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All Things Renovation
Everything I Learned About Stair Carpet Runners And What We Ended Up Installing (Including What It Cost)
This process could be a 500-page book. The most boring book ever, but for design nerds like me I’d read it. I have never done a stair runner before and learned SO MUCH, but it was a fairly arduous process as we went through so many options to be told “no” over and over and over. Here’s how it went down.
We pulled up the carpet, found that the wood flooring was totally fine (classic 2″ fir), and decided to paint instead of replacing them. Great. We always intended on a stair runner for comfort, slippage, and noise reduction. Should be easy, right? Not really. It was far more complicated than it looks. You see, our stairs are two different widths – at the bottom they are 70.5″ wide, then it turns and it narrows to 47″ wide. I had wanted to buy readymade runners and install them, but with the different widths, it became very complicated.
Idea #1: Runners + Then Wider Rugs In A Pretty Woven
I wasn’t necessarily phased by this size difference thing (that much). I figured I’d buy three runners for the length and a larger rug for the landing and the first three wider steps. I’d have the larger rug cut down and bound. I realized I’d have to have at least 9′ of length and the rug I wanted didn’t come in a 6’x9′ so I figured I’d order an 8’x10′ and cut it down to 4’x10′. I was going to run it straight against the stairs on the landing and stop it where the runner would start going up the second run of stairs (does that make any sense??). Great. I ordered the rugs and then called around to get them cut and bound. As soon as I started calling I got pushback about the rug that I had chosen, saying that it’s what “decorators like to do” but no installer will do it because it won’t last as a stair runner. I was admittedly annoyed at the mansplaining but I also tend to like to take expert advice. I sent photos/video of the rug so they could see the weave and they said that it was just way too loose, that it would give way too much when people step down with forward force and that this would make the stripes wonky. Those seemed like fair points. They, of course, wanted us to go the commercial route which I’m not opposed to but I wasn’t inspired by. I wanted pretty rugs!
Idea #2: Runner + Rug Combo In A Hand-Knotted Rug (Not Woven)
Still hoping to work with Rejuvenation I thought maybe one of their more bound and hand-knotted Persian-style rugs would work. I had one on hand from the pantry reveal and looked at them on the stairs. It was pretty, but since they didn’t sell 3’x5’s or 4’x6’s we would again have to cut down a much larger rug. Also, these patterns would be much harder to cut and paste, what with the border and the field pattern.
Idea #3: Enkay, A Solid With So Much Texture
Around the same time, Enkay sent our family room rug which was so stunning that I thought maybe we use them on the stairs. They sold runners that would work (or so I thought) but again we’d have to cut down a larger rug to fit the larger landing. I put the sample on the stairs and it was just so beautiful – calm, with so much color variation, and soft. But again, as soon as we started calling around we ran into the same issue (it’s too loose). ALSO, the binding wouldn’t match as they self-bind (with the same yarn as the rug). We could rebind all of them (runner included) to make the binding match but man, this was getting complicated.
Idea #4: Vintage Persian Rugs
While we didn’t want this rug to be loud or super patterned, of course, I love vintage/antique Persian rugs. Ok, I thought about collecting vintage Persian carpets and combining them. I didn’t explore this for long enough TBH because trying to find five that looked good together (three runners and two rugs for the landing) felt virtually impossible, or else I’d end up spending $15k. I’m VERY picky about my vintage/antique rugs and like them in cooler-toned colorways. We also didn’t want it to look like a carpet showroom and if this wasn’t perfectly done, it would. Another issue is that vintage runners aren’t all the same width – they are usually off by a few inches. Some rugs would be cut off at weird points, cutting the field pattern without the border, etc. This could all totally be fine but it felt like it was going to take months or years to collect the right ones, tens of thousands do get the ones that I want, then troubleshoot the install – the risk of it not looking good would be high. If I had an endless budget and time this is likely what I would have done, but to do what I wanted would have taken too much money and too much time. I could have bought a bunch and had them shaved and dyed to match, but again would it have been worth it? Idea, nixed.
