Stairway Border Options

Framed Photos

• When the stairway's paint color is in perfect harmony with the rest of the house, use the empty space on the stairway wall and transform it into a gallery. Frame beloved items, such as antique postcards, children's artwork, family photos, and artfully arrange them on the wall. Use different-shaped frames in the same color -- black or white works best -- and arrange them in groupings on the wall. Opt for symmetry and hang the photos, such as your child's school photos or favorite vacation snapshots, to match the stair treads. A gallery works especially well when the stairway is visible from other rooms.

DIY Art

• Should the stairway be its own hallway, liven it up with do-it-yourself art. Adorn the wall of the entire stairway or parts of it with paint chips from your local big box store. Opt for pastel hues to add light and color to a dark space. Plaster the wall with pages from an old atlas or vintage cookbooks. Use a spray adhesive to adhere your DIY art to the wall.

Decals

• Show the stairway in your rental property some love with removable wall decals. Opt for wallpaper made by Tempaper or large-scale prints and murals from Eazy Waltz. If covering the entire wall is not an option, choose smaller peel-and-stick graphics, either in shapes inspired by nature or those that spell out phrases that echo your design scheme. A carefully placed flower sticker by each stair tread adds color and whimsy to an otherwise dull space. You could also emphasize the top stair landing with a large-scale wall decal.

Paint

• If permanent design is not an issue, dress up the stairway with some paint. If the stairway is open to one or two rooms, don't allow the paint to interfere with the overall design scheme. Instead, stencil designs either on the bottom of the wall and near the stair tread or near the top of the wall to act as a border. The painting's design should complement the overall design scheme and not work against it. Star- or sheep-shaped stencils work well in a country decor, ranging from rustic to colonial. If the stairway is isolated, consider bold accents, such as vertical stripes whose width matches those of the stair treads. Pick two complementary colors so that the area doesn't look like a circus big top.