One of the features we love the most about our historic 1904 home is the entryway. As we had our floors refinished before moving in, we also removed the stair carpet that was there before.
We knew we wanted something clean and fresh that matched the era of our home. Before we even moved in, one of my nieces asked me if she could take her prom pictures on these stairs – which is probably the biggest compliment a staircase can get, don’t you think?
We wanted to bring it back to its historic glory!
More home decor articles: What increases the value of your home?, Finding the Perfect White Paint for Your Home, How we built a hidden room, Library Dining roomwhere you can see all my past room visits.
The history and transformation of our staircase
Our beautiful staircase was built in the 1920’s when our home was rebuilt after a fire destroyed almost the entire house. That’s why many features of our house seem more 1920s, even though the house was built in 1904.
And a note for my fellow ghost-obsessed readers: no, no one was killed in the fire.
Now let’s talk about transformation! We knew we wanted to keep the beautiful unpainted wood, so we planned everything else around that.
When choosing light and dark colors for our entryway stain, we chose a dark color that would blend in perfectly with the original wood of the stairs. When choosing a rug, we chose something neutral since patterned floors are already a statement.
I ordered a great piece of art to go up to the top of the first stair landing, but it hasn’t arrived yet. Oh… and can you imagine this space at CHRISTMAS?
The process of choosing a runner
I chose our rug in person at The carpet store in Springfield, Missouri. It was my first time choosing a rug for a home (that can’t be true, but I’m pretty sure it is!).
I wanted to get some antique rugs to make a rug, but since we were on a schedule and wanted to get the house ready before moving in, I decided to choose from a rug they had in stock. Note: The Carpet Shoppe didn’t give me any type of discount, but I would recommend them to local readers as they were really nice and easy to use.
I really, madly, deeply wanted to go for a deep red OR a deep green for the mat. My husband was nervous that I was creating too literal 1990s Alone at home house and voted for something neutral.
In the end, we settled on a light color that looks great on dark wood, but also has plenty of pattern to clean up and hide any stains that do occur.
I know I will get some questions (and probably judgment) about choosing to get a lightweight mat. I’ll be honest with you, we were pressed for time and it was the only compromise we both seemed to like.
I totally understand that I might regret that choice at some point, but I’ve also had many lightweight rugs in my house in the past that the internet told me would get stained and they ended up being fine .
Bottom line: I’m okay with the risk, so don’t stress on my behalf. If I have to replace them (hopefully far in the future) I can do my antique rug idea then. Maybe something like This?
How much did a new runner cost?
The total cost of the custom carpet and installation was $2,700. The cost of the stair rods (hardware) was $1150. The grand total was $3,850.
stair runner rods
I have always admired stair rods. Admittedly, they are mainly aesthetic since the mat can be fully secured without them. I chose to add these due to the historical theme of my home and it is a detail that may have been present in the original design.
I think they are absolutely gorgeous and add so much detail to the stair runner.
Stair rods come in all colors, but for me there was never really any choice but gold or brass. Here is a link to the exact stair bars i used.
Here are other Star Runner rods with different prices and finishes:
I plan to talk about our wood floors in another article soon. Let me know if you have any questions, either on the carpet or the floors. I’m thrilled with how they both turned out.
I have to tell you, I am having the BEST time setting up this house for our family. I look forward to so many happy years here creating, hosting and watching children grow.
We are incredibly happy, so thank you so much for your support and kindness during this changing season for us! Love, Elsie
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