It looks like a charcoal. It would look great, but important to find just the right color.

I don't think the color in the photo is black; its just backlit. Your stair is quite different so be careful not to ruin it.

No the color is not black it’s actually like a charcoal gray

So leave it to the pros?? @RES2

I think your wood banister is lovely but the drab wall colors surrounding it could be greatly improved. The white walls in your inspiration would brighten the space greatly.

I wouldn't say your walls are drab but different colored walls would allow that wonderful stsircase to shine. Wanna show us more and consider wall painting? It's much easier than painting spindles!

^^ Oh, please. 🙄

There’s this stuff called paint stripper...

@Nita B: I think you would achieve the look you’re going for with Benjamin Moore’s Mopboard Black. It’s the perfect “not-quite-black” and it’s an historic color from BM’s Williamsburg collection. Full disclosure: It’s what I used on my stairs. 😉

So would you guys say keep the staircase the same and change the wall color? I was thinking of going gray with a blue under tone .. Sn: the color in the pic came with the house I’m trying to make it my own.

Sammy: absolutely love your idea!

Ruin the house? wow, how dramatic. and devalue it too? all this without even seeing the rest of the house or knowing the value. a million of these homes have painted woodwork and sell just fine, but OP painting her staircase is going to ruin it.

Renita. I'm trying to load pics but houzz is glitchy. i'll try to come back and edit them. give me a sec.

The spindles/balusters don't look original. And if they aren't, then the staircase is already 'devalued' according to some.

similar ones, but a diff newel post. these work together. But the paint job on this is horrible. and so is the staining. you don't want it to look like this.

I'd consider removing those and putting in the squared off version in order to work w/the newel post a bit better. here are some pics.

you might also consider painting the wall along the staircase to something a bit more dramatic like this.

This smokey blue/gray is very pretty

Darker stain. looks like Java.

darker wood stain, black risers . Wood and black look great together.

It's your house. do what makes you happy.

Beth H: wow thank you so much!! I’m a first time homeowner and just trying to figure things out this is a old house and i purchased it because of its charm however I do want a more updated look to make it my own! I was thinking of a gray with a blue under tone on the walls the color is called gentle gray by Bm I saw that stair case on pin it and thought it was absolutely beautiful! I don’t know what my style is but I do like blacks whites and woods lol if that make any sense.

My foyer

Another angle

Beth H : it’s like you took a look inside my mind lol thank you 😊

Renita, you have some nice elements here. just painting the walls be huge!

this green yellow color has to go

. Your current wood stain color has ambered over time so it reads very yellowish/red.

I'd still remove those colonial style spindles and replace them w/the square ones. as long as youre doing it, then do it right. Notice these newel posts in the pics. they're similar to yours. now look at the balusters. not like yours.

here's a medium, warmer gray wall color that looks nice w/the wood stain.

You'll notice that these have been refinished in more of a walnut shade. the yellow has been removed.

Do you have plans on refinishing the floors or anything else?

This smokey blue gray is stunning w/the wood.

very similar to your entry. notice the balusters

I'd love to have the entryway. do you have a bit of a budget?

right now I'd suggest you look at Craftsman foyers, or craftsman entryways, to get some ideas.

**posting pics**

originally, all the wood was prob like this.

since it's already been painted in a lot of spots, work with it

For the front door, go to a salvage place and see if you can locate a vintage door.

trying doing the walls first and leave the wood. bring in a foyer light, a vintage door, repaint the trim, and do some basic freshening up of the wood w/a good wood cleaner (not murphys soap!)

The white that's currently painted on the door and trim, is too bright and too shiny.

you want a craftsman style door and this white:

https://www.domino.com/content/craftsman-home-renovation-jamie-haller-craig-ekedahl/

This shiny molding around this 1990 door doesn't even look original.

(and if you use a good paint stripper (SoyGel) on any of those painted baseboards, you'll probably fine oak under them)

time to learn some skills! Think about doing the molding similar to this

https://www.houseofhepworths.com/2014/02/05/craftsman-style-moulding-makes-me-happy/

Love the above ideas. I’d probably skip painting the steps black. Feel like the wood is so rich looking!! It’s really beautiful. Love the idea of painting the wall

Beth H : thank thank you so much I’m in class I will brb

Beth H : yes I have a small budgeted 1200 for the foyer

Beth H : man so many beautiful
Ideas I would love your help!

Renita, click on a few of the links I posted up there for specifics.

for other things, find yourself a door. seriously. look on craigslist, offer up, vintage are-store places, and specifically an Architectural Salvage. (but people are always listing old doors for sale on the other sites too)

You may luck out and find an old craftsman or Arts/Crafts style door. Even if it's painted! (you can always strip it)

what's the outside of the house look like? when was it built?

what style do you want? a more modern craftsman? more vintage ?

can you DIY? Let me give you a link to this woman who does amazing DIY's and has full tutorials on her site. Look through everything on her site!! she does fantastic things. and if you don't have money, but can afford some basic tools and want to learn, then she's the one!

https://sawdustgirl.com

Go here for everything Paint related. learn about colors, tones, lighting

https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/category/the-best-paint-colours/neutral-gray-greige-cream-and-white/

https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/category/the-best-paint-colours/colours/

speaking of paint colors. warm grays w/your wood.

