Q: We are going to have our main floor, oak, sanded and stained a darker color than it currently is. What do we do with the stairs? Leave them the lighter natural color? Or stain them darker to match?
Then do we paint the banister a chocolate brown to complete the look?
A: I think I would do the stair to match. Paint the pickets, but have the handrail stripped and stained to match also.
Similar Q: I was wondering if an oak staircase would impact the use of say maple or birch on the upstairs floors? Thanks for sharing!
A: That seems more of a decorators question with a subjective answer. In my thinking, the stairs are not floors. They are a separate element, just as your walls are a separate element. One decorating effect I’ve seen plenty of with really interesting effect is, for example, to have a feature wall in a room where the color on that wall is totally different than all the other walls. Or in a kitchen where all the cabinets are the same, except for one section that is a different color entirely. It was interesting and didn’t really conflict with the entire scheme.
Q imported from our old site, Face Lift Floors: We are remodeling and we’re set to install hardwood flooring. We’re having difficulty finding a company that in addition to hardwood flooring that also makes treads and railing to match the hardwood flooring we select. Any suggestions?
A: I would think you should be able to find a company specializing in staircases which works in oak. There is no mystery about the species and is the most common in NA. I would not expect a flooring company to also specialize in stairs and railings. But there are certainly individual companies who do one or the other.
Original / moved link https://faceliftfloors.com/q-and-a/treadco.php