DIY | Colorful Stair Runner

When we moved into our charming, century-old, Providence home, there were several changes that I wanted to make.  I made my list in order of urgency, and right after “change the awful paint colors,” came “get rid of the scary brown stair protectors.” When I pulled up the stair protectors, I found, to my horror, that the wood underneath had been damaged, and was no longer aesthetically pleasing.  It was obvious that the best, and most cost-effective solution, was to invest in a runner to not only cover the damaged wood, but also to add some interest to the stairwell.  I decided on a beautiful, colorful and most important, durable, runner from Dash and Albert (I needed three to cover the length of my stairs). When installing a runner, it is important to first install a non-slip rug pad underneath, to keep your runner in place.  Stairs endure plenty of wear and tear- a rug pad will keep the runner from shifting under the heavy foot traffic. When it comes to advanced carpentry projects (which in my mind, this is!), I often turn to the This Old House website…because I appreciate their expertise, and even the most crafty of us sometimes need a helping hand.  For step-by-step instructions on installing a stair runner, visit this link. So what more can I provide you with, if not the DIY instructions themselves?  Plenty of great runner links to add a bit of color to your home: –Dash and Albert is hands-down, my favorite rug company.  Affordable, durable, colorful and well-made.  The only issue is that the runners are short, so you have to buy several to cover a staircase, and seamlessly overlapping the rugs can be a bit tricky. –Company C has gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous runners- enough said. -With a bit of searching, you can often find beautiful runners at Home Depot…I particularly love this green and blue beauty. -Even Ikea has a few interesting runner choices.  Perhaps you would be willing to attempt this rainbow colored staircase using Ikea runners!? -Or what about scrapping the rug altogether and trying one of these kooky creative ideas via Apartment Therapy.  Would you be brave enough to give it a try?

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