From Gross to Glam: My Black and White Staircase Makeover
Before
The staircase is situated square in the middle of the house – and one of the first things you see when you enter through the front door. So it probably goes without saying that this:
…was definitely not how it was going to stay! It took a lot of work and time (when you have everything else needing makeovers too, the stairs will sometimes be neglected for design purposes and be used for their true purpose – functionality!). But after a few starts and stops, I finally got the staircase I’d been imagining.
After
BAM. The power of paint truly knows no limits! All black and white and soooo much better than before! Check out the posts linked below to see how it all went down in this staircase before and after project.
Posts About My Staircase Makeover
Continue on With the Tour…
You also probably caught a little of my Entryway area in the background of this photo, which has also been updated! I added some wood art (that I carved myself!) and hung a giant mirror that I absolutely LOVE.
Also, this hallway leads right to my kitchen. If you haven’t seen that makeover yet, continue with the tour by hitting up my Kitchen page!
Ricky Core says
Oct 20 2015 at 11:57 amThese stairs turn out great! Were you able to use the original one you ripped out the carpet? They definitely updated the house. Will you have harwood flooring to match? Refinishing stairs may seem like a lot of work, but adds so much aesthetic value to the home, especially if it’s the first thing you see.
Rich Joseph says
Sep 18 2016 at 10:39 amHi. I’m in the process of a staircase makeover, and the Executive is unhappy with my progress. I’ve hit a snag trying to replace the front step. The former homeowner built the step and screwed it onto the base with drywall screws… many drywall screws. I removed most of them, but several are stripped. I tried SpeedOut, but it didn’t work, and in fact is not recommended for drywall screws.
My regular bits don’t work either. Can you recommend a screw extractor that works for drywall screws?
Thanks
Sarah says
Sep 19 2016 at 1:23 pmI have a post coming up with info on screw extractors. Got a cheap set of them from Harbor Freight and they’ve worked great!
Maria Angelidou says
Dec 1 2018 at 3:30 amHi your staircase looks amazing did you use Gloss paint or did you use varnish afterwards?
Sarah says
Dec 1 2018 at 5:47 pmI didn’t varnish after, and I regret that I didn’t. There’s another blogger here who had good success with this same DIY project and I’m planning on using similar products when I touch mine up!
Cyndee says
Jan 26 2016 at 11:17 pmI love this! Inspires me to want to do mine this way.
Randa says
Mar 15 2016 at 5:01 pmI’ve been looking at your blog-slash-website for hours now and loved everything about it: from the way you write and your humor to your DIY tips and misadventures. I don’t know how you survived the counter top (almost) disaster but I love how you’re revamping your 1982 abode one step at a time. I’ve been in my house for 1 yr now and am also in the midst of remodeling/decorating/freaking out/loving my new home kind of thing.
Sarah says
Mar 15 2016 at 8:40 pm“Remodeling/decorating/freaking out/loving my new home” is pretty much the most accurate description I’ve read of what my experience has been like in a while. Lots of luck on your projects, and so glad to have you following along!
Gena Morrell says
May 25 2016 at 12:44 amHi, I love your stairs. I did the same to mine. It did take forever. But I love it. I have a question. What type of black paint did you use? Thank you
Gena
Sarah says
May 27 2016 at 9:31 amI used an out-of-the-can black paint from Rustoleum, and I LOVE the color, but it has started to rub off of the banister a little, so I’m going back to the drawing board on this one with a new paint as soon as I finish another project in the entryway. Here is a great post about how to get a protective finish!
Kimberly says
Jun 12 2016 at 7:04 pmHow do i create these stairs or something like it? I have all cement stairs and want to put something like yours together as the hurt my knees when I walk on them, is there a link to your method here?
Sarah says
Jun 12 2016 at 11:03 pmYou can get some of the crucial details by clicking on the “related posts” area of this same page… they recap the progress. You can also find more posts related to the stairs by checking out my Dueling DIY page and looking at the ones under the “staircase showdown” section. Good luck on your stairs!
Kimberly says
Jun 13 2016 at 8:15 pmThank you!!
Diane Darcy says
Aug 22 2016 at 1:32 pmKELLY MOORE MAKES A PAINT THAT WONT RUB OFF! I have used this paint on kitchen cabinets and doors in a rental house and after 12 years its still on there! Its called Durapoxie. Its about $50 a gallon but worth it. Its an epoxie type paint but water clean up. I love the stuff! I used it in our travel trailer also so it wont chip off and doing a great job!
Sarah says
Aug 23 2016 at 1:26 amThanks for the tip!
Hannah says
Oct 26 2016 at 10:59 amThis looks so chic I love it! I’ve been thinking about painting my skirting black for a while but I just don’t feel daring enough,
Jen says
Jan 28 2017 at 7:43 pmInstead of paint, I used polyshades in black over my old woodwork. Since it acts like a stain/poly, you don’t get rub off. Of course, clean up is not as easy, but I love the look. Just needed to lightly sand before applying in thin coats.
Sarah says
Jan 31 2017 at 6:37 pmThat’s a great idea! I have to do some touch ups soon, so I’m definitely thinking about how to do a project like this better. Thanks!
Tim says
Feb 13 2017 at 5:48 pmwow that’s a massively different look. Our stair case looks faded and dull much like yours was. Painting ins’t my thing but im going to give it a go. My stairs are kind of in a hall way where there is not much light so i think the white would help brighten it up.
Great stuff
Eva Brown says
Apr 27 2017 at 7:32 amI must say, this is a great project. I am going to decorate one of my cousin’s house next Monday and hope, it will be a nice project for me.
Adriana Wilford says
Jun 17 2017 at 8:59 amWe currently use carpet on our stairs and it looks just worn out and ugly! Your staircase turned out beautiful, but im not sure it would be an option in our case. We have solid cement stairs and it might be too costly to use wood veneers or something. I’ve seen some people use very realistic looking plastic panels that are really durable, but that would never fly with my husband and i’m also sceptical. In any case – thank you for the inspiration Sarah!
Sarah says
Jun 17 2017 at 10:58 pmYou’re welcome! I wonder if a good cement paint product with some texture would be a good option… they make some now that are supposed to be really durable!