wood stairs and catwalk

6 years ago

I have solid wood floors throughout my home. I’m not crazy about the color but am trying to figure out how to work with them. We have two staircases and a catwalk that we would like to add runners to any suggestions? Would you stain the top railing a different color? We are also recarpeting the upstairs bedrooms. Would you carpet the hall or leave it wood?We will choose a light tan for the bedroom.
Any suggestions on refinishing the floors and staging them? We want to warm the house up a bit. It’s feels cold. Also the stairs are slippery.
We are open to all suggestions! Thank you!

Featured Answer

SJ McCarthy

6 years ago

Just to make sure I'm not missing something, your last photo of the wood might be showing some cupping issues. It could be the way the light hits the bevelled edges of the planks (if there are bevelled edges) or, I hate to be right on this, the edges of the wood are sitting HIGHER than the centre of the planks.

Personally, I think you are having issues with the colour clash. Yep. The tan on the walls is starting to read 'pink'. And that makes for an annoying clash. That clash makes you feel like you need to do "something" but you just don't know what. So you start changing things.

I would think long and hard about what you want for wall colour. The orange/brown of the wood is throwing colour onto the walls that is turning the tan into a pink/salmon tone. And that is causing some issues.

I would use the carpet in the bedrooms (do they already have carpet? or are they hardwood that you are ripping out?). The catwalk can have a lovely runner. The stairs can also have a runner. The rest of the wood can be left alone until it needs a sand/refinish.

Please confirm (or deny) that there are cupping issues that I'm seeing. Again, I'm not sure whether the back lighting is highlighting a bevelled edge or if the wood is truly cupping. If it is cupping you might be in need of a fix sooner rather than later.

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Comments (7)

Sue 123
Original Author
6 years ago
Here’s a picture of the second set of stairs going up
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Sue 123
Original Author
6 years ago
No cupping issues must be the lightening. What color would you suggest we go on the walls?
SJ McCarthy
6 years ago
With a home that is as formal and as valuable as your home appears, I would suggest working with a Designer for some colour combinations. Adding/renewing flooring and wall colours is a big change in a big home. If you are ready for a change and wish to down play the formality of your home, a professional designer will help create the warmth you are craving.

How old are the hardwoods? When was the last time their were sanded/refinished or installed?
Sue 123
Original Author
6 years ago
To my knowledge they’ve never been refinished. We are contemplating replacing them. They are solid wood and the stairs are going to be the tricky part. I’ve contacted a couple of designers but ha my had the best luck. They all seem super busy
SJ McCarthy
6 years ago
If these are solid hardwoods then it is cheaper to refinish ($5 - $6 per square foot) than it is to remove ($2/sf) and then purchase something else ($5-$12/sf) and then install new ($2-$5/sf for labour).

If you don't like the wood colour, then you might as well START with new floor colours. Nothing else will work/make sense until you deal with the floors that are the BIGGEST footprint = hardwood.

If you change carpets in bedrooms to work with TODAY'S wood colour, you will be forced into a corner later when you want to change the wood tones. Same with the catwalk and stair runners. Same with the wall colours.

See how important flooring is - especially when you DO NOT like it? Right. It is so important that you do not do ANYTHING until you figure out what the wood floor is going to turn into.

You need to design this BACKWARDS. You need to figure out the FINAL look of your home. If you must do this piecemeal (because of budget constraints) you need to have a FIRM understanding of where you are going. To do that, you need to know your DESTINATION DESIGN.

The Final Design will include wall colour, flooring colour, rugs (area and wall to wall), kitchen upgrades/renovations, window hangings, furnishings (new or repurposed from elsewhere in the home), light fixtures etc. Whew! Lots to know! Lots to figure out.

My suggestion is always: Take two weeks and figure out your DESTINATION DESIGN. Get a story board going. Paint chips, flooring inspiration photos, kitchen inspirations, wall colours, inspiration designs for interiors that you WANT to achieve.

While you are doing all this soul searching (and internet searching) you will put out a few phone calls to designers. You will wait for their responses. Interview them. Use your inspiration board to feel them out for their own preferences.

An EXCELLENT designer can create anything a customer wants. Those are the top dogs in the industry. They are not very common. That means you are looking to work with a person who SHARES your ideals...because that's his/her own 'sweet spot' for design.

Don't work with a German designer who only wants to create sleek, shiny Avant Garde modern in a home you want to be cozy and comfy.

Take your time. There is no rush. Find the right professional to work with you. Wait for them to open up a spot for you. And then go for it.
Sue 123
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks