Decorating Walls Along Stairs

Photo Gallery

• The photo display is a traditional way to decorate the wall along a staircase, but it may not give those smaller family portraits the attention and lighting they deserve. Keep the space looking airy and appealing by using a few large photos that have been transferred onto a display canvas. High-resolution photographs can be enlarged to over 48 inches and printed out on a display-worthy canvas, making the selection of your most interesting personal shots the real difficulty here. Whether you choose a few black-and-white images of your kids, or color images from your last vacation, the large canvases on a stair-wall garner attention and make the most of available natural lighting in the space.

Light Source

• A sophisticated modern home will add a splash of color and fun by using colorful rope lighting on a stairway wall. Seen as an artistic installation, rope lighting can be shaped into appealing forms that lead the eye up the stairs. Waves, loops or even an unexpected arrow will light up a dark staircase and add a bright element to the home any time of the year.

Decals

• Peel-and-stick wall decals offer homeowners and renters a temporary way to update a stairway wall and make it an expression of the dweller's personality and interests. Huge polka dots that bounce up the stairs highlight the lighthearted and casual decor of some homes, while a floral or organic motif can be applied to add the texture and interest that wallpaper normally would in a more traditional home. Easy enough to change a few times a year, start with a neutral wall paint to allow it to coordinate with nearly any decal you choose.

Mirror Collection

• Make the most of filtered natural lighting below or above the staircase by hanging a collection of vintage to antique hand or wall mirrors on the wall along the stairs. Stick to elements that keep the collection cohesive, such as gold frames or mirrors from the art deco period, and then fill the wall with a collage that bounces the light around the stairs during the day, and creates an elegant look at night.

Chalkboard Paint

• Whether you have a house full of kids or just want to add some artistic whimsy, chalkboard paint on the wall along a stairway provides ample opportunity to create one-of-a-kind and ever-changing decorations in your space. When plain, the wall appears to be a dark slate gray that adds drama when seen from other living spaces, but since it’s a chalkboard as well, there is no reason for it to be undecorated. Use wet chalk to create vibrant holiday scenes, write out a poem or relevant quote or celebrate an achievement with words of congratulations.

Vintage Architecture

• A useful way to add structural interest in a simplified, modern build or bring a sense of nostalgia to an older home, hang old window panes of various shapes on the wall in a stairway. Chipping paint, hand-blown glass panes, and interesting shapes from square to a Gothic-arch style, a window display hung in a non-linear way keeps the space feeling light, uncrowded and inviting.