Staircase Makeover with Shaw Floors!

Hello friends! It’s Heather here! I know it’s been awhile since I’ve given an update on my life. Awhile back I shared my beautiful flooring makeover courtesy of Shaw Floors.  Since then we moved…again. Yes, just one year after buying our last home we sold it and made another move.  We needed to find something that provided multi-generational living and God brought us the perfect home! I’ll be sharing a tour of our newest “new” home later this week but I wanted to give you a sneak peek by sharing the staircase makeover!

We purchased the home three weeks before Thanksgiving and when we moved in we knew we would immediately be replacing the flooring with beautiful Epic+ Shaw Floors.  As you can see in the before photo, the home had oak hardwoods, that had seen better days, carpet in the living room and bedrooms and faux brick floors in the kitchen and breakfast area.

{BEFORE}

The multiple floorings really broke up the open floor plan and made the spaces seem small.  One of the first projects we tackled was the staircase.  We knew we wanted to install a runner on the stairs and while the carpet was up we gave the bannisters and treads a quick and easy makeover to make them cohesive with our new floors.

As the only carpeted area in the house, and with two dogs and college kids that come home regularly, I wanted to choose something durable and stain resistant for the staircase.  Shaw Floors Lifeguard line was the perfect choice! Lifeguard has a waterproof backing and because it is made with R2X soil and stains never seep in! After looking at several options I settled on Constant Synergy in Statuesque.  It has a low pile and a subtle tone on tone pattern which mimics the look of a runner perfectly!

I also looked at several options for updating the worn oak banisters and treads.  I knew the “orangish” tones of the oak would clash with my hardwood selection and the years were definitely showing on the banisters.  I was determined to find a product that required minimal labor with maximum impact and General Finishes Black Gel Stain did the trick!

After taping off walls and pulling out the old carpet all it took was a clean sock and an old t’shirt to apply the gel stain perfectly! The gels sits on the surfaces, even the vertical banisters, without any drips or spills.

Even though it is recommended to sand lightly before applying I took a gamble and didn’t even do that! After a quick cleaning, I applied two coats of the stain, allowing it to dry between coats overnight.

The results turned out fabulous! After allowing to dry 24 hours there was no stickiness and the wood took the stain beautifully.

The top-notch flooring installers at Kemp’s Dalton West Flooring had the edges of the carpet bound to give it the true look of a stair runner.

I can’t wait to share with you the new floors including some before and after photos! I’ll be back Wednesday with my new home reveal! For more information on Lifeguard carpeting, and all of the amazing choices they offer, be sure to visit Shaw Floors!

*I am compensated for my partnership with Shaw Floors but all opinions are 100% my own*