When I set out to do work on this staircase it I was doubting this decision. I was a little worried that I would be removing all of the warmth from my living room by painting over all of the wood trim. I knew it needed an update, but it wasn’t until I found the inspiration photo below in a CB2 catalog late last year that I was convinced this was the way to go. Keep scrolling to see the magic of paint, hard at work!

INSPIRATION

Lauren Koster Creative - Modern Staircase Makeover

BEFORE

Here is what the staircase looked like when we bought the house.

And here is what it looked like after I changed out the light fixtures. I replaced the awful frosted 80’s light fixtures with a modern globe light in the front entry and a very affordable large paper lantern above the staircase. We believe that originally this area was used for a dining table so the old light hung awkwardly low in the middle of the living room.

Here is what I used for this project.

Rust-oleum Enamel Paint in Flat Black
Behr Paint in Polar Bear, eggshell finish
bonding primer
Krud Kutter Deglosser
short handle paint brush
foam roller
rags

The first thing I did was use Krud Kutter Deglosser on all the surfaces I planned to paint. You can use this and paint 10 minutes later and up to a week after applying. The feel of the trim instant feels much less glossy.

Next I used a bonding primer. Since I didn’t go through the step of sanding, I wanted a really good primer to insure the paint would adhere as well as possible. I used a primer I had on hand, but in hindsight I would have used a black primer on the spindles and hand rails. The white caused a lot of attention to any slivers I missed.

After applying the primer, I painted the risers and trim Behr Paint in Polar Bear, eggshell finish.

Finally I used a short handle brush to paint the spindles and banister black using Rust-oleum Enamel paint in flat finish.

Lauren Koster Creative - Stair Case Makeover Progress

The enamel paint settles really well, so the brush marks are not noticeable at all. I think that it was much easier to use a brush than to tape off and protect my entire living room, which I would have had to do to use a sprayer. I used both a short handle brush and a foam roller on the risers and trim.

Lauren Koster Creative - Modern Staircase Update

I am obsessed with the lightness the change brings to the space. The wood treads keep some warmth in the room and the black spindles and banister provides the perfect contrast. I also have a highlight saved on my instagram to see more details.