When updating a house, renovating a staircase is often low on the list, but can be incredibly transformative.

This set of thermal, noise-reducing, and room-darkening curtains is ideal for a bedroom but can work in any room of the home. They have an understated, modern design that can give a refreshing new look to many interiors. They are made from 100% polyester with pencil pleat headers.Carpets here have to be durable, practical – and beautiful,' says Rupert Anton, at The Carpet Foundation. 'Staircases are probably the most heavily used areas, particularly in a busy, family home. Stairs that are made up of both straight and curved components make for interesting designs, allowing you to shape the ascension to best fit the space, but generally it’s the style of balustrade that makes a big impression," adds Eric Nicholls, managing director of Spiral. By updating and fitting new bannisters, treads, newels, and spindles, the whole staircase area can be completely transformed,' says staircase designer James Murray. 'Those all-important decorative touches, such as wrought iron spindles, can be used to introduce a touch of traditional elegance.' Decide what wall art you want to display before you start hanging them up. Find an open space and play around with your frames and try and create a flow by mixing up the sizes. The stairway is often thefirstthing you and your guests see when they walk in, so it is an important room inthehouse!” There are tons of ways to do this without even having to spend much. Paint is your friend here, so coat your skirting boards and steps in plain white, then paint the stairs risers in your favourite shade.

While your staircase serves an obvious function by connecting the levels in your home, it also plays an important role in its design. Often, the staircase is the main character of a chic entryway (meaning it's first thing guests see) or it's centrally located in an open-concept interior. Either way, staircases add visual interest to a space and they deserve just as much attention as the rest of your home — whether that be in the form of wall decorating, lighting or creative railing ideas. From grand entrances to an inviting foyer, we've rounded up stunning staircase ideas to pair with every home style.

If you've opted to do away with the traditional hallway ideas to open up the ground floor, your front door may open straight onto your living room. So consider whether this is an issue for you. If you own your home the best way to decorate your stairs is with your paint or carpet choice. Paint is the more cost-effective option, however, it is best used on the stair risers to help it last in this high-traffic area. Carpet or stair runner ideas are more expensive, but will look new and fresher for longer. If you want a staircase with open treads, as opposed to a staircase without walls, these are often referred to as floating staircases. 'Opting for an open staircase allows a client the freedom to express their creativity with the style providing opportunity to really create a design feature,' says Tom Rutt, founder, TR Studio. Lower level staircases are sometimes not the most attractive features in a home, and they can cause cold drafts to reach the upper floors.

Re-cladding staircase treads and updating cosmetic elecments can totally transform a tired flight. (Image credit: Chris Snook) The combination of oak paired with glass has become a very popular choice for hallway and staircase designs in recent years, particularly for more contemporary schemes,' James continues. 'Smoked oak helps to create a modern, stylish feel, and the addition of glass really opens up the space, allowing light to flood through, creating the impression of a bigger hallway area.' How do I make stairs more interesting?Similarly, double winder staircases, where the stairs undergo a half turn before the landing, are a perfect opportunity to use glass, or even a mixture of glass and steel, so that the space doesn’t feel ‘closed off’. Alternatively, shutter blinds are a stylish selection with a continental feel. They're available in many contemporary shades and materials to suit your scheme and similarly to blinds and curtains, can be made to measure to fit your windows. How to colour match your curtains to your interior?