Kezzle

A very neat painting job, however-

all your chosen colours are warm base, but the white on the staircase is pure so is the black

Why did you choose to paint that flight of stairs while the lower flight is timber?

I think that is why it looks 'wrong' to you

When you add photos/ paintings to the wall, use black frames & white matts as this will give some continuity Repetition is a good tool to use

cheers

Kezzle

Those inspo photos are lovely

I don't think painting laminate would work well especially if that area is high traffic - as stairs tend to be The paint will wear off in the used places

Just concentrate on the ideas you have The laminate stairs will 'disappear' with all the other lovely things you put in place

Cheers

it is because the walls and floor around it aren't sympathetic - once those are different it will look fab.

you have 4 colours going on for a start that don't match the black ,white, cream and floor once you do the grey it will look so much better,i think its a great job on the stairs they have that wow factor just add black and white frames for finishing and maybe black mat or carpet on the bottom steps .

I'm wondering how it would look if the wall stringers were painted the darker colour (black)? I think it would work well, but the large post would need to be re-painted white, otherwise there would be too much black.

I agree that you should paint the walls and complete the room. It appears to be a very sophisticated colour scheme, I'm seeing a New York Apartment style developing here with soft greys and white, use black sparingly as an accent colour. Complete it and live with it for a while as suggested by others. Get used to the change and then after a min of 6 months to a year if you feel the need to repaint go for it. Paints cheap but the experience of living with this scheme is priceless.

Hi Kezzle. Hey the stairs look great and yes go for a grey on the walls Dulux Grey Pail is a perfect colour for the walls ( not to dark and not too light, just right. lol) the laminated stairs can be tiled black( use laminate tiles) that will tie in the stairs nicely. I have found out also that yes do the whole Black frames pictures but put in a white one to break up the full on black or better yet a silver white one to give it some pizzazz. oh also don't forget to paint below the bannister on the lower section where the laminated floor iscause it too looks out of place, just saying. Keep going you are doing a fine job.

You have obviously put a huge amount of work into this job and it is sad that you are now disappointed. I think someone hit the hammer on the head with the wall colour but to paint such a large wall white might not be in your budget or on your plan. A simple solution might be to add some black and white onto that wall with a large piece of black and white photo art or a collage of smaller frames again with just black and white.

Two suggestions aside from a change of paint colour. Firstly can you edge the bottom stairs with a black metal strip to help tie those in? Or even just paint the strip? Secondly what about putting a white cap on the main stair post on the right? Could also be done at each end of the landing. It might help with some definition. I personally would do this post in white with a black cap but it's not my house.

I have to agree the outcome of your project looks awful, simply no good and an absolute mismatch to your floor, walls and the last riser into the top landing (this one is a no go). My solution could be a change for steps, risers, handrail and neel posts, get the black out of the picture, create a wood grain solution with paint on steps, risers and handrail, finish it with a clear varnish. Paint the neel posts white gloss as the varnish shine will appear.

The wood grain is an easy one, you got the guiding colours for the base coat and graining on your top riser or the floor on the bottom landing. If you going to do it yourself have fun, it’s creative and you find enough hints online for the technical part in terms how to use art brush and paint. Finally with a coat of a clear varnish you’ll get enough coverage to minimise wear and tear. If you are keen to ad some elegance to your stairway install a carpet runner (50-60 cm wide) all the way in the middle of stairs and landings in a color of your choice, it also gives the “timber” surface more protection. You don’t have to paint the walls or floor to make the staircase looking nice!

I think its mainly the wall colour that is putting you off. Paint the wall like you said and then have another look at it. laying a nice charcoal carpet on the entire flight would cover the bottom treads that dont match and soften the look as well. Uncarpeted treads also tend to get very dusty. I have to vacuum and wipe mine at least once a month to keep them looking nice. Otherwise, try typing stair riser into Etsy. There are some cool designs depending on the look you want and are normally vinyl and cheap and easy to remove. Another trick you can do is find a gorgeous hall runner online and buy enough to do the whole flight. Colourful stripe or floral? You just have to get a carpet layer to mitre and join on the landing.