BM Storm. (Kendall Charcoal is another good one)

greens. sage greens all work w/your home

preserved Arts/Crafts living room w/the original wood molding and coffered ceiling.

I'm sure you have this wood somewhere in your home if it's a craftsman

deep moody blues

this is prob what your baseboards look like under that white paint

BM Phillipsburg blue

soft blacks.

Have wood to paint? then read this extensive how to on how to paint oak cabinets. (but it will work for oak anything)

https://www.evolutionofstyleblog.com/how-to-paint-your-kitchen-cabinets-like

so between all these sites, it should keep you busy and give you ideas

Beth H: lol @ (that green and yellow has to go!) lol I know I’m taking notes! You have given me a totally different insight! I have A lot of house and a not so big budget. so what I can diy I will, and what I can’t I’ll leave to the pros such as yourself. Ugh the outside is worst than the inside lol as far as colors go but it really is truly a beauty if you can look past the colors..I’ll post a pic of the house oh my goodness I wish I could take you on a whole tour lol!

well, I wish you were in so cal. I'd be over there in a jiffy!

This is my house idk how to upload pics in the comments so I had to take a pic of a pic lol

I have some better pics in my phone

My living room

Beth H: my house was built in 1917

Following

First time homeowner, congratulations and very exciting. Having owned a house built in the 1880's as my first house, I recommend you go slowly and do a lot of research on what is being done to update houses in what looks like a very lovely neighborhood. In retrospect, we made some big and not so big mistakes in updating our old house because we dove in too quickly and didn't explore all options. I'm sure whoever replaced the spindles on your lovely staircase thought they were improving things and here we are, saying "ewww."

How long do you plan to stay in your house? Your geography is very important to the decisions you make. What works in NY City probably doesn't fly in Memphis. I've lived on the east coast, the South, the midwest and California and at each place I renovated a house, making decisions that worked for the area because we were changing jobs often at the time and moving a lot.

If this is your forever home, sit back, relax and in all probability, your entire budget will be spent updating the "underwear" (electrical, plumbing, HVAC etc) so you'll have plenty of time to ponder how to update the decor.

But, if you have $1200 for the foyer, paint the walls, keep the staircase for now. You can always paint it later but it's really hard to unpaint it if you change your mind.

Have fun, it's a beautiful house.

tozmo1: 😊thank you!! Thank you for taking the time out to give me some great advice! Yes this is my forever home! It’s so much house idk where to start lol all electrical work and hvacs and plumbing was done about 4 years ago so that’s truly a blessing! I’m going to take your advice and also Beth advice and start painting the walls and giving the wood work a really good clean!

Yes they need something to pop! I would start with painting the two walls there (maybe a dark gray like SW peppercorn) and painting the stair risers white.

Itsourcasa: thank you so much ! Lol love your idea as well but I’m a Libra(Indecisive) everyone has amazing ideas you guys are making it hard for me in a good way! I’m getting ideas that I couldn’t even see on my own. Thank you

what a cool house! You have the original floors, fireplace mantle and tile, probably a lot of other things to.

since you plan on staying a long time, take everything a day at a time. it's a marathon w/house remodels, not a sprint!

Check w/the city historical section and see if there are things you need to abide by on the exterior. Also ask if they provide grants or tax write-offs to keep the exterior original looking (yes, they will give you money to do it!! at least some cities do)

read sites like This Old House-Bob Vila. He has extensive info on how to work w/old homes.

And enjoy the process! (and make friends with the people over at the Architectural Salvage! you can find all sorts of things there. And you can sell them whatever you remove from you home, if it's original)

Oh there is tons of potential here!

I do NOT think you should paint the stairs. Historic woodwork is gorgeous and should be left alone for future generations to enjoy!

I love the ideas above about new paint for the walls and perhaps some paneling. You can lean into the craftsman vibe for your home or you can mix styles. Your home is not an official craftsman style home (I think it is a Queen Anne), but you should find the historic style that feels most natural to your home's unique architecture!

And I echo other posters about taking your time. It is amazing how things change as you live in a home. Things I thought we would do right away have completely shifted once we have moved into the home. Even after 1.5 years of living in our new house, I am still discovering how we really use and occupy the space. On a limited budget you want to really make sure that you choose wisely the renovations that will bring you the most joy!

Congrats on your new home. May I suggest Old House Journal for ideas (not This Old House, but this one:)

https://www.oldhouseonline.com/

Just want to show what we did in our 1910 Four Square. The previous owners had already messed up so much . We did as others advised and waited before doing anything. Our last home was an 1890 and again we waited before renovations. This is the stairs. No way were we going to strip the spindles etc. instead the painters used green scrubby pads.... WAY BETTER than sand paper FYI. on the spindles then repainted with fresh trim paint. I pulled off the horrible carpeting from the steps. Painters sanded wood treads , painted risers Kalamata to match other walls in the foyer, a BM color and used Sikkins, a wonderful product for finishing wood treads. It’s so amazingly beautiful now. Live with the house. You will be amazed how a year will inform your decisions.

Thank you everyone I’m soaking it all in I truest appreciate you guys taking the time out to give some tips and pointers !!!