners regularly using a simple vacuum cleaner. If any spillages occur, you need to act very quickly so have some absorbent cloth and upholstery shampoo on hand.
Enjoy all these cool carpet runners below and make your life safer!
Multicolored stripes would look awesome on any staircase. A mirror could add an illusion that the runner is on a wall too.
The runner that is done in the same colors as walls in a hallway is a great choice if you want to make the space look complete.
Even if your staircase is narrow and with an angle you can add a small runner to make your life safer.
Zebra animal print looks interesting on a staircase too.
If you don't have a lawn you might want to choose a carpet that reminds grass for your stairs.
Zebra pattern is perfect to decorate stairs in a modern home.
Thick rope carpet is perfect for a staircase in a nature-inspired home decor.
The cool thing about carpet stair runners that they make racing down the stairs process less noisy. Perfect when you have kids.
Do you want your staircase looks like it's a part of a large tree? It's possible with the right runner.
If your walls are painted in light color and stairs in dark you can make them look better with each other with a light colored stair runner.
Lovely alternative to a runner that is covered with a zebra pattern.