How to Decorate Around Spiral Stairs
We’ve put together some tips on how you can get your interior design on and decorate your spiral staircase walls, and landings, with some picture examples.
Spiral staircases bring a unique challenge for decoration and design. Some designs can not be connected to a supporting wall. In these cases, the staircase design may just have to speak for itself, but there are elements of landing decoration you can include.
For most our designs, spiral and curved staircases sit beside a wall. This opens up opportunities for decoration, and when we think of stairway decoration, our minds instantly go to the wall and hanging frames.
While straight staircases may offer more ease in measurements and hanging frames, they don’t surpass curved and spiral staircases’ ability to support interesting adornment design.
Consider the Space
Whether the staircase sits in the middle of a room, in the side, or in the corner will make a difference to how you organise your room, landing and the furniture. When your stairs sit just off of a wall, it’s best to leave the space behind it so you don’t create a cluttered look.
The way we design spiral stairs allow the light to flow naturally through and around them, so designing your room or landing around will avoid clashing.
Arrange your Furniture Accordingly
If you want your staircase to be a focal point in the room (or on the landing) it’s best you leave furniture well clear of it so it can speak for itself. Instead, place your furniture away from the staircase in clusters.
Facing your furniture towards each other to create areas that interact with themselves. Seating areas work well in their own section, interacting with other similar furniture.
The less focus you want on your stairs, the larger these other furniture sections should be. In addition, you could also introduce more eye-catching or grand furniture there.
Wall Decorating Ideas
In your room, or landing, we’d avoid decorating areas obscured by your stairs.
With colouring your walls, you can either blend your stairs into your design by having the same colour running the entire way. Alternatively, you can split the different areas by using a different colour to run alongside your baluster or hand rail and make a feature wall of it.
Hanging pictures around spiral stairs
With a little planning, staircase walls can easily be converted into gallery walls to showcase your photos or favourite art.
Gallery walls can add instant personality to a property. It can also warm up a space that may
be very open to the rest of your home.
Make sure you calculate the space
Once you’ve got your measurements, we’d suggest choosing a focal point for the rest of your art or pictures to sit around. Having an image or art piece as a focal point tells the person looking where to start, and their eyes will naturally filter out to surrounding images.
This gives you real creative license, or allows you to give real prominence to your favourite pieces or memories.
Picture frame ideas
For choosing your picture frames, you’ve two options. Identical frame designs of varying sizes, or a purposefully eclectic mix.
Identical frames bring a level of synergy and balance to the display. And for those of you who like order, minimalism and everything in their place, you may favour this design.
Eclectic mixes of frames and sizes suit more modern styles that really convey personality. Even if you’re going for this choice, we’d also suggest sticking to a colour palette. Otherwise you risk an eyesore adorning your staircase wall.
Hanging mirror decor
You’re not limited to solely pictures, art or tapestries donning your stair walls. You could instead opt for mirrors.
Using mirrors gives you license to mix and match with style. Yet, just like the eclectic frame mix, we’d suggest matching all your mirrors to a colour theme, for the same reasons.
These mirrors aren't for looking in, so don't be afraid to get out a stair-safe ladder and place these mirrors high. Just like frames, get your measurements right before you hang.
Getting the measurements right
Measure the back of the frames you make sure you’re hammering where the nail holes need to go for the picture to hang straight.
Double-checking your math as you calculate the distance between different frame sizes and thicknesses. And when you’re finished, use a level to make sure everything is hanging straight.
How high should you hang pictures on a staircase?
Measure the staircase wall at 56 inches (140cm) from the bottom stair.
Repeat this process on the top step and in a couple of spots along a mid-stairway landing. This height marks the average eye level and should serve as the center focal point for your most important art, photo or mirror.