Is there a local art school nearby - as sometimes they sell off some amazing one off pieces ?! Worth a look maybe ?!?

It is a huge wall and will eat anything alive that is too small. A series of overscaled art pieces that are meant to be a complete composition that will step up the wall as you move up the staircase. It will look like individula pieces but will look complete instead of clutter.

I will look into a local art school, that is a good idea. I guess I need to start looking for large art pieces that fit in my budget. Thank you both for your help, I do appreciate it.

Have you thought about enlarging some interesting photo you have then splitting it into thirds and then enlarging those pieces again,,,,,could become more abstract and textural. Michaels, Hobby Lobby have some ready made frames, you need like24"w x36"h

Oh, that's a great idea as well! I think I"m going to look into doing that. Thank you!!

Have you considered hanging an old oriental rug or tapestry on the wall?

No I haven't thought of that.....another good idea thank you!

Some suggestions - paint the wall a striking colour, ( http://pinterest.com/pin/234750199297263223/) make the wall the art piece, vinyl wall decals, a collection of mirrors, painted the same colour (gold, silver) , create your own photo wall ( http://pinterest.com/pin/234750199299235385/), wallpaper with grass cloth or bead board wallpaper which can also be painted, and then there's always Ikea which sells large mounted prints at great prices.

Another bit of inspiration http://pinterest.com/pin/234750199297902027/ At the very least I'd suggest you paint the hand railings on both sides in a gloss black. Post some pictures please after you make your changes.

Kitsy, you can check out our Houzz page to see if there is any art you like there. Our images can be printed in any large size and on various materials. Enjoy and, please let me know if you have any questions... Raisa

A company called BetterWall.com has used street banners (for art museum exhibits and the like) for sale. They are very large, of course, and could fit on such a big space.

Yes the wall colour could be changed or the railing blended. And some large artwork would fill the space and add some dramatic lighting on artwork and would be good to go.

Thank you all, you have given me some wonderful ideas! I feel re-energized to do something with that area now. I didn't even consider painting the railings, that's a good thought as well.
I will look at the websites for art, and look into creating my own as well. I've gone from having no idea what to do, to having so many!

Painting the banisters is a great idea. I also think whatever you do put on the wall should have some curves to soften all the straight lines. Wall sconces would be nice too.

I always like to do an arrangement of significant or eye catching family photos. If they are framed the same with coordinated mattes
For my dime their is no better art

Art on a staircase is one of the trickiest things, as the art has to be visually appealing close up and then also far way. It also has to work if viewed from different angles, which is why a 2-dimensional image is preferable to something that juts out of your wall.

We have quite a few of our customers who use our authentic street banners to fill up a large wall space like a staircase. We at BetterWall represent 30+ major art museums, selling their authentic street banners to people to put in their homes as spectacular wall art.

Check out this photo that features a Rembrandt from The Art Institute of Chicago.

Hi! Here are a few ideas for you:

http://deciture.com/guennola-oil-painting-set-of-2/

http://deciture.com/mesmerizing-styled-metal-wall-decor-2-assorted/

Notice in this picture that there is nothing on the wall.

Is it possible to take the railing down that is attached to the wall? It sort of detracts from the beauty.

After that you can paint or apply a very dark stain (espresso) to the remaining railing.

Can you replace the recessed can with a hanging fixture. That is one way to dress the area.

Or, if railing on wall side needs to stay, have it made more substantial and stain both much darker.

New carpet on stairs would be nice. Or, if nice wood is under carpet, maybe just a carpet runner.

You could think about playing around with light and shadow. Have a electrician in and discuss recessed can lights placed close to the wall to cast shadows, or directional cans.

Don't want anyone to hit their head, but a light at the top of the stairs that casts interesting shadows...


PS: You said you were having trouble finding pictures. Just wanted to be sure you know that if you go over to the far right side, pass all the rooms, to "more" and click on that "staircases" is one of the options.

A photo collage up the stairs of family and friends would add a personal touch and you could change up the size of frames enough to make it interesting and take up enough space. Best of luck!