How to Update a 1990s Staircase

Ideas to update (late 1980s – early 2000s) stairs & railings

While styles began changing in the early 2000s, from the late 80s through the 90s, there wasn’t much variety in staircases and railings. There was usually oak, oak, and…a little more oak. Sure, the odd maple railing or painted white spindle popped up, but oak was the big winner.

Don’t get me wrong—I love me some hardwood (wink wink)—but there’s something to be said for ‘too much of a good thing.’

As for the stairs (treads and risers), they were often covered in a beige or slightly pink-hued cut-pile carpet that, should it still be alive, is likely worn out and ready for some serious love (aren’t we all?). While the rare sight of wood treads and risers makes me extremely happy, they’re often lost in a sea of wood with no defining features.

So, I’ve put together some updated ideas for you, most of which are affordable and DIY-friendly!

But before we get into the meat n’ potatoes (with a LOT of butter and gravy)…

DO YOU HAVE THESE 1970s/1980S RAILINGS?

There are probably a few of you with stair railings from the 1970s or ’80s with square wood spindles and a big, flat, rectangular wood hand railing—I see you.

I can’t write a full blog post on these particular railings/staircases for a few reasons…

a) I don’t have many images of these staircases successfully updated (without putting in whole new railing systems).

b) There aren’t many great, affordable update ideas for these staircases – not enough for a whole blog post.

c) Your best, budget-friendly update idea involves paint…lots of paint.

I also don’t ‘borrow’ images from other Creators and use them to support/sell my own ideas. Instead, I guide you toward their sites to reciprocate some traffic and show you other great writers!

If you have this type of wood-on-wood 1980s staircase, I suggest…

• Paint it black, like Rachel of Maison de Pax did, and it looks amazeballs.
• Restain it in a more modern stain color/sheen, or paint it all white.
• If you like a more graphic look, check out what Amanda Party & Home did. You could do the same thing with stained wood handrail and painted spindles (but I can’t say it will update it as much).
• But for the love of everything sane and stylish, don’t do this. Like, what the WHAT were they thinking?

Now, for the rest of you, faith is taking that first step, even when you can’t see the whole staircase…so let’s get this party started.

1. IS ALL WOOD REALLY ‘ALL GOOD’?

Let’s picture a staircase that’s 100% clad in wood (or close to it): handrail, spindles, newel posts, steps, and risers. This makes me think of one of my all-time favorite Kylie-isms…

Just because it’s wood doesn’t mean it’s good.

That’s right, just because it’s solid wood doesn’t mean it looks good or adds visual (or actual) value to your home. In fact, defining some of your home’s most beautiful wood features with a lick of paint is a great way to make your remaining wood show up at the party with tassels on (a favorite pastime of mine – now I show up in my jam jams).

I love this upper staircase landing with its white wainscoting, trims, doors, and Sherwin Williams Big Chill on the walls…

However, the wood railing looks worn out and doesn’t make sense with the white trims/wainscoting. I would paint the entire railing system white, or just the spindles, and restain the hand railing and newel posts—this much wood is not good.

This said, the odd home suits wood-on-wood. For example, with its wood trim, cabinets, and limited railing, this next staircase looks good in all its woody goodness…

The Best Paint Colors to Update Golden Oak

With wood trim (as shown above), white railings or spindles could look out of place as they wouldn’t have the trim to connect with visually.

However, aside from the above type of space, painting the hand railing and newel posts is often the path of least resistance when updating a staircase/railing. Sure, there’s still a lot of cutting-in on the railing’s undercarriage, but it’s a lot easier than painting a few dozen wooden spindles (insert wine and funnel HERE).

They say, ‘There’s no elevator to success – you must take the stairs.’ But what if those stairs are fugly?

Take a look at this next oak staircase…

Don’t get me wrong, every inch of this wood is beautiful (oh, the innuendos are on the tip of my tongue…). However, as a whole, it’s too much – you lose some of its beauty in the abundance of it. I mean, if you’re a 50+-year-old man with a soft spot for natural wood and unpainted brick, you might disagree (no shade intended; it’s just my experience), but for the average home and homeowner, the above staircase could use a bit of un-woody balance.

I don’t yet have the AFTER of this staircase, but I’ll send my client a note with these ideas (as long as I remember to; hellooooo ADHD). Her home is stunning, and tweaking this staircase would be a great addition. Here’s the front door opposite the stairs to get the lay of the land and its general vibe…

The Best Paint Colors for the INSIDE of Your Front Door

And here’s the attached dining room and a snippet of the staircase we’re discussing…

Long story short, I suggest…

• Painting the risers the same color as the trim (Sherwin Williams Pearly White).
• Painting the spindles Pearly White as well. It’s a huge project, but BOY, would it ever shift this space and define the wood hand railing and beautiful wood steps!

