Stairs and landing carpet ideas

22 Stair Carpet Ideas For 2023

Dunelm/House Beautiful

Looking for stair carpets and runners to transform your staircase? From stripes to classic beige, give your hallway the five-star treatment with a new carpet.

Carpets work wonders on stairs, providing soft and spongy comfort underfoot. Whether you want to make a design statement or prefer a pared-back neutral look, or you've set your heart on a grey stair carpet over a patterned one, we've got stylish suggestions to suit every interior style and budget. And don't forget, you can find the perfect stair carpet from our exclusive House Beautiful collection at Carpetright for a design that's both hardwearing and practical.

What is the best carpet for stairs?

As a high-traffic area, it's crucial that the carpet covering a staircase is durable to withstand its activity levels. When it comes to the best stair carpet material, synthetic nylon carpet may be your best bet for safety​ and strength, while wool is also a good option as its fibres repel stains and dirt (although it's more expensive). Meanwhile, berber carpets are an incredibly durable choice for staircases as they are made from loops instead of strands.

Full stair carpets or a stair runner carpet?

As well as all-over carpet, a modern stair runner is a great way to transform a simple staircase. 'A runner is an excellent way of updating your staircase without breaking the bank,' says Myles Shaw, Managing Director from runrug.

Essentially, a stair runner is fitted to the middle of your staircase, leaving some wood visible on either side of each step, while with fully carpeted options, the entire steps are covered.

'A stairway is often the first thing your guests see as they step inside your home and can completely set the tone for your personal interior style,' says Jess Contomichalos, Interior Stylist at Cormar Carpets. 'Fully carpeted stairs project a feeling of opulence, while a runner will add wow factor.'

Why is carpeting on stairs a good idea?

Carpet is a great option on stairs, especially for homes with young children and elderly family members. Hardwood flooring can become dangerous if anything spills or little ones run with socks. Carpet might not prevent falls, but it certainly provides more stability when climbing stairs.

How much does it cost to carpet a staircase?

According to Checkatrade, the average cost of carpeting a straight, single staircase will usually be around £75 to £100. Meanwhile, the average cost of a carpet fitter is around £120 - £150 per day. If your staircase has a number of changes in direction, it may cost more.

It's also worth noting that the cost will depend on what style you choose. More luxurious carpets, including those made from real wool, will cost more than synthetic materials. Additional bars or staircase rods will also affect the cost.

Do stair carpets need underlay?

'We always recommend that stair carpets and runners should be fitted with a good quality underlay,' Julian Downes at Fibre, tells House Beautiful UK. 'An underlay will do the vital task of taking a significant proportion of the ongoing wear and tear and it would be a false economy to choose a beautiful carpet only to cut corners with your underlay.'

It finances allow, it's a good idea to choose the best quality underlay to avoid undue wear and tear of your carpet. Your manufacturer or retailer will be able to advise on an underlay to suit the carpet and installation, as well as discuss the different options.

Julian adds: 'Wherever possible, choose a contract-rated underlay (an 8mm carpet underlay) to ensure you have the optimal durability. A good underlay offers comfort under foot and sound insulation, too – a welcome bonus for busy households!'

Whether patterned or plain, there are lots of stylish stair carpet ideas for your stairs and landing. Browse through these suggestions...

1

Stripes galore

Carpetright

Make a design statement with stripes, which perfectly complements a natural wooden staircase. This stylish Portobello carpet, which is from our House Beautiful range at Carpetright, ticks all the style boxes.

Pictured: Carpetright x House Beautiful Portobello Carpet In Magpie

2

Create a feature

Dunelm

Have you considered painting your hallway bannister to match the carpet? Turn your bannister into a feature with a striking black, navy blue or dark grey paint. It works particularly well if you keep the walls light and bright.

Pictured: Herringbone Jute Border Stair Runner, Dunelm

3

Embrace patterns

Oliver Perrott/Fibre Flooring

Bold and brilliant stair carpets will make a real design statement. 'Jewelled tones of crimson, magenta and yellow give us a cheerful palette to work with and can be used on flooring for statement carpets and rugs,' the team at Fibre Flooring say.

