Thanks for the input Beth. Unfortunately, our floors will be much, much lighter than the floors in your pictures so painting the risers white just isn't going to work. I'm not sure if light grey would work or not - I guess that's kind of why I'm asking :)

well, If only you know the stain color, then I guess you're going to have to be the judge. Why won't white work? just because the floor stain is light? are you saying it won't be enough contrast? Then use black. it's only paint. paint one riser black, one the gray (but make it a warmer gray,,,something like BM Light Pewter, or SW crushed ice) and paint another rise in the white. see what looks better.

In your flooring picture there is clearly white trim and white cabinetry that distinguishes itself in color from the flooring. I think your risers could definitely be white -- just have to find the right white. Like most things, it's going to be trial and error just like Beth said, paint one!

White risers

@User You could be right. I'm just afraid the stairs will looked washed out if we do white/off white on the risers. The stairs are the first thing you see when you walk in the house so I'd like them to make a statement.

if you want a statement, then do something cool like black risers, or cement tiles

love this look

these treads are pretty light. they're natural. looks fine w/white. you're doing a dark wrought iron, yes?

@Beth H. : yes! That second to last picture looks very close to the colour ours will be! And it looks fantastic! Yes, the spindles will be wrought iron too. Thanks so much for the photo. I feel much better. :) Wish we could do the nice spindles like in the picture. Our spindles will have to be straight posts because they will be too close together on the curve of the stairs.

I love, love, love the tiles on the risers but my partner already vetoed that :( No fun at all. :)

yes it will look great. don't fret. it's only paint!

Do not use anything like the first tiled riser photo above. Stairs need regular, repeatable patterns (if there are any patterns) so that people can climb them easily and safely. Those tiles are just too wild and varied and unpredictable; they could cause confusion in what is normally a semi-conscious act--climbing stairs.

This is especially important when carpeting the whole stair, tread and riser. Descending is more dangerous that ascending, and the stair edges must be rigidly regular if there is a pattern.

Safety first.

Wood finish unpainted stairs look really good. Unless yours are in a lot worse shape than they appear to be from the pic.

Why would you want to paint them and end up with something that, inevitably, would need repainting -- sooner rather than later because it will be walked on.

If you what less wood and more paint, consider painting the vertical dowels beneath the rail instead of the step riser and tread surfaces.

Like the light gray floor look. Real wood, however, looks good with any color so you need not "match" the stairs with the light gray floor.

You should definitely replace or paint that white bottom wall trim that clashes with the real wood look as if a scar across it. Paint that awful stripe of white cutting through the look of the wood finish of the stairs -- paint it the darkest gray in your flooring.