Here’s another all-wood staircase that would love a little bit of white detailing…

On the above staircase, I would consider painting the spindles white, leaving the rest in its natural woody goodness.

This next staircase is a perfect example of a balanced painted vs. wood palette…

Notice how the wood stair treads and railings are defined thanks to the white-painted stringer and white spindles. Without these, the staircase could look a bit heavy and dated.

Now, because it’s the most popular way to update a staircase, let’s take a closer look at some staircases with wood railings and painted spindles…

2. WOOD RAILINGS & PAINTED SPINDLES

While I love some painted handrailings, many homes look their best with wood railings (and sometimes newel posts) and white-painted spindles. It all comes down to your home’s style.

Unfortunately, many 1990s/2000s spindles, railings, and newel posts are more detailed than today’s homeowner wants – not a dealbreaker, but the more updated or modern approach has cleaner lines and fewer curves.

This said, the slightly more detailed approach suits homeowners sticking with their home’s traditional or slightly country-style roots. The more modern your house is (even a modern farmhouse or transitional style), the cleaner the lines tend to be.

First, let’s hit the options.

OPTION 1: THE MIX & MATCH (A): NO CARPET

• Wood handrailing
• Wood newel posts
• Painted spindles
• Painted stair risers
• Wood stair treads
• Painted stringer

This next staircase is taken up a notch with wainscoting. I love how the white risers tie into the wainscoting and make the wood on the steps pop. However, unlike most of the stairs in this blog post, notice how the spindles attach to a half wall/stringer rather than the steps themselves (I’m sure there’s a technical term for this, but I ain’t that kinda girl)…

In this staircase (above and below), the risers, railing, and newel posts are left in their original stain (likely maple).

OPTION 2: MIX & MATCH (B)

• Wood risers and steps
• Wooden handrailing and newel posts
• Painted spindles
• Stringer (sometimes wood, sometimes white – depends on the layout). If the stairs are all wood, I usually lean toward painting the stringer white.

I love the balance of this next staircase. Most of the original wood is in place on the railings, steps, and risers…

• The wainscoting and painted white spindles add contrast and interest.
• While the risers could be painted white, I worry that white risers, combined with the white spindles and wainscoting, could look a bit too busy.
• However, I don’t love the curvy, ‘fake wood bracket’ details on the painted white stringer (the area right beneath where the spindles attach to the steps) and how the wood contrasts with the painted white areas. I might simplify the curvy side bits as they seem at odds with the wainscoting’s more traditional, square lines.
• Without wainscoting, I would likely paint the risers white to help the white spindles look more natural against the stairs.

Here’s another beautiful staircase with white spindles and a wood handrail…

OPTION 3: WOOD, WHITE, & A CARPET RUNNER

When stairs have a carpet runner (built-in or free-floating), defining the steps is a great way to define the steps.

• Wood handrailing and newel posts
• Painted spindles
• Stair risers painted white (most often)
• Steps in natural wood
• Stringers in white

Color Review of Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray

This next home has slightly traditional roots, which means the staircase looks gorgeous with its original oak hand railing, styling, and newel posts. With the spindles painted white, there’s a great happy medium between worlds.

The carpet runner has a more traditional vibe for the stairs, which suits the style of the railings/spindles and the home itself. Along with peek-a-boo to the original oak treads, the carpet adds acoustic value and safety (especially for ole Woofy)!

Notice that the stringer on the staircase above has the same ‘fake bracket’ detail as a previous staircase (three images ago). Painted all white, the pattern blends in (which looks much better if you ask this color cowgirl).

If your staircase’s style leans more towards the early 2000s: How to Update a 2000s Staircase

This next staircase offers a more transitional take on a carpet runner with its linear, textured look. The spindles are the same as the above home, but the railing is less curvy – although the round knobs are a dead giveaway that these railings were installed in the 90s (and can be sawn off and replaced with a simpler cap – we’ll be doing this in our 2000s staircase!)

I’d also love to see the bottom step’s riser painted white. 

The Best Off-White, Neutral Paint Colors

OPTION 4: WOOD, WHITE, & WALL-TO-WALL CARPET

And, of course, there’s the staircase with wall-to-wall carpet…

More often than not, stairs with wall-to-wall carpeting look best with all white or a mix of wood and white, as shown above. All wood with carpet can look more dated.

