One of the features we love most about our historic home from 1904 is the entryway. Since we refinished our floors before moving in, we also removed the stair runner that was there before.
We knew we wanted something clean and fresh that matched the era of our home. Before we went in, one of my nieces asked if she could take her prom photos on those 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 Posts: What Adds Value to Your Home?, Finding the Perfect White Paint for Your Home, How We Created a Hidden Room, Library Dining Room, or you can check out all my previous room tours.
History and transformation of our staircase
Our beautiful staircase was built in the 1920s when our house was rebuilt after a fire that destroyed almost the entire house. This is why many of the features of our home feel more 1920’s even though the home was built in 1904.
And a side note to my fellow ghost-obsessed readers: No, no one was killed in the fire.
Now a bit about change! We knew we wanted to keep the beautiful unpainted wood, so we planned everything around that.
When choosing between light and dark colors for our entryway stain, we chose a dark color that would blend seamlessly with the original wood of the stairs. When choosing a rug, we opted for something neutral because patterned floors are already a statement.
I ordered an amazing piece of art to go up the first staircase, but it hasn’t arrived yet. Oh…and can you imagine this place at Christmas?
Runner selection process
I personally selected my carpet runner at a carpet shop in Springfield, Missouri. This was my first time choosing a rug for the house (it can’t be right, but I’m pretty sure it is!).
I wanted to get an antique rug to make a runner, but since we were on a timeline and wanted to get the house ready before we moved in, I decided to choose from the rugs they had. . Note: Carpet Shop didn’t give me a discount, but I would recommend them to local readers because they were really nice and easy to work with.
I wanted to go with a deep red or deep green for a really, crazy, deep rug runner. My husband was nervous that I was making the 1990s too literal. Alone at home Voted home and something neutral.
In the end, we went with a lighter color that looks great on the dark wood, but has a lot of pattern to clean up and hide any stains found.
I know I will get questions (and maybe judgment) about the choice to get a light carpet runner. I will be honest with you that we were in a time crunch and it was the only compromise that we both saw love.
I fully understand that I may regret this choice at some point, but in the past I’ve had many light rugs in my home that the internet told me would stain and they turned out fine.
Bottom line: I’m fine with risk, so don’t pressure me. If I were to replace them (hopefully in the not-too-distant future), I’d consider my antique carpet for now. Maybe something like this?
How much did a new carpet runner cost?
The total cost of the custom carpet runner and installation was $2,700. The stair treads (hardware) cost $1,150. The total was $3,850.
Stair Runner Rods
I have always admired stair runner bars. Admittedly, they are mostly aesthetic because the carpet can be completely preserved without them. I chose to include them because of the historic theme of my home and they are a detail that was probably present in the original design.
I think they are absolutely beautiful and add so much detail to the stair runner.
Stair treads come in all different colors, but for me there was no other choice but gold or brass. Here is a link to the exact stair runner rods I used.
Here are some other Star Runner rods with different prices and finishes:
I plan to share about my hardwood floors in another post soon. Let me know if you have any questions about carpet runners or flooring. I’m happy with how they both turned out.
I have to tell you, I am having the best time setting up this home for my family. I envision many happy years here creating, hosting and growing children.
We are incredibly happy, so thank you so much for your support and kindness during this season of change for us! Love, Elsie
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