Idea #5: Bound Wall-To-Wall Carpet – I.E. Commercial/Residential Grade
We finally started giving up on using a pretty rug and went to a carpet place in town. I was legit impressed with a lot of the options and we brought back samples. I didn’t love them as much as any of the other options above, but the carpet itself was fine. A salesman came to the house to measure and we bumped up against the issue of where to stop the carpet on the landing. I thought that the lower carpet would essentially meet the bottom stair on the landing – with NO Gap. The very experienced salesman said that this is not something he has ever done and advised against it – “It’s just not how it’s done”. Y’all I like listening to experts, people who have done one thing over and over for 20 years. While we might not often share the same style, their expertise is so valid. At that meeting, we finally decided to get a quote on a light blue, bound option and have the carpet make the turn to go up the stairs. Fine.
The quote came in around $5k and not only did I feel like that was a lot, but more importantly, I just wasn’t excited about it. I looked for HOURS on the internet for stair runners that I liked and almost none of them that I loved were bound wall-to-wall carpet – or at least didn’t look like it. It didn’t need to be a big statement but I didn’t want it to look like a commercial space. I talked to Brian about it and he supported me and said, “Just do whatever you want to do, whatever will be prettiest and make you happy”. Now, I don’t want to do something that will need to be replaced in five years, but I feel like we could still choose a pretty rug that would last 10 years (which is a decent time for carpet, no?).
I reached out to my contact at Annie Selke and sent them options, asking what they think would have the most longevity for stair runners. She sent me back these two options.
Malta Navy Handwoven Wool Rug | Denim Plaid Handwoven Cotton Rug
Idea #5: The Winner!!! Tight Weave Runner + Bound Rug
These felt durable and when you tried to stretch them they were stiff. Any of them could have worked but we ended up going with this one. We partnered with Annie Selke and ordered three 2.5’x8′ runners and two 3’x5′ rugs. We ultimately decided that the landing stairs only needed to be 6″ wider than the more narrow stairs. So therefore two 3×5 rugs would do it. Had we paid full price for this the rugs themselves would be $1,058. Keep that in mind as we add up the labor…
Time to Bind
After being told “no” and “impossible” a few times about binding our rugs together, Gretchen found a guy who not only would do it but documented the whole thing! He had to match the pattern and ideally make it look seamless. WAHOO!!! This cost $180 and was done in a few days by the great folks at Ray-Burt’s. He also suggested and cut our carpet pad to go underneath it which cost another $165. So at this point, we have spent $345.
Ready To Install
I finally found a team of installers that would do this carpet (they had previously said no to the woven one). They felt that it was tight and durable enough. They had to troubleshoot a bit (we ran out at the top, thus the gap that doesn’t bother me) but they were such pros and made it look good. They laid out the carpet pad (only on the treads, not taking it up the risers) and began expertly stapling them down. They matched the stripe pattern on the longer run of stairs. WAHOO. The install took four hours and cost $600.
Then they added the stair rods, with the cute little finials (that don’t really have a function, but look so pretty and decorative and help it from looking like bound carpet). We realized that we were missing two 36″ ones that are now on order from Rejuvenation. We chose the black to be less blingy (Rejuvenation has all different metallic finishes) but brass could be so pretty, too.
The Reveal
We love how it turned out and I’m SO MUCH HAPPIER than if we had done a commercial carpet. We decided to take the bound 3’x5’s (so the 3’x10′ runner) and just have it go straight back, with a gap on the landing before the riser. We very much like how this looks, despite it not being the “norm”. I think it just looks more like they are rugs on stairs instead of commercial carpet if that makes sense and is more the look we were going for. While we like to listen to experts they are also often stuck in doing things the way they always have and I personally think rethinking perspectives can get you something more interesting.
I want to also recognize that this process took so much of my time (and my team’s time) – had I been charging myself (or if you have a designer) know that doing these troubleshooting moments in order to do “something interesting” can cost in the thousands in time. So I fully get how and why a contractor or designer would bring in their carpet guy with their samples and get it done in one appointment. I’m glad we went this way and I thought that it would be helpful for those at home looking to do something similar, but it certainly took a lot of time to troubleshoot which a lot of people don’t have.
When walking on the stairs it feels extremely solid, i.e. not slippery at all. This is probably due to the staples and non-slip carpet pad, but if I had to guess I’d say that this would last for many many years. Also, it’s dark and super forgiving. This carpet itself is wool so it’s not this crazy soft texture but we knew that going into it and it’s still very soft. While we don’t allow shoes in the house we also know that at times kids will forget, so I love this is the first line of defense before they get to the landing (which will have a painted light pattern) and their light carpet in their bedroom (which does scare me TBH).
