Your home’s staircase is easier to accept as a present when it’s beautifully wrapped.

A stair runner can serve a decorative or practical purpose—or both. While carpet runner ideas provide padding and muffle the sound of footsteps, a painted runner offers unlimited creativity.

Whether you prefer to paint a stair runner or install a carpet runner, keep your overall design scheme in mind. For example, a sisal stair runner would be perfect in a coastal cottage, but too plain in a Victorian mansion.

Scroll through our best stair runner ideas to spark your own custom stair runner ideas.

1. Animal Print

Animal print stair runners add a wild, tribal feeling to your décor. When used as a stair carpet, they can add a sense of whimsy or elegance to your entry or hallway.

Zebra, leopard, cheetah, and snake scale prints are available in virtually any color imaginable. Some animal print carpeting is bold and highly contrasting, while others are subtly monochromatic.

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If you like the exotic feeling of animal prints but find them a bit too bold, look for tribal-inspired carpeting instead.

Tribal patterns include Indian, African, Asian, and Native American lines and shapes in large or small prints. If you already have animal or tribal print area rugs at the top and bottom of your stairs, connect them with a natural sisal stair runner.

2. DIY

It’s possible to achieve the look of a staircase runner without hiring a professional. Simply buy a regular hallway runner rug or two and a good quality staple gun.

Add a rug pad underneath if you want a padded effect. Embellish your DIY stair runner by installing metallic stair rods at the corner of each stair riser. 

Source: @bellajase via Instagram

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