Our Christmas staircase!

December 06, 2017

Hey there! I'm back with another space in our new house and today you get two for one -- it's decorated for Christmas and we are totally in love. ;)

Our staircase is one of those things that I could totally see in my head even when the house was just studs:
open concept staircase

I loved that it was open to the great room and had a landing like our old stairs. I also prefer to have stairs in the back of the house instead of when you walk in the door -- it's just a personal preference for me. I think both are beautiful but I've always like that.

One of the only big upgrades we did in the house were the wood steps and risers. If you remember, we were lucky to have pretty treads under our old stairs, so I ripped up the carpet and finished them myself. That began my love affair with wood steps! We did carpet down to the basement (again like before), but this staircase is such a focal point, I love my contrast.

I thought about finishing them myself for a hot minute...and I'm SO glad I didn't decide to do that. Goodness. I would have been pulling my hair out doing that along with moving in and getting unpacked. No thank you!!

They stained the steps to match our floors and I still need to ask about the stain color. I have a feeling it's a mix of colors but I'll be sure to update this when I find out. I could have gone with iron spindles but figured basic wood ones would stand the test of time.

At first we planned on staining the balusters to match the railing and steps, but then I did some research and found I loved the look of white balusters instead. I'm SO glad I made that change!:
wood stairs with white spindles

I think all of these choices are classic and will stand the test of time!

I knew all along we'd have garlands all over them for the holidays. I used cup hooks underneath the railings to secure the garland from underneath. I've wrapped it around before and I get nervous about not being about to use the handrails.

I started to add some ribbon to it as well, but again simplicity called out to me and I ended up just adding some DIY ribbons and a couple bundles of ornaments. Here's the result:
Simple greenery red ribbon stairs

I also had the garland swagging a bit but preferred having it secured right up against the handrail. LOVE IT!!

I always put a little something on the steps and these little lanterns were from IKEA years ago. Not sure if they still carry the red or not:
Stained treads and white risers on stairs

I was going to fill the other stairs with different lanterns, but again...I'm craving a simpler look in this house. Letting it breathe a little, even with Christmas decor everywhere!

I made those bows and they were super easy! I think I'll share the tutorial with you later this week. I searched for an easy DIY and failed twice before I found this version. So easy: 
Greenery attached under stair railing

I just lay the lights throughout -- I don't even wrap those around. Makes them super easy to remove after the holidays. 

Here's a quick tip for any of you building a house! Think of where you'll need outlets for holiday decor. I'm kicking myself that I didn't add a few strategically placed plugs for lights. We've made it work just fine, but I can't believe I didn't think of that. Try to imagine where you'll need them, like on stairs: 
Open staircase with Christmas greenery
I added so many outlets, I'm surprised I forgot about that aspect. :) 

I really don't think I could love the stairs more. I just freaking love how open it is:
Open staircase with landing at Christmas

Here's a before and after for you, Christmas-style!: 
Open staircase with white spindles and balusters


White spindles, risers and balusters on stairs

So lovely! I bought the ribbon this year but we had everything else. This is the garland I used to use around our front door. :) 

Hope you enjoyed the "tour" of the stairs! It's hands down one of my favorite parts of the house. I absolutely adore them, especially all dressed up:
Simple, classic Christmas stairs

Do you dress up your stairs for the holidays? Do you go all out with greenery? I've seen some stunning railings in blogland this year!


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Comments

  1. Beautiful, now just add a big wreath with ribbon in the middle of the window on the stairwell!

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  2. Love this! I get a kick out of your enthusiasm for your home. It has helped me be more appreciative of mine and for that, I thank you!

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  3. So beautiful and I love the little lanterns!
    Shelley

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  4. Not what you were meaning to show, but is that a compass on your wall stairs?

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  5. Random “how to” question: do you just screw the cup hooks into the underside of your wood railings? And then unscrew and remove when you are taking down? Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. I was just going to post that same question! I'll watch for a reply. :)

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    2. I wondered that also yesterday and am back today to see if anyone else was brave enough to ask!

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    3. Yep! The screws on the small ones are tiny and you'll never notice them. Cookies for anyone who does. ;)

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  6. Looks gorgeous! I agree that a wreath on the windows would be great.

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  7. We line our stairs with Nutcrackers. We buy a new one each year. This year we rescued a Greyhound she is a bit clonky on the stairs. This might be the year of the falling nutcrackers

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  8. Love that look! Thanks so much for the cup hook idea! Where did you get the beautiful piece of artwork on the wall?

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  9. I normally do garland but I changed it up this year and used wreaths staggered. The wreaths were up in 5 minutes whereas the garland would take me awhile because you have to fluff and position. Love the new house and love your garland - I may break mine out and use it outside instead.

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  10. Beautiful!! Your garland is so full and lush. Can I ask where you got itt?

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  11. So lovely!! Yes, one can NEVER have too many outlets. I have them in most closets.

    Just a thought......the triangular piece has me turning my head this way and that. How about a round
    plaque or mirror??

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  12. You just have to post your floor plan for both stories some time! We've thinking of building and I love what I've seen of your house so far!

    Is your master bedroom right inside the front door? we're looking for a master down floorplan.

    Thanks!!

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  13. Gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!! I am loving watching you settle into your beautiful new home!!

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  14. SOOOO pretty, Sarah! Really! Love the classic look. :-) Thanks for the outlet tips!

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  15. Looks really great, Sarah. How fun to be in your new house for the holidays! Love you!

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  16. Gorgeous. I am completely not in a holiday mood this year, especially with decorating. We have had our finished basement jackhammered and our front yard torn up ( had to dig 8 ft by 10 ft to reach and repair sewer and water line). Mistakes that former owners made that we are paying for... On the bright side my laundry room is no longer in the freezing cold and we no longer have sewer back up!!

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  17. So pretty! Simple, white balusters are my favorite! :) Have you shared your floorplan? I'm constantly drawing house plans for our future new build. I love stairs with a landing, especially when the landing has a window! :) I'm trying to figure out how to add a 2nd story to our new house while still having a cathedral ceiling in the living room so we can have tall windows to take in the view of the woods at the back of our lot. Still searching for the perfect plan... :)

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If you have a specific question I will do my best to answer you back here!

You can find our paint colors and links to items at the "Our Home" tab at the top of my site.

THANKS so much for reading!