How Much Did It Cost?
Ok so the rugs would have been $1,058, the binding was $180, the carpet pad was $165, and the install was $600. So in total, it would be about $2k. Far less than the $5k quote for a product that I just wasn’t excited about. If I were to do this again, I would skip all those troubleshooting ideas and go for a very tight weave or hand-knotted rug + runner combo, have them bound (if necessary – the gap might hit at a riser and work, but ours was going to hit on the landing so we had to go bound), and call a smaller mom/pop install company that isn’t trying to make their money off of the sale of the commercial carpet. Now our landing was weird, but most of you probably have stairs that are all the same width, therefore, reducing this troubleshooting SO MUCH. I also want to clarify that nothing is wrong with commercial-grade bound carpet, but where I don’t love it so much are the “turns” of the stairs that can end up looking really corporate (IMHO) because they follow it almost too perfectly. I like the simplicity of it just looking like a rug on a stair, not a big overly designed install if that makes any sense.
Thanks for coming to my one-woman show on stair runners. Please if you have other insight for other people leave it in the comments. I’ve only done this once so have information only based on my personal experience in Portland. xx
Resources:
Rug: Annie Selke
Stair Color: Smoky Blue by Sherwin-Williams
Wallpaper: Scandinavian Wallpaper
Wall and Trim Color: Extra White by Sherwin-William
Picture Light: Rejuvenation
All Hardware: Rejuvenation
Wood Floors: Oregon White Oak by Zena Flooring
*Photos by Kaitlin Green
I noticed in the video and the living room reveal, just how well the stairs tied in with the living room rug.
They’re so happy chatting away to each other.
It’s a really special outcome and I appreciate the ‘gap’. It’s better. A happy accident, if you will.
Grrreat solution. ?
“Chatting away to each other.” Love that, Rusty!
It looks lovely! As someone who likes to know how everything works, I’d have been curious to see how the rug starts at the top of the steps. Does any of it go up onto the second floor landing? If not where do you lay the first piece of rug? On the first step down or on the riser? Secondly, I notice that you have carpet on the bottom riser on the wider steps and not the riser after the landing. I know you said you had to problem solve so I suspect that is why. I think the gap at the back of the rug on the landing would look less incongruous to my eyes if you had not carpeted the bottom riser on the wider part of the stairs. Not to say it looks bad at all, just something I was trying to figure out what felt slightly “off” to me. Either way, great job!
Typically you start a runner underneath the top tread (covering the riser). Then at the bottom, the decision where to end often depends on where you are on the rug – you want a clean (likely bound) edge by the floor. If you put it under the tread, you have more flexibility, since the cut edge is touching the riser.
Thank you!! I’m about to DIY a stair runner and this is very helpful info.
This is so interesting to me! Because my eye liked how there was a similar “white space” of the painted floor on the gap on the landing as well as the rising part of the stair. If the runner had come down the stair, it would have made the gap on the landing seem less intentional to me. I guess maybe this is one of those things that is just something you have to eyeball and do what feels right to each individual. I always enjoy reading these comments and seeing the varying viewpoints, sometimes things I don’t even think about myself.
Also, I too wanted to see the top of the stairs! I believe in a previous post she mentioned hanging family pictures up the stairwell, so maybe there is a top of stairs reveal coming…
Ohhhh! I have a sample of that rug in a different color way right here on my desk. I’m debating doing the same project with it so the timing of this post is super helpful. : )
I’m so impressed with all of the options you explored, and it’s incredibly helpful to see the troubleshooting process. $2000 for this install is VERY good. We went the typical commercial rug company route and paid the same for a thinner wool rug (we have two smaller landings), and while we are happy with the results, yours is much more beautiful haha. Thank you for being willing to break the “rules” by bringing the rug to the wall instead of doing the turns. I love how it turned out. Brava!
Love it!! What you did looks WAY better than the other options. Glad y’all found a solution!
