Removing carpet from stairs and replacing it with wood stair treads is totally doable. This DIY staircase makeover was accomplished in a weekend and looks like a professional job! Learn how we did it in this post.
BUCKLE YOUR SEATBELTS! This is one of my favorite reveals to date, which is saying something because I love every single reveal that I have shared with you. But this staircase makeover reveal has to take over my #1 spot. Before I share all the gorgeous photos with you, be sure to read all about the details about the installation of the NuStair wood stair treads here.
*UPDATE! It has been several years since we gave our stairs a makeover. Click here to check out what it looks like today and see our latest changes.
DIY Staircase Makeover Reveal
This is my favorite reveal ever for three simple reasons:
1) The staircase makeover was much, much, much easier than we expected and took us only 2 days to complete. We used the NuStair stair refacing system, which I HIGHLY recommend. You can learn more about NuStair and the system I used here.
2) I have been itching to rip the nasty, boring, beige carpet off our stairs since we moved in 18 months ago.
3) The aesthetic impact on our home is HIGH. Our foyer is very large, so the beautiful new staircase makes a huge difference!
Okay, a quick reminder about what the staircase looked like before. As aforementioned, the stairs were covered in boring, beige carpet. To make matters worse, we had absolutely nothing hanging anywhere along the wall of the stairs, so the only thing you had to focus on was the sad carpet.
Here are some “during” shots {you can read all about the DIY demo and installation process here}.
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Well folks, here is how our stunning staircase looks now! Here are some views of the staircase from the main floor of our house.
As you can see, we decided to add a bit of a decorative touch to the stairs by numbering them. You can see the full tutorial for that fun and simple DIY here. We love how the white numbers really pop off the black risers. It's exactly the look we were going for.
Now, here are some shots of the stairs looking down from the second floor. I LOVE to look at the view from above. Such a dramatic difference! First, here is what the staircase looked like from above before.
And here is how it looks now! A little better, huh?
We added a gallery wall, which compliments the new wood stairs perfectly! I was able to find some awesome fire equipment patents to frame {which Joe really appreciated, given that he is a firefighter–it's nice to honor his profession in such a cool way}! I also, of course, added some A's, as an extension of our monogram gallery wall opposite the staircase.
And here are a few more random views/shots just so you can fully appreciate the beauty of our staircase makeover!
Now, let's talk about cost. The price will vary from project to project, obviously, depending on the number of stairs you have, whether you have a landing, and whether or not you have open or closed railings. It's easy to obtain a quote–just fill in the details of your project here and NuStair will provide you with a free quote. That said, the retail cost for our NuStair system was just over $2,000 for all the wood treads, risers, wood for the landing, adhesive, shims and the NuScribe.
You know I am super thrifty and some of you may be thinking that $2,000 sounds like a lot, and there is no doubt it is an investment. But, I promise you that you will pay a lot more to hire this job out and the NuStair system makes this a doable DIY job, which was super important to us. There are less expensive stair treads out there, but you get what you pay for, and we wanted quality. The NuStair treads are SOLID wood that are Amish American made in Pennsylvania using select or better American hardwoods–trust me, that's better than anything you can buy at a home improvement store. Bear in mind also that the nosing is permanently bonded to the tread and the bond is stronger than the wood itself and has NEVER failed. Best of all, NuStair offers a Lifetime Structural Warranty and a 10 Year Warranty on all wood.
What do you think? Are you now convinced that you can tackle your own staircase makeover on your own by using the NuStair system? Seriously, you can do it! If you aren't convinced, go back and read my post on the installation process again!
One last thing…. I can't resist including some side-by-side comparisons :)
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Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received free product from NuStair to complete my project. The opinions are completely my own based on my AMAZING experience with the NuStair system!
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Where would I find the tutorial for the stair numbering.
Hi Jennifer! It is coming in the New Year, so be on the lookout!
What does the very top stair look like? How was the wood stairs transitioned to the flooring in the second level?
I used the stair landing tread and it meets up directly with the laminate in the hall. It matches because I custom mixed the stain for the stair treads.
What wood species and color did you use for your reno?? We are looking to use NuStair also for this DIY job!
Hi Tabatha! You can read about how we did our stairs here– https://designertrapped.com/how-to-install-wood-stairs/ It explains the colors we used, etc. Thanks for reading!
Love the stairs. What color is the paint on your walls? They compliment each other great and I have been looking for something similar.
The color is Babbling Brook by Olympic! Thanks for reading!
WHat color are your walls? They look GREAT with those stairs
Thanks! They are Babbling Brook by Olympic.
Such a beautiful job, I’m looking to tackle my stairs in a couple weeks! I couldn’t help but notice the gorgeous blue on the walls, what shade is it? Thanks!
It is Babbling Brook by Olympic! Thanks for reading and good luck!
