Are stair runners pretentious and a waste of time and effort?

[AmazingBouncingFerret]

I've (well I say I but really I mean DH) just decorated the hallway and we've ripped up the old stair carpet. I'm leaning towards a runner with the edges painted white. Should I or will I get sick of it and wish I'd just gone for a normal regualr fitted carpet?

If it's a wide-ish staircase I'd say go for it, but do the sides of the treads properly - sand back etc. Which runner were you thinking of though?

That's why i'm second guessing my idea. The stairs arn't overly narrow but they are not wide either! I was just thinking of a plain weave neutral coloured runner.

I like coloured sisal/coir (whichever is the finer one). Don't like so much if its just ordinary carpet, the overlock on the edges can look a bit naff. This site is pretty cheap.

Never quite worked out what happens at the landing?

We've done the same, victorian house with sanded floors in the hallway and landing, but the stairs were a bit dodgy so painted white and put a mid-khaki sort of runner up them (walls painted pale green so it tones, y'see ). Only thing I'd warn is, my goodness the painted sides attract all the dust on the planet. Didn't know I had OCD until I started dusting them with a static cloth every day

So do you just have a rug on the landing JJ? And where does the runner end - last step from the top?

Lindsay - nothing on the landing, just the polished floorboards (landing is pretty small!). And the runner finishes on the top step, it turns the corner and goes across diagonally.

We looked at this website to get ideas - though they cost a flipping fortune. Got ours from a local carpet shop :)

posh runners

Which website?!

it's linked above where it says "posh runners" :)

Hi there, we have an Edwardian house and I longed for a stair runner. In the end I went for one from kersaint Cobb, the sahara range. It's a sisal one which leaves around 4cm from each edge as our stair case isn't particulary wide. It matches our minton tiles a treat and I think it makes a striking initial appearance! It cost £450 which included the underlay and fitting. We Svedberg on money by painting the landing boards white. Www.kersaintcobb.co.uk hope that helps.

Meant to say saved, damn iPad!!

our hall runner is from the posh runner shop! tis v. nice.

stair runners have to continue at the top else they look daft

Ours doesn't continue at the top but is tucked under the top stair, because the floor boards are White it looks fine as it matches the edge of the stairs. To have the landing done as well would have cost another £600, money I didnt have. I was sick of the vile dirty peach carpet on the stairs so went for the cheaper painted floor board option :-)

Not pretentious because I've got one .
We have a rug on the landing because its quite wide and a runner would have been ££££ more.