'With full permission to be bold with colour, pattern and texture, you can look at stripes to really set off a room scheme.'

Pictured: Wool Varsity in 'Princeton' from Fibre Flooring

4

Choose a loop carpet

Carpetright

Loop pile carpets — made from tightly woven, densely packed fibres — are the perfect blend of durability and affordability. Designed to stand up to heavy foot traffic, they are a great choice to consider.

Pictured: Highgate Loop Carpet, Carpetright

5

Choose your textures

@hertfordshire_housebuild/ Tapi carpets

When choosing stair carpets in a busy home, opt for carpets which are stain-resistant and durable.

'Herringbone wool carpets for stairs meet the demands of busy households wanting to make eco-conscious choices when it comes to their flooring,' say the experts at Tapi Carpets. 'Wool and woven carpets are extremely cosy and exude elegance but the natural fibres used have elasticity and bounce back making it extra durable.'

Pictured: Carpet runner in the style 'Herringbone' by Tapi Carpets

6

Make a statement

Tim Young/House Beautiful

Implement pattern into your home with an eye-catching carpet runner, such as this hand-woven style from Jennifer Manners. It's a charming, playful pattern that will really work well alongside a white or neutral staircase.

Pictured: Tiles runner in Teal, £2,020, Jennifer Manners; Plant stand by Ferm Living, £179, Heal's; Hemp storage basket, £69.95, Oggetto. Black concrete planter, £55 for two, Rose & Grey.

7

Keep it cosy

Carpetright

Stair carpets offer a practical solution to bring comfort underfoot. Real wool carpets, such as this design from the Country Living collection at Carpetright, will create a luxurious feel in the home.

Pictured: Country Living Monmouth Twist Carpet Green Tea Fleck, Carpetright

8

Go bold

Carpetright

'Bold, geometric designs and bright colours will give your stairs that wow factor and work well when mixed with minimalist furniture and accessories,' says Jemma.

'Opting for repeating patterns will not only allow your design to flow easily into other rooms, but will be forgiving to everyday marks and scuffs as your stairs see some serious use over their lifetime.'

Pictured: Colombus by Carpetright

9

Keep it grey

Mark Scott

Grey continues to be one of the most versatile colours in interior design — and it makes an excellent hallway hue. In this image, the calming grey carpet runner works wonderfully alongside the dark border and papered wall.

10

Go natural

Kersaint Cobb

With tones of brown, light blue and yellow, this stair runner from Kersaint Cobb helps to create a natural feel in the home. If you want to create a real statement, why not paint your staircase navy blue? You won't regret it.

Pictured: Kersaint Cobb, Morocco Runner, Casablanca priced from £68 per linear metre.

11

Add a pop of colour

Carpetright

Why not use your staircase to add a pop of colour. This blue stair carpet from Carpetright is ideal for jazzing up an all-white hallway — and will cheer up any rainy day.

Pictured: Condo Patterned Carpet by Carpetright

12

Embrace a medley of colours

Rachel Whiting/House Beautiful

Bring together a glorious medley of raspberry, mulberry and blackcurrant shades for a chic and cosy scheme. Paired with a classic grey stripe carpet runner, this hallway is the ultimate recipe for an inviting space.

13

Create a calming feel

Comar Carpets/Sand and Sawdust

Refresh your entryway with a calming colour palette. Classic and elegant, it's the ultimate way to create a welcoming first impression. And, it looks brilliant with hallway panelling.

'Neutral shades can lighten up a small or dark entrance by accentuating the feeling of space, while gentle stripes add a stylish feature to your staircase,' adds Jess.

Pictured: 'Avebury' by Cormar Carpets

14

Keep it fun for the kids

Carpetright

Shake up your interiors by turning your staircase into something fun for the kids — especially if it leads to one of their bedrooms. This classic grey stair carpet is adorned with white clouds, which adds a playful touch. .

Pictured: 'The Nursery Collection Patterned Carpet in Daydream Silver' by Carpetright.