I would consider white timber moulding running down the wall same height as the hand rail. Even chair rail on the wall and a Dome top knob on the newel post would add interest.

really? i think it looks gorgeous. you've done an amazing job. maybe some colour on the wall but stairs are great.

You can get a white paint that has the slightest hint of grey. The photo posted with the grey wall the stairs are exactly as yours are and it looks fabulous.

I think you need a rug at the bottom of the stairs to distract the eye from the flooring colour change. The stairs look great and it's a lovely wall colour. Try and pull it together with those colours in a rug so there is some continuity between upstairs and the lower level where the floor colour becomes lighter and more like the wall colour next to the stairs.

The stairs are just lovely. I agree with julia hocking and suggest you repeat some patterning in the sitting room. It could be a single chair (look at op shops and use the same dark grey colour) frames, cushions, a rug. Be selective, dont go crazy! Certainly paint the walls, you want crispness. It shouts at you now because its not finished and seems to be outside your usual choices, but stay with the theme. Keep calm........

I would not change the stair colour. The stairs look good to me! I think if the wall colour was changed as suggested by cloudpants, and a few pieces of artwork hung, it would look completely different.

Once you start putting up your accessories - it will tie together. The stairs look great. Even if you leave the laminate and place black frame in that area it will link the 2 areas.

When the walls are painted and the pictures are up the stairs will be fine, but I would paint the doorway at the top of the stairs the same colour as the wall so as not to make it stand out as much as the stairs. If you paint it black with white frames it will be too much. Also leave the lower stairs as they are barely noticeable. Make it to your taste because you will be living with it and as you can read we are all different.

Kezzle, you're just having a little mid-reno freak out. Don't second guess yourself, there's lots of good advice and encouragement in this thread. Stick with your plan, you're doing great.

Hi everyone, thank you all so much for your comments- each one has been really helpful & thank you to those who have complimented the work. I still fluctuate with whether I love it or not, but as jdublya says, i think its just a mid reno freak out! My original colour choice was a dark brown, but unfortunately following other suggestions, it ended up being black. Anywho I will continue to push through with all the other plans- light grey walls, white door frames and doors, and black handles. Then have a think about wall art - frames etc. Once all of that is done i will post an update and let you know if we decide to change anything with the stairs. Also thought I'd mention that the colour of the flooring on the first level has come out a lot more red than it actually appears in real life. I am quite excited to finish the project but of course with limited funds, 3 kids, 2 dogs and a kitten it takes a lot of time! Sit tight, will update as and when :) Thanks again all, your encouragement is encouraging ;-)

One thing that caught my eye and tilts the balance for me a bit is the timber painted black that runs underneath the balusters. If that was painted white instead of black it would balance out better. I agree with others in respect to the wall colour. I think your choice of grey would be more in date however make sure it's a grey with a bit of a warm red undertone. A cool blue grey may not work. Sometimes we have to work with what is existing in a home due to budget and I think painting can refresh and recreate an object. You've done well

Hi. it's looks smart and fresh, the problem is not the stairs but the surrounding colours on the wall and floor. So your can either stick to the soft tones and wood finish and repaint the stairs or repaint the wall with a fresh paint and carpet the wooden floor.

haha legendaryflame I am afraid you might be waiting a while! We are waiting on carpets to be installed before we do walls before we can decide on décor before we make a final call on stairs! And at the moment I am in the middle of a battle with the carpet company trying to charge me 25 lm of carpet when I know I only need 21.9 cheeky buggers!!

The main thing that I don't like is the bottom post being black with a white trim at the bottom. I think it would look more cohesive with the rest of the stairway if the post was white.

In fact just reviewing comments and hadn't noticed the other black posts - I would make them all white.

There are effective differences between your job and the inspiration photos. In the inspiration pic, only the tops of rail and posts and treads are painted dark; where the bottoms of the posts fix into the base, is painted white. The adjoining wall is either a contrasting colour (i.e. the blue colour) or white with lining boards. Copy it exactly and it will have the same impact. Vary slightly and it will look different, because it is actually different.

No dont worry yourself, it looks quite lovely, problem is the colour of the wall, once that is changed it will be great. Yes live with it for a short time and I feel you will grow to like it. I think it will be very acceptable when walls are change.