Love this! And good for you for sticking with what you truly wanted. When there’s a will there’s a way! :)
It turned out so well. I, like you, often like non standard ideas. I like the carpet you chose, but would stuck with wider width for the lower stair and the landing. But we’ve all been there and had to take whatever option existed to complete the project. The color and pattern work are beautiful. I wish you also showed how it looks on top of the stairs. I never know where to end it.
I think part of what makes these stairs challenging is that first narrower stair on the landing. There’s really only a couple of inches more space for a wider rug that’s centered on the wide, lower stairs without hitting the small tread.
Very lovely
I definitely would be curious to know how long it holds up. I did running once previously with with a woven rug pulled tight and it looked great for two years or so. Now I went with carpet and it’s so much more durable and tough which is what I need right now with kids.
looks gorgeous. Keep us posted on wear and tear
I have almost EXACTLY the same stair layout in my house, also in painted wood! I’ve been eyeing runner options for a while so this is perfect inspiration. I second the other commenter who asked to see how the runner starts at the top of the stairs—would love to see how you laid that out. Maybe on Instagram?
Cost doesn’t include the rods, right? That must add another $1000 or so? It’s beautiful!
I had this question, too! They are so gorgeous; I have never seen those before and I love it. Totally sent me over to the website to check that out.
This looks great! I love the gap, and how the rugs all match but work for their various widths. I did just want to add, though, for anyone thinking about just stair runners (not part landing rug, part stair runner), that this is actually a really easy diy. I’m not that handy, and I worried and worried and worried about it when we did it, but it was actually really straightforward.
Aileen, would you share more about your process and where you sourced the materials you worked with? Did you buy something that was intended to be a stair runner?
I have done it as a DIY project and while I’m a careful and detail-oriented person, I am not super into DIY so my DIY skills aren’t the best. I used indoor/outdoor flat weave runners by Annie Selke. I had to use three runners for my stairs, which are in a simple straight line. I installed them about six years ago and still looks almost new and I have two kids and a lab.
I used this tutorial:
This was really helpful! Thanks!
I was going to suggest looking at Young House Love too! Also, Alexandra Gater has installed a runner; you can find her video on youtube.
wow what you don’t know that you don’t know! now i know, stairs are hard.
The runner and rug look fantastic! I’d say it was worth the effort and time you put in, and appreciate your sharing of the process to prevent others having to do the same. Two questions: What was the decision based on to remove the cute cabinet at the bottom of the steps, around the corner (what was its original purpose anyway?)? And how was the landing before the next turn of the stairs near the top handled in regards to the rugs?
I’m surprised at how interesting I found this post about a seemingly mundane topic lol. Anytime we get to learn about all the ins-and-outs of your design choices it’s legit fascinating to me, so please keep ‘em comin’! While I ‘m sure the patchwork Persian idea could have been gorgeous, I think it would have been too much patchwork so close to the Boro curtains. I really like how this looks, it’s perfect for the space, and the fact that the bottom piece doesn’t turn the corner actually leads the eye to that beautiful window!
I probably wouldn’t put anything on the lower/wider stairs and only did the runner on the main staircase. Otherwise its a good solution for what you wanted.
Honestly, I LOVE this. This is one of the details that resonates most for me – beautiful work!
Your stair runner looks great! I would add the perspective that when you have the right carpet (and I think pick wool every time over synthetic materials) cut and bound to make a stair runner that turns corners on landings, etc, it looks “custom”, rather than “commercial”. Just my take. :).
I agree. Reading Emily’s explanation of wanting it to look like rugs rather than a “commercial” runner makes sense, but honestly the gap still feels awkward to me, as much as I’m trying to embrace it. Obviously just a personal preference though.
To me, the ‘gap’ is what mskes it bespoke and individual. Without a gap, it’d have no quirk and if we kmow Emily, the lady likes some quirk. Hence Emily’s trademark saying: “Perfect is boring, let’s get weird.”
There’s quirk that works (art, unique furnishings) and quirk that doesn’t. I guess I’d argue that the functionality of stairs isn’t what you want to call “quirk” attention to. Make it pretty and cohesive with the rest of the house, but do it right and well.
No-one will walk where the gap is.
The runner is there to reduce noise and increase comfort.
Emily WANTED it to look like a “rug” and not standard carpet.
By voting down “Perfect is boring, let’s get weird”, you are voting down Emily, because that is HER saying, not mine.
