If you’ve been following our stair makeover, you’ve read how I ripped up the builder-basic carpet in a fit of madness then painted the stairs for less than $50. The final step was installing a runner from Sisal Rugs Direct. Here’s everything you need to know about choosing the best material, measuring your stairs and installing the runner yourself:

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received a discount on my runner in exchange for my review of its durability, design and ease of installation. All opinions are my own. For your convenience, I have also included affiliate links to the materials I’ve used for installing the runner.

Choosing the Best Material

I have always loved the look of sisal or natural fiber stair runners but worried about the practicality of one in a house with small kids. Having had a natural fiber rug that ended up damaged from leaky sippy cups and rogue applesauce packets, I worried that a runner by the front door that leads upstairs to the kids’ bedrooms and art room wouldn’t stand a chance. Plus, I had read that sisal could be a little slippery on stairs. When I reached out to Sisal Rugs Direct, I asked them to suggest a material that would hold up in a busy house and they shared their All Weather selection with me.

These all weather rugs look like natural fiber but are made of 100% polypropylene. They will not fade, mold or mildew when exposed to the elements, and by elements, I mean these two.

We chose the Canas Straw with Adobe Canvas Binding.

TIP: If you are working within a tight budget, make sure you check out the remnant offerings, which are sometimes up to 50% off. You may have to be more flexible with your color choices but it’s worth checking out.

Measuring the Stairs

Math is not, I repeat, NOT my thing. If you’re like me, use this easy string method of measuring your stairs. If you like numbers, this is the method for you.

Sisal Rugs Direct offers free shipping on all orders. The runner came in one long piece, custom-cut to the length of our stairs.

Installing the Runner

To install the runner, we used these tools and materials (affiliate links included for your convenience):

• Non-slip rug pad, cut into strips about the size of your stair treads
• Staple gun
• 18 gauge staples
• Painter’s tape
• Tape measure

The Process

If your stairs are straight, as ours are, installing the runner is a fairly simple job. We had never installed a runner before and this took only an hour or so. The most important thing is to measure and create guidelines with the painter’s tape down the center of your stairs. This will help you keep the runner straight.

We started at the top of the stairs so that gravity would work on our side. I held the runner until Travis had secured the first few steps and after that, everything was pretty easy and repetitive. The key was pulling the runner tight for the clean, upholstered look. To keep the staples discreet, we went with the direction of the material. As you can see from this photo, the staples are almost impossible to spot.

Installing the runner was one of our easiest projects but has a huge impact. So far, we’re loving it. It’s soft under foot, easy to clean and makes the stairs feel a little cozier than the bare wood.

What do you think? Ready to tackle your builder-basic stairs?

Sisal Rugs Direct is offering OSH readers $20 off orders of $100 or more until August 31. Enter the code ourstoriedhome at checkout!

Stairway Sources:

The treads are painted in Sherwin Williams Halcyon Green.
The risers and trim are painted in Sherwin Williams Pure White.
The railings are painted in Annie Sloan French Linen with Old Ochre details and finished in clear wax.