15

Keep it neutral

Comar Carpets/@our_tackyhome

Showcase subtle textures on your stairs with a neutral runner. We've got our eye on this design, which has a chic finish thanks to its neat black trim. Go on, give your hallway the upgrade it deserves...

Pictured: Bouclé Neutrals in Kensington Oak, Comar Carpets

16

Create the illusion of space

Carpetright

As well as drawing attention, striped carpets help create the illusion of a bigger space, which is great for a smaller home.

'Often the first thing you see when entering a house, the stairs and hallway create a first and lasting impression on your guests,' says Jemma Dayman, Buyer, Carpets and Rugs at Carpetright. 'It's the perfect area to take risks and be daring with your styling.'

Pictured: Boston Stripes by Carpetright

17

Match your carpet and staircase

Oak Furnitureland

Bring some plush texture to your home with traditional hues, such a dark purple or classic brown. To truly set the mood, why not paint your staircase bannister the same colour as your carpet? Bold and daring, yes, but it will wow guests in an instant.

Pictured: Console table, £269.99, Oak Furnitureland

18

Play around with blue

Mark Scott/House Beautiful

Lively blue is a calming shade perfect for high-traffic zones (it masks stains better). If you have a small hallway that you're struggling with, try matching the stair carpet to your walls. Picking out just one shade will tie the whole space together perfectly.

READ MORE: 8 ways to make your hallway the ultimate Insta-ready space

19

Keep it fresh

Cult Furniture

Redecorating your hallway? Keep things fresh and fun with splashes of green paint, lots of potted plants and a neutral carpet runner. We love the gallery wall here, too, which journeys up the stairs.

Shop the full look at Cult Furniture

20

Carpet runners

Fibre Flooring/@design_at_nineteen

Carpet runners — decorative strips of carpet which run down the centre of a staircase — are all the rage on Instagram. Unlike fully carpeted options, runners aren't as wide as your steps as they leave a gap on the side. Typically installed over hardwood or tiled stairs, they are a brilliant choice for both modern and traditional homes.

'Runners can be fitted on the stairs either as a standard carpet, attached with stair rods or used as standalone hall runner,' says Jenna Kane, Product Development at Kersaint Cobb.

Pictured: Carpet runner by Fibre Flooring

READ MORE: 23 beautiful doormats to brighten up your home's entryway

21

Monochrome madness

Sisal & Seagrass

Flooring needs to meet practical needs, but you'll also want to ensure it complements the rest of your interiors. If you're looking for a style that will give your hallway a smart upgrade, this monochrome stair runner is just the ticket.

Pictured: Black and white runner from Sisal & Seagrass

22

Make a statement

House Beautiful UK

Give your stairs a new look by matching your carpet runner to wall paint or wallpaper. Take inspiration from this characterful hallway, which features a floral wall design, classic runner in beige and a crisp white staircase.

20+ Carpeted Stairs Examples to Inspire You

Does this sound familiar? You're set on having your stairs carpeted, and you're not quite sure which carpet style to choose and whether to go Hollywood or Waterfall.

If that's the case, here are over twenty examples of custom carpeted stairs that Floor Decor Design Center has completed to inspire you. They represent a range of carpet styles and designs as well as installation situations.

>> Check out the Custom Area Rug Guide!

Presenting oVER 20 Carpeted Stairs Examples from Floor Decor

We've organized these examples into six categories, so you have a better idea of the options available:

• Stair runners
• Stairs with strong graphic carpet patterns
• Cosmopolitan carpet patterns on stairs
• Traditional carpet patterns on stairs
• Stairs with landings
• Show-stopping carpeted stairs

1 - Stair Runners

The traditional stair runner has a banded motif along both sides of the runner. These can be geometric or more organic as you see in the animal print runner below.

The next three examples show you that traditional runner motif along the sides. The band tends to focus the attention on the functional aspect of a runner: it takes you from one point to another. Just follow it, and you'll arrive.

First, is the New Zealand Wool runner Catherine in color Tannery which harmonizes with the exposed wood.

