Thanks, I like those. More questions, though. Should we just paint the stairs and put the runner on that? Can we install a runner ourselves? How would someone put hardwood on stairs? This is all new to me.

I have never done it myself...there are lots of DIY sites online to assist you. :) http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,392360,00.html

You probably would not be able to install an angled runner yourselves. A hardwood staircase is made out of the hardwood and made to be stained and can stand alone as a finished staircase without being covered up. That is what you need to use a runner. It looks like your staircase is pine, not hardwood or finish grade and meant to be fully carpeted. It's hard to tell from the picture, did your carpenter know you were thinking of not fully carpeting them?

Bluenan, I wondered about this myself. I told my hubby, but I think it might have gotten lost in translation between him and contractor. Oh well. Carpet, then! Any suggestions on the best Eco friendly low VOC carpet? I'm in rural utah, so any time I ask the carpet store I get blank looks.

Everything else aside, one slip on non carpeted stairs gives pause to the idea of beauty over functionality. With a small child I would think of safety first.

Okay, now someone should help us choose a carpet and floor color! The first photo shows our rug. The next shows our paint scheme idea and our carpet color choices. We haven't decided on a bamboo floor color yet, but I'm leaning toward the light bamboo and grey carpet. Thanks!

I "love" wool carpet.....lux !! They make some unbelievable high quality wool products these days....I am doing a stair project now in my own home and I am going with wool vs hardwood. Check it out.

Flor is one of my favorite products but is not the right product for stair trends. You can probably order wool runner that you can install yourself. However, I would recommend you hire a professional for installing hardwood on the stairs.