Hi Tasha: these are amazing! Our house seems to be the same set up as yours: nice big bright foyer with horrible carpeted stairs. I am dying to rip it out and go with wood, but we have three dogs! How does your guy handle the bare stairs? Does he slip/scramble on them a lot? Mine are prone to come bounding down when someone comes over, it’s dinner time, etc, so I’m just wondering what your experience has been with your pup! Great job. :)
He is not super spastic so he does okay :) Lol. Good luck
Fabulous job on this!!
What is the aqua color on the wall?
Babbling Brook by Olympic!
OMG these are beautiful and the numbers and just a little surprise. Beautifully done!
How did you transition at the top? Is it carpet or wood up there too. I would love to do this but don’t know how to transition at top. I would like to leave the carpet upstairs with the bedrooms.
Ours is wood so the transition looks seamless. Good luck!
Before you stress about how much money it cost, remember that to carpet them would cost at least $15 per step before you count the carpet and pad. That is what I am considering. It wouldn’t be a lot more to just make them wood and it’s so much more beautiful and easy to keep clean. Maybe. I still have carpet, you tell me.
I’m am so thrilled that you were featured on Better After! We have stairs that were carpeted and we removed the carpet because I was so tired of taking care of grey shag. Underneath was builder grade stairs with particle board treads. We’re going to replace/resurface the treads so in the meantime I painted the pine risers white ’cause I like the look. Bad idea . . . hubby somehow manages to leave black scuff marks on the risers from his shoes. I never thought of painting them black . . .brilliant idea! As soon as a few more projects are completed, the floor and stairs are ready for a make over.
Thanks Darlene! Good luck on your stairs makeover. I think black may be the answer to your scuff mark issue!
How did you handle the top landing? Is it still carpet?
Hi Rachel! No, we replaced the carpet with laminate flooring upstairs, so we have a wood landing strip at the top that meets up with the laminate. I hope to blog about it soon!
Hi I was wondering what the stain color and black color are on the stairs… Its stunning and want to have the same look
Thanks so much Mary Beth! The stain on the stairs is Mahogany gel stain by General Finishes and the black risers are Kettle Black by Valspar.
The stairs look great! We are going to do this to ours as well. I love the paint color on the walls. Do you mind to tell me what it is? Thank you!
Thanks so much Tina! The wall color is Babbling Brook by Olympic!
Super amazing Tasha- I love how these turned out!!
Love the finished look. My husband is also a firefighter and I love the prints you framed. Can you tell me where you got them? Thanks!
Hi Laura! Of course! You can find those awesome prints here: http://tidd.ly/789ecb5f
Did you use paint for the numbers or decals? Also, what paint and finish did you use on the risers?
Hi Anna! We used vinyl for the numbers. The risers are painted with Kettle Black by Valspar in Satin finish, I believe.
Hi,
Maybe I missed it but what paint color did you use on the stairs? It looks like a charcoal color?
Thanks!
Olivia
Hi Olivia! It’s Kettle Black by Valspar. I hope that helps!
Can you post a pic or send me a pic of what the very top of the stairs looks like after you finished and removed carpet? Did you take the carpet out from the 2nd floor? Add an edge to join and seam the carpet on the top floor?
Hi Gina! I haven’t had a chance to write this post yet, but we added a wood landing strip at the top and then installed laminate floors in our hallway after ripping the carpet out. I hope that helps!
We redid the bulk of our house in laminate flooring and planned to do it on the stairs. However when we removed the carpet we found hardwood underneath and just refinished that. It looks like you had hardwood under your carpet also. Just wondering why you didn’t work with that instead? The new stairs are beautiful but just curious because working with what was there would have been so much cheaper.
Hi Melissa! We had builder grade, poor quality pine wood under the carpet which was not the look we were going for. If it had been a hardwood like oak, we definitely would have refinished it :)
Can you tell me where you got the handrail for your stairs? Love it!
The handrail was here when we bought the house, so I have no idea. Sorry, Tami!
Hi again! OK… now that I have seen the cost comparison for ordering the Select Surfaces Stair Bull-Nose, which butts up against a single board of Select Surfaces 14mm thick planking from Sam’s (exact Select Surfaces flooring that you purchased (don’t you LOVE it?!)).
I can share with you and your readers that it is actually about 1/4 the cost to use the Select Surfaces Stair “nosing”, which is specially designed to wrap around the front of the tread and click into a cut to measure plank of the flooring. Unlike when lying the principal flooring, it is glued and brad nailed to the stair treads, per manufacturer instructions.
It was shipped from Canada to Indianapolis, IN, and the shipping cost more than the product did – (which made my heart sick). The outcome looks identical to your gorgeous stairwell… but it’s not made in the USA, nor is it hardwood… but it is an exact match to the rest of the flooring, as it is the same planking used on the floor, but with the special-order bullnose from the manufacturer to complete the finished look.
I cannot stop raving over this flooring, and I’ve had it down for almost four years! People ALWAYS mistake it for hardwood. You are so right when you say that laminate flooring has come so far in the past few years.
