Custom
Staircase Carpeting and Runners
5 Tips Before You Buy
I’ve seen my share of
custom carpeted staircases and I’m always
blown away by the final custom look that comes
out of these unique installations. If you’ve
ever considered the possibility of working with
a rug fabricator who is familiar with adding a
custom design to your staircase I have a few tips
before you jump.
Whether you’re having
a runner installed or it’s a complete wall
to wall installation, I suggest creating a strategy
to help you see the project through to a timely
and successful conclusion.
Tip #1: Find
a design that really attracts you. Explore the
internet and dig deep if you have to. I’ve
seen great staircase possibilities and in truth,
any design is a possibility – it’s
just that some designs can be integrated easier
than others. Be open to everything at first then
bookmark pages as you go. Check out websites including
iStockphoto.com, flickr.com, and rug related sites.
Get creative with your keyword research i.e. –
staircase designs, rug designs, design illustrations
, area rugs, or tap into specific themes.
Tip#2: Qualify
your rug fabricator and installer. Ask a few questions:
Have they ever worked on a project like yours?
Can you see some pictures? Share your design ideas
with the rug fabricator and request a few layout
ideas. A design can flow down just one side, or
it can be a random pattern, or it can be precisely
placed on each tread. The one area you want to
avoid any side seams (aka horizontal seams –
vertical seams are no problem) is right at the
pivot point of the tread and riser. Each step
has a tread and a riser, the riser is the actual
face of each step, and the tread is the actual
step. A horizontal seam at the pivot point, which
is under tension as it folds over the step, will
probably open up and grin – this is not
good. This can be avoided through careful design…
just plan ahead a little.
Tip#3: Discover
the type of installation you want: Will the staircase
carpet be installed like a runner, or will it
be a full, wall to wall installation? If you have
a nice hardwood staircase, then you might consider
a runner-type install. The carpet would likely
be all in one piece and a simple waterfall installation
would work fine. You may even consider adding
decorative stair-rods that hold it in place.
On the other hand, wall to
wall installations have many facets. You may just
have one wall, and then a side wrap. Or you may
have a ‘more common box staircase with walls
on each side. There are a few options that you
will need to discuss with your rug fabricator
and installer. The goal is to get clear on exactly
HOW you’re going to approach the install.
You may have more options than you think!
Tip#4: Consider
a continuation of the design into the hallway
or rooms on the second level. I’ve seen
clever designs that continue into the next room
and gracefully taper off, instead of an abrupt
ending at the top of the staircase. I’ve
also seen dramatic extensions of the staircase
design that spills out onto the floor on the first
level; serving the same purpose as a separate
area rug. If this is done properly it can be quite
a statement.
If you’re doing a runner
installation, usually it’s best to start
at the top riser and finish at the bottom riser,
or conversely, you can go from top tread to bottom
tread; this leaves the top and bottom risers exposed.
Tip #5: If
you’re having trouble locating a rug fabricator
to do your job, don’t lose hope. Check your
yellow pages online and look for ‘carpet
workrooms’ or ‘carpet binding’.
You can also contact your local carpet dealers
and ask some questions. A good installer can probably
add a couple of decorative borders if you want
to keep it simple. If you decide to add borders,
keep the border widths in balance with the overall
staircase, try to avoid going too wide with your
borders, example; a narrow staircase requires
narrower borders.
As you have learned, there
are plenty of creative solutions to getting that
custom carpeted staircase exactly right. Imagine
the look on your guests face when you have your
next party. A custom staircase is guaranteed to
make a lasting impression.
We’ve covered a few of
the basic questions in our discovery process.
Let’s recap the key points: Investigate
design ideas; there are so many creative ideas
to bounce around that you can really have fun
with this stage. Next, find a qualified rug fabricator
and installer – hint: find the fabricator
first because they may already be installers too.
Consider your installation options; do you want
to cover your stairs completely? Or do a runner
type install? Think about the possibility of continuing
your design into other spaces of your home. Finally,
try a deeper search if you are struggling to find
a rug fabricator, explore online sources and local
carpet dealers.
© 2007 Russell Webb
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