Do you notice the difference between the staircase shown above and the one shown below?

The first staircase has a white stringer, whereas the second has a stained wood stringer. Because of this additional wood feature, the second staircase looks more dated.

OPTION 5: ALL WHITE IS ALL RIGHT

When all else fails, if you don’t love your wood railings, slap on some paint and call it a day.

The Best Paint Colors for the INSIDE of Your Front Door

As you can see, the stairs in the above entryway are ‘in progress.’ If I have a staircase with wood steps like this and want an ‘all white’ look, I would paint the entire railing system, as well as the risers and the stringer. However, I’d always keep the steps wooden.

CAN YOU PAINT THE RISERS A DIFFERENT COLOR?

Hey, you can do anything you want. However, it looks best if the riser is the same as the steps (wood) or matches the white trim. Of course, there are exceptions with older homes or Spanish-style staircases, but for the average 1980s, ’90s, or 2000s home, keep it simple.

K.I.S.S – Keep It Simple…Silly

As shown in this next 2000s staircase, it doesn’t look bad, but it would look a heck of a lot better if the risers matched the trim color.

Paint Color Ideas to Update Your 2000s Home

3. WHITE SPINDLES, BLACK (OR DARK) PAINTED RAILING & POSTS

30 years later, many ’90s staircases have had a ‘little bit’ of work done (like Botox for stairs…but they’re showing their age). In most cases, the spindles are painted white, but the handrails and newel posts are either white or left in their natural wood stain.

Many opt to step away from white and lean into the darker end of things (myself included, although my railing is mid-2000s). In this case, black is the most popular color choice.

Sure, painting around the base of each spindle where it meets the railing and stringer isn’t my idea of a good time; it’s a great way to update your staircase without spending a small fortune. It’s also easier than painting every inch of those darn rounded spindles.

However, you can’t go willy-nilly, slapping paint on without rhyme or reason—it’s easy to do the wrong thing.

For example, the railing and spindles on this next staircase look good, but because the step is light-colored wood, the contrast is too high…

In the above case, painting all of the railing parts white is the most updated look, given the styling of the surrounding space. They could also paint ONLY the hand railing, not the newel posts (but even then, black doesn’t jibe with this space, if you ask me).

To fix the above space, I would paint the entire railing system white, keeping it simple and low-contrast.

If you paint your railings dark, you must have other dark accents around for them to connect visually. Black also needs to match the vibe of the space and its surrounding finishes.

In this next image, the dark frame of the art and its MOOD help the dark black railing make sense…

BLACK RAILINGS WITH WHITE NEWEL POSTS

You can also make an impact, but a slightly softer one, with the following…

• Black hand railing
• White newel post
• White spindle
• Wood treads
• White risers

I prefer the above approach for the average home, as you still make an impact, but it’s not as graphic or as potentially overwhelming.

BLACK RAILING WITH WALL-TO-WALL CARPET

If you have carpet on your stairs (not a runner, but an actual, fully installed carpet), your decision may be easier because you don’t have to consider the treads, risers, and stringers.

This next 90s staircase looks beautiful with beige carpet, white spindles, a black railing, and newel posts…

If you remove the dark artwork and even the dark wall color, this black railing would overwhelm the light carpet and tile. However, given the overall flow of the space (including the dark wood coffee table), the black makes sense.

Not every home can handle a dark railing. 

Here’s the staircase in our current home (early 2000s). While it’s more modern than the average 80s or 90s wood-on-wood staircase, it’s still not quite up to par with what I’d do in a NEW home…

Replacing the stairs with wood treads, white risers, and a new railing system would bring us close to 25K.

Needless to say, I kept things simple by keeping what we had and painting the handrail a dark greige (it was previously a worn-out dark-stained wood). Could I have refinished the wood and stained it a more modern stain color? Yes…if I were a glutton for punishment. Fortunately, I’m not.

To update the above stairs further, I plan on (hiring someone to…)

• Replace the decorative spindles with plain ones (their knuckles are outdated). This involves taking the hand railing off, reinstalling it, and painting it, so I’m waiting for a rainy day.
• Saw off the tops of the newel posts as they’re way too big and outdated. Then, I’d sand down the tops and see how they look. I’ll either leave them as is or add a simple cap and paint it to match.

SHOULD YOU PAINT YOUR WHOLE RAILING BLACK (OR A DARK COLOR)?