Best,
Lisa
We have ugly beige carpet on our stairs and have considered tearing it out since we believe there is hardwood underneath…but I am so worried about the slipping and falling issues. My kids are always going way too fast up and down the stairs and I can only imagine how terrible the falls will be when we combine socks, speed, and hardwood stairs. Any feedback on slipperiness yet?
Hi Heather! Slipping has not be a problem for our girls, but most of their socks have non-slip grip on them (not really deliberate on our part–Old Navy just seems to put it on the bottom of all their toddler socks). My husband and haven’t had any trouble either. I hope that helps!
I love this! Question – I have carpeting in my upstairs hallway. How did you finish the top step? I apologize if I missed it.
Seriously?! I LOVE these stairs, so gorgeous! The whole space is perfect!!
Thanks, girl! I am so happy with how the stairs turned out!
Absolutely stunning!! I’ll definitely be checking out the NuStair system for our basement stairs. By the way, I love the numbers painted on the front of each step – I’m weird and count in my head every time I go up & down the stairs. LOL! (Too much Sesame Street as a kid or something…) Beautiful job girl! Love it!
Thanks so much, Kirsten! I actually was super lazy and used vinyl for the numbers on the stairs–so much easier than painting. That tutorial will be coming soon :) PS- I am glad I am not the only one who counts stairs!
Mind.blown Tasha! I love the contrast of the dark wood with the white trim and beautiful blue. Way to go guys!!!
So beautiful!!! Y’all did a fabulous job. Your stair base looks amazing (the part after you pulled up the carpet). My stairs were so horrible with huge knot holes, uneven treads and texture overspray that wouldn’t scrape up or sand down. I’m still wishing I would have known about this before I did our stairs. I love the hardwood treads. But my stairwell is really dark, so I can get away with how we did our stairs. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to your next project. ;-)
do dog toenails scratch the finish? Really beautiful stairs!
Hi Laura! Thank you! Our 90-pound Boxer’s nails are not scratching the treads, but they have made some marks on the landing, despite the polyurethane. I think the stair treads must just be harder wood than the wood on the landing. Unfortunately, it’s just the reality of wood :( That is why we have been putting laminate in the rest of the house–I just did not care for the laminate options for stairs. I hope that helps!
Love it! How is the dog handling the wood vs carpet? Do you know if puppy nails will scratch up stairs? And if so what would you do to protect?
Hi Diane! Our 90-pound Boxer’s nails are not scratching the treads, but they have made some marks on the landing, despite the polyurethane. I think the stair treads must just be harder wood than the wood on the landing. Unfortunately, it’s just the reality of wood :( That is why we have been putting laminate in the rest of the house–I just did not care for the laminate options for stairs. I hope that helps!
I would love to know the name and make of the color you used in your stairwell. I absolutely love it!
Hi Pam! Isn’t that color lovely? It is Babbling Brook by Olympic, sold at Lowe’s.
drooling.
Tasha this is so so beautiful! I bet you can’t take your eyes off it every time you go past! Congrats on your hard work :D
I am dying to know how you did the numbers. Love the stairs!
Thanks so much, Laurie! That info will be coming soon!
I’m swooning – the stairs are GORGEOUS! The fire blueprints are dear to my heart as my hubs is a chief here. Then the boxer (we have one too) I LOVE it all!!!!
Thank you SO MUCH, Gina! I didn’t know your husband was a fire chief and that you have a Boxer, too :) So fun!
Oh Wow, this looks amazing, it would be my favourite too if this were my home. Love the numbers on the stairs and the beautiful wood. Absolutely stunning!
I love all the diffents fonts of the “a”. I have been wanting to do this with “g”. Any idea on where to get the different ones?
Thanks,
J
Thank you, Jill! You can see a lot of my sources here: https://designertrapped.com/2013/11/how-to-create-your-own-monogram-gallery.html. I just look around wherever I go. I hope that helps!
Wow, wow, wow! Your stairs look amazing, Tasha! I love how you guys went with black risers and the numbers are the perfect touch. It looks so much better. Man, you’re making me wish I had stairs, haha! Great job!
Love your work, been following you on Facebook and love love love the before and after blogs…..brilliant. Keep it up. @niudesigner.com
Thank you!
This turned out just beautiful. I am a little disappointed that you didn’t post a picture of what the stairs looked like after you removed the carpet.
Hi Lisa. You can see all the details of the carpet removal and installation process here–there is a link to it in the beginning of the reveal post, but you must have been too excited to get to the photos and missed it! https://designertrapped.com/2015/07/how-to-install-wood-stairs.html
Toward the top of the post, there are 3 side-by-side pictures which do show some of the stairs bare after carpet removal, during the staple removing stage.
Those are some fine stairs. I love the grain on the wood – it really stands out. The black is also a welcome surprise. Is that black chalkboard paint? A really great makeover! And now that you have added the art it makes all the difference. But most of all it is the wood that has caught my eye, makes a world of difference. Also your wall color stands out more and looks fresher with the darkness of the stairs. Bravo!!!
I agree that the stair makeover really lets your wall color shine. What paint did you use for the walls?