A hardwood staircase is a wonderful accompaniment to a beautiful hardwood floor—easing the transition from the flooring to the stairs while also creating visual interest.
The typical approach is to match the style of the hardwood flooring with that of the hardwood used for the stairs. This means using the same (or complementary) species, colors, sawing techniques (e.g. skip sawn), board dimensions, texture, amount of grain, and other hardwood floor characteristics.
You would also orient the wood for the stairs parallel to the wood in the flooring to create a seamless look that helps the room “flow up” into the stairs. Hardwood floor borders that run up the stairwell can help to create this effect, as can carpet runners.
However, some homeowners actually want their hardwood stairwells to contrast with the flooring, and so they vary hardwood floor characteristics and might even orient the wood for the stairs perpendicularly to the direction of the wood in the flooring.
Of course, no one wants stairs and flooring that clash. Any contrast should distinguish the flooring from the stairs, but they should still complement each other.
Within the stairwell itself, you can spice things up by staining the risers darker than the treads, or vice versa. Or you could paint the risers but not the treads. And, of course, the pattern of any border or carpet runner can play off the colors and patterns of the wood in the stairwell, as well as that of the flooring below.
As with flooring, hardwood staircases can be created using solid wood planks or engineered planks, and the wood can be prefinished or sanded on site. Whichever option you choose—and whether it’s new installation or you’re redoing existing stairs that are now worn or were previously carpeted—it’s very important to have an installation team with experience working with hardwood staircases. Much precision is required to because of the many complex angles and cuts involved.
The final result can be exquisite—a stairwell that adds personality, character, and beauty to your home.
Ralph’s has extensive experience installing hardwood staircases. To talk with us about how we can help you with your stairwell, give us a call at 920.984.3383 or 800.354.9902, or stop by a showroom. You can also call for an appointment.