They say once you go black, you never go back. And while I don’t doubt it in many regards (wink wink), when it comes to stair railings, I’m not a big believer. Few homes suit an entirely black or dark railing system, regardless of whether the stairs are wood or carpet.

Here’s one that does…

This entryway suits an all-dark railing for a few reasons…

1. There isn’t much railing, making what’s there more of an ‘accent’ than an overbearing, graphic feature.

2. The door is dark, as is the board and batten hook wall (and accent table).

3. The paint color is Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze (listed below), which is softer than black. If this were all black, I think it would be too graphic for this small space.

THE BEST DARK COLORS TO PAINT STAIR RAILINGS

You can’t just paint your wood railings any old color; only a few will work for the average home.

• Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black
• Benjamin Moore Black 2132-10
• Sherwin Williams Iron Ore

Get a SAMPLER PACK of my favorite black paint colors! 

While these next two are particular and must suit the space (because of their undertones), they can look wicked pretty in the right space.

• Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze (the color of my stair railing, which also matches my kitchen island)
• Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron
• Sherwin Williams Gauntlet Gray

Get a SAMPLER PACK of my favorite DARK paint colors!

However, not every home can handle black anything on stairs. Black railings (or spindles) in this next entryway and staircase would look way out of character…

On the other hand, this next staircase looks gorgeous with its black hand railing for a few reasons…

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1. There aren’t any large newel posts, making the black a less dominant feature.

2. There’s a visual connection to the black vanity in the powder room (and hopefully, a few other black accents in the surrounding area.

Now that we’ve covered that general idea, let’s move on to some HEAVY METAL!

What’s Trendy for Stairs?

4. WOOD/PAINTED HANDRAILING WITH METAL SPINDLES

The closer you get to the early 2000s, the more likely your home has metal or wrought iron spindles. While many of them went over the top in their Tuscan-inspired style, the easier ones took a more moderate approach to their design.

In this first example, my client’s metal spindles were burnished bronze. She hand-painted each one black for a more modern, less Tuscan look.

These painted spindles, white railings, and newel posts give her staircase and entryway a new lease on life! Of course, we painted the walls, too (Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray).

This next entryway underwent more than a ‘little makeover’…

The 8 Best Black Paint Colors

Previously, the unpainted wood trim and hand railing dated her home, giving it a stuffy look. With some smart upgrades, her entryway looks way more updated while still looking homey!

• New wood flooring (no more golden oak)
• Painted wood details
• Wood stair treads with a carpet runner
• We kept the stair railing, newel post, and spindles, but updated them by painting them black.
• A fresh new paint color on the walls.

The Best Paint Colors to Update Golden Oak

How to Mix & Match Wood Stains

5. SOME SERIOUS 1990s STAIR UPGRADES

This is where the big bucks come into play (tell this to your hunter-enthusiast hubby, and maybe he’ll get excited, too!). Sure, as far as home remodels go, updating a staircase isn’t as pricey as a 1990s kitchen or outdated 90’s bathroom, but it sure as heck ain’t cheap (unless you have some serious DIY skills).

OPTION 1: REPLACE PONY WALLS/DRYWALL WITH RAILING

The following photos show our last home (built in the 1990s). A pony wall going up the staircase made the entryway and staircase look more tunnel-like and super dark (the colors didn’t help either—I sure didn’t pick ’em).

Upgrading and updating to metal spindles with wood hand railing, stringers, and newel posts was a smart choice…

Say hello to Doug! 

Of course, I also painted the walls and trims—Sherwin Williams Creamy and Benjamin Moore Cloud White.

Here’s a look at the previous staircase from the bottom/entryway…

And now, it’s way better and brighter with an open railing using simple black round metal spindles…

Douglas Fur and Sir Henry Bacon (RIP Henry)

OPTION 2: REPLACE WOOD SPINDLES WITH METAL ONES

Depending on the style of your staircase, you could consider replacing wood spindles with metal ones – but be warned; it’s one of those projects that, once you start, it’s easy to get carried away (new newel posts/stringers/etc.)…

If you have a short staircase or a small amount of railing, a project like this can be manageable and worth it for a more updated look…

However, if you have long expanses and a lot of curves, it adds up fast.

READ MORE

What’s Trendy for Stairs?

5 Ideas to Update Your 1990s Home (Budget-Friendly)

The Best Paint Colors for the Inside of Your Front Door

Ideas to Update Your 1990s Home: 4-PART SERIES

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