Maybe some people don’t know that, if they aren’t a long-time readers?
Love this so much!
First-time commenter here… I’ve been watching and relishing this entire process since you first “found” the farmhouse. I’ve loved so much of what you’ve done to bring your stamp to your family’s home. It may seem odd but I literally said “Wowza!” out loud when I saw the close-up of the stair/riser/runner/hardware detail. It may have been a bit of a slog but CHEF’S KISS!!!! The fine craftsmanship and the color and the texture and oh, my goodness!!! This is so very special. Thank you for sharing not just your outcomes but your process.
Looks nice! What a pain getting there, but now you know! :)
I read every word and loved alllll of it. Thank you! I really like the gap; I’m sure others have said this already but it looks like intentional negative space, like how you don’t squish all your furniture against each other or the wall, so the shapes can breathe.
It’s also so, so informative to point out that troubleshooting costs money. In my experience, the two biggest things that stall out design projects are decision fatigue/overwhelm and budget/timeline blow out, and that’s why you must, must have padding in both. (We call it the f*ckery margin.) Because you can plan for materials and install and shipping and fasteners, but you can’t really plan for the moment someone goes “oh there are a bunch of weird constraints about how to turn this carpet 90 degrees, and a bunch of people will have equally convincing, but contradictory, ideas about what they are.” The person you hire to circle that square is valuable, and if you want them to spend problem-solving minutes thinking about your stair rug and not like, anything else, you have to pay them! Such a useful post. And they look gorgeous.
I’m applauding this comment. The f*ckery margin is applicable for a lot of life situations. And agree, the difference between and amateur and a professional is obvious for anyone who doesn’t have time to think about it or get it wrong. That said, it you have the time it can be fun and become a profession for some so power to the DIY community.
We’ve had an Annie Selke runner on our stairs for about six years. I installed it myself with a thin rug pad on each tread. It looks just about as good as the day I installed it. I did initially get wool runners from Annie Selke that wouldn’t have cut as well and would have been harder to make the transitions, so I have those in all of my hallways. I ended up with a flat weave indoor/outdoor rug and I still love it.
Very interesting! As someone who has also SPENT HOURS looking for a non-slip solution for my riser-less (floating) stairs that doesn’t look terrible, I sympathize…I still haven’t found a solution if anyone has any ideas!
Have you thought of floor tiles? I know Flor sells rug tiles and they have stickers to keep the tiles in place. I assume you would have to cut the tiles to fit the stair treads but perhaps this can be a solution?
Good luck!
Good idea, and you can have Flor cut them for you when ordering :)
I am with you in this!! We are about to remodel and change floors and the stairs currently have carpet wrapping but it is gross and needs to go. There are no good affordable options!
I will second Brigitte’s suggestion. Flor tiles can be DIY or installed. You can also make them rounded on the edges or squared. Correct glue is key. My mom did this on an old house stairway because she could keep it visually low key and still help the dog get traction. It also made the stairs quieter. But color or pattern could make it more of a design statement too.
I’ve been in a couple of gorgeous 70’s houses with floating stairs, and they had wrapped runners. One was kilim and the other was a solid color, and they both looked awesome. I think the key is to make sure the wrap is really tight, and secured on the underside, but the place where they’re tacked together needs to be tidy too, if you can see underneath them. And I’d imagine it’s kind of finicky, but very important, that they’re all the same distance from the edge of the risers on both sides, something you wouldn’t have to be as careful about when installing a continuous piece. Bon chance!
I’m guessing you’ve seen stair carpets online? You’re stairs sound really pretty, and the stair carpets may not measure up if so. But they are a good and affordable solution. I’d like a runner but couldn’t put the $ into it right now. I have an older dog who couldn’t get up the stairs without some traction so I ordered a set from Wayfair. For about $100 I got a neutral, unobtrusive solution that will work for a few years until I’m ready for a runner. They are not beautiful by any means, but they also aren’t offensive either. Good budget option.
I love how a design decision that takes HOURS of time and effort ends up looking the most effortless (and better). Some people just don’t get that.
Emily, thank you so much for all of the info, and for saving us from hours of troubleshooting by sharing all of this!
I’m also grateful for the other commenters who mentioned they have DIY’d this, as I’m considering doing it and have the tools.