This next example features a soft-toned runner that's warm and elegant.

With both of these examples, you have the contrast with white risers.

Next, you see Couristan Bidjar in color Crimson which features a traditional pattern without the border. 

 

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2 - Stairs with Strong Graphic Carpet Designs

In addition to having carpet runners to choose from for stairs, you can also simply select a carpet style that can be cut and bound to suit the dimensions of a stair runner.

These next examples feature bold decorative patterns that work well for carpeting stairs with.

Here you see a Milliken carpet style. The look is both classic and contemporary.

Although this next design is busier, the two-tone pattern is classic and works well with the white risers.

Imagine coordinating your carpeted stair patterns with tile. With some of these bold graphics, you could.

The carpet below is from Nourtex. It's a custom-fabricated nylon patterned stair runner.

We've written about the Stanton Carpet Atelier collection. 

>> See Stylish Atelier Magnifique Carpet Collection From Stanton

Well, here's how two of those Stanton products look on stairs.

This is Pioneer Latticework in color Dusk.

And below is Atelier Icon in color Champagne. Although equally bold and geometric, this pattern is more contemporary in its style.

Here's another bold modern design!

This stair runner continues into the hallway. 

3 - Cosmopolitan carpet patterns on stairs

Sometimes, the look you have in mind is more understated. You'll find plenty of those kinds of tone-on-tone or textural patterns to select from at Floor Decor.

The example below is a tonal diamond pattern.

Notice how it's not a runner. This carpet covers the entire step in a wall-to-wall installation.

Below, you see a subtle two-toned pattern bound as a runner for these stairs.

Looking for subtle, classic, and unusual? Try a marble-look in carpet for your stair runner.

You can then coordinate it with marble-look porcelain tile in the bathroom.

>> See Feast Your Eyes on Marble Look Porcelain Tile

4 - Traditional carpet patterns on stairs

Another look to consider for your stairways is traditional.  These are patterns that feature motifs such as scrolls and repeating patterns with central motifs.

The example below features scrolls. It also includes stair rods or carpet rods. These are ornamental decorative hardware traditionally used to hold carpeting in place on steps. They aren't necessary yet can add that traditional touch you're looking for in your home.

We featured the next two images in See How New Flooring Transforms 1980s Connecticut Condo.

The first in the condo foyer is installed as a runner, Hollywood style. 

The second features a wall-to-wall waterfall installation. It takes visitors from the first floor to the second floor.

The comparison gives you the opportunity to see how different a carpet style can look based on how it is installed on stairs.

5 - Stairs with landings

Chances are, you'll have to deal with staircase landings. Just so you understand that we've not yet encountered a situation that we couldn't deal with, here's a non-traditional example of a stair landing.

The carpet is Fabrica's Serge in color Electric. The installation is quite modern. Rather than use a runner from step to step, we carpeted each step individually, then took a wall-to-wall approach for the landing and the final two steps which then meet a totally carpeted floor.

Here's a carpeted landing that may look more familiar to you. This wall-to-wall installation covers the entire staircase into the room below. The multi-tone pattern is warm and classic, and an excellent option for any home.

This next tonal multi-color cut/loop pattern is in Janine's home! She particularly loves that this runner is made of durable and stain-resistant nylon carpet.

Here's another Stanton Atelier collection carpet in a diamond pattern. Notice how it just flows from the wall-to-wall carpeted stairs into the rest of the room.

6 - Show-Stopping Carpeted Stairs

We've shown you quite a few examples. In this last section, you'll see an installation just completed that is unlike any other done recently.

This stair runner features nailheads along the border. The effect is stunning.

Here's another view from the top of the stairs looking down.

ARE YOU CONSIDERING Carpeted Stairs in your Home? 

What's your reaction to these examples? Which ones do you prefer for your home?

We have two showroom locations in Middletown or Orange, Connecticut where you can explore carpet patterns when you're ready.

We look forward to helping you. Let us know how we can help you with carpeting your stairs. You can leave questions in the comments below or contact us.

Thanks for reading,