I know: it seems like we were just ON vacation, right? Or at least on “winter break;” it sure doesn’t feel like vacation when you have small children and they don’t have school.
But it’s mini-vacation time again. As many of you know, every January my husband and I flee to Miami for a long weekend. Flights are cheap, hotels take credit card points, and my parents still seem willing to hang out with the kids…
So who cares if it’s only 60 degrees in Miami right now? I shoveled snow off my car this morning, so 60 degrees is sounding pretty good.
Anyway, I have a few posts I’m dying to write – including one about a phone consultation that was big fun – but I simply didn’t have time this week.
So just for fun, I dug through the bossy color blog archives to see what posts might bear repeating. Here’s one. I hope you enjoy it.
Annie – Love your blog!! We don’t have kids yet, but the young son of some of our friends recently took a header off one flight after he slipped. …it really made me think about the safety (or lack thereof) of our stairs.
The stairs are also especially loud!
I’ve been considering getting a stair runner installed. Given the degree of use, it needs to be super stain resistant and heavy duty, but also look nice. Any suggestions? Would you consider sisal or jute? Thanks so much!
Gentle Reader, thank you for your excellent question.
Let me come clean by first saying that I live in a 3-story townhouse in which we put a runner from floors 1 to 2, but not from floors 2 to 3.
The reason? We’d had the second flight refinished before we moved in, and it was so beautiful – this 100-year old, yellow, honest pine – that I couldn’t bring myself to recover them.
And I’m happy to report that our twins have taken exactly one tumble down the stairs in the past 4 years, and it’s been on the carpeted ones.Go figure.
When it comes to stair runners, here are some practical considerations beyond safety.
1. Do you have pets? If so, avoid looped fibers, which can hook claws. Ouch. Damages the rug and the poor animal.
2. Are the stairs heavily trafficked? If so, go for a low, tight pile or a tight loop. The lower the pile, the better it holds its spring. And yes – this is when I’d consider sisal or seagrass; I believe seagrass holds up the best of those reedy natural fibers.
3. Do you have a healthy budget? The real cost of stair runners is in the edge binding and the labor/installation, not in the price per square foot. Beware.
4. Do you have landings? Curvy turns? Those will add to the final cost.
5. Can you go wall-to-wall, rather than leaving some wood floor showing? Sure, it looks nicer to see some of the wood stair, but you’ll save a BUNDLE if you can avoid the cost of edge binding.
Ultimately, you can’t go wrong with a low, tight pile in a solid color or texture. If it’s a pattern, subtle is best. We installed this lovely diamond patterned rug on a client’s stairs. The pattern is just enough to hold its own against the Persian rugs nearby.
Regarding wool vs. synthetic fibers, what can I say: wool lasts longest. But the higher quality the synthetic, the more stain resistant it will be and the better it will wear.
I hope this is helpful, Gentle Reader. Best of luck!
Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She’s considered an expert on color, residential space planning, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.