I’d love to learn more about the binding process if anyone has done that as well.
I’ve pieced together runners myself to get the right length. I used a synthetic, short pile rug with a pattern, cutting the two rugs at a spot where the patterns would match and the length would be about right. I then connected the two pieces using a carpet tape (like below.) I didn’t stitch them together because I thought it would show in the rug type and because the rug was thicker than I thought I could easily sew through, but the seam has held up without issue for over five years.
I must be a design nerd because I read every word and I am not even thinking about a runner for our stairs (which are covered in mint green carpeting and have a 45 degree pitch, no exaggeration). If we ever have the budget to rebuild the staircase, I guess will know what I need to know about runners :)
Wow, I was getting depressed and anxious as I was reading this saga, but the outcome is really great! I mean REALLY great. Very attractive weave and color and should last way beyond ten years.
I think Annie Selke rugs look awesome as runners. More power to you for not worrying about whether the darker stripe would fall in the same position relative to each step lol. I’m not sure I could have kept myself from obsessing about that. I am curious how you secured the far edge of the rug on the landing, meaning the edge closest to the wall with the window. Did that far edge just get stapled down directly into the floor? Did you ever consider taking that edge all the way up to the baseboard underneath the window?
This rug is such a wonderful celebration of navy blue! I just love it.
I love the runner but I never noticed the doorway at the bottom riser. Now I’m super curious where the doorway leads. Is there a closet behind the fireplace?
Looking at the original pics there is also a small door built into the wall as you come halfway down the stairs, but it looks like they removed it and drywalled over it in the new pics. Yes, inquiring minds want to know what were/are these doors for??
Wow!! The stairs look awesome!
I’ve never seen a chair on a stair landing before.
Have we talked about the handrail?! It looks lovely…
It’s such a quircky stair, I love it. Now where does that door on the right lead too? Is there a ‘secret’ room under there?!
I love the gap – so much more interesting and homey looking!
Forgot to add, I think black was absolutely the right choice for the stair rods. Brass rods are beautiful, but they add so much formality, and we all know that is not the feeling you’re going for.
LOVE! Emily, can you talk a bit about your stair rail and the brackets you used to attach it?
I also have a stair with multiple widths! It actually is straight but moves to the left 4” as you go down. I’ve been considering a vintage kilim rug, I wonder if it would be tight enough? I hope to find one long enough in colors I like and then just cut it to move over where needed
Okay, love the runner situation, but can you link your shoes? Are those Birkenstocks?? Super cute, sorry, I have to go I saw a squirrel! ;)
I am a BIG fan of Annie Selke rugs. I have been purchasing Dash & Albert / Annie Selke rugs for years and they are just so durable. I especially love their cotton rugs that can be thrown in the wash. We use the 2×3 ones at all of our entries.
This stair runner looks fantastic. I never even thought this would be possible. We pulled our carpet off and have had bare wood for about a year now. It definitely is loud and could get scary with children in the house because of how slippery they become.
Thanks for sharing!
It’s beautiful! This type of rug is much more appropriate for an older home. You’ll be surprised how durable a wool rug is. I’m guessing with care, it will last longer than you expect. Now I want to add a rug to my old home’s stairs, if I only I can pick the right rug. I love the navy you got, but I don’t think it’s work, so I’m looking at the other colors the rug comes in. Thank you for another amazing reveal. Your home is really beautiful!
Where are you Emily! No post today… we miss you!!!
I love your runner! We debated commercial options for a long time and finally ended up just telling our GC to skip it “and we’ll install it ourselves later” because he wanted us to order a ridiculous amount of overage for the vertical-striped carpet that we chose. It was also a TRIAL finding the right carpet, 90% of what I saw in stores was outright ugly. Anyway, right now I love how our hardwood stairs look too much to cover them up, although it gets a bit slippery in the winter when we’re wearing just socks around the house. But stair runners are really underestimated as a reno-decision time suck!
Emily, thank you SO much for this. I have a weird staircase that I really want to carpet but keep putting it off because I can’t find a solution. This is exactly what I needed to know to be more confident in my decision making. Your staircase looks Am-AH-zing!
Thank you! Adding a runner to my very normal stairs for the first time is coming up soon on my project list. Very helpful!