Foyer circa 1880

8 years ago

We're about to do some painting and I'd love some advice. Should we paint the staircase or stain it? We love the dark wood banister but thought the detail millwork(shown in last photo) should be painted.? At the moment the stairs are painted a ugly putty colour and the foyer is painted a drab yellow. We love this old house (1880) and want to maintain its charm by respecting the era it was built.

Featured Answer

hollybar

8 years ago

Are you going to do a runner? Since there is much so work involved in stripping and staining stairs,I wouldn't do it if a runner is in your future. Your other mill work looks to be in great shape,and I would not paint it. Absolutely gorgeous space and changing the wall colour will improve it vastly. Hope you share peeks of your progress.

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Comments (12)

auntthelma
8 years ago
Love the floor! I would not paint that beautiful, antique wood.
mommyniki
8 years ago
I am one that always says to paint wood white but this is an exception. I would leave it. The walls and stairs definitely need some new paint though. I would paint the treds white and get a carpet runner. I would paint the walls a pale green, like SW Sea Salt.
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Judy Mishkin
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
our foyer is 1870, sometime since then some painting was done.

i'd recommend you paint your risers white, your treads dark brown to match the stain of the rest, with the runner you cant tell they are painted. (thats how ours are).

'its your house' but your wood is fine and once its painted there is no going back. in a way i'm extremely glad ours was already painted so i didnt have to decide, i prefer a bright stair hall to a gloomy one.

our berber is slated to be replaced this summer.
Sylvia Gordon
8 years ago
It is simply gorgeous ! Please do not paint those beautiful banisters, rails, and Millwork. Once you brighten up the paint on the walls and freshen the stairs, the area will be bright and beautiful, and the grain and the depth of color of the woodwork will add dimension and luster.
NJ Mom
8 years ago
Those painted stair treads stand out, and not in a good way. Can you get them to match the color of the millwork? I'm not an expert on design history, but wasn't very dark wood and rich, saturated color common in Victorian homes?
D L
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks all for your advice and remarks! :) We agree..we love the dark wood and want to brighten up the foyer walls with a colour such as Misty Gray(Benjamin Moore).
As for stairway: We weren't sure if we should paint the risers white and the steps dark paint that matches the woodwork..Or sand the stairs and stain them same colour as other wood(no white risers).
sguilmette12
8 years ago
I would keep the wood dark but give the walls a fresh light coat of paint.
miss lindsey (She/Her)
8 years ago
Gorgeous house. Posting to follow along on your progress :)
Sylvia Gordon
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
If you have the time and the stamina, I think sanding and staining the stair treads is a wonderful idea. Having lived in an old house before, I might or might not keep the risers White. It will break up the expanse of dark wood and highlight it, but if you're going to carpet the stairs anyway, it might be too choppy. Staining those risers will be quite a job.
Judy Mishkin
8 years ago
the treads could be of an inferior sort of wood that wouldnt strip and stain nicely, anyway. thats the case of ours, and of 2 other houses we looked at when we bought ours.
D L
Original Author
8 years ago
Yes, I think they are pine. We may paint them dark to match the other wood and paint the risers white. A runner maybe an option as well.