Happy Weekend: DIY Spectrum Banisters

Livingetc

Yeah! The weekend has arrived and I couldn't be happier to have two days stretched out ahead of me to relax. Although I do have a little bit of work to do, I'm going to make sure I take time to pop to the flower market and take in some inspiring sights and scents. If the whole weekend was free, I'd love to try out this graduation banisters DIY. Easily achieved in a weekend, you should start by using old newspaper to cover the stairs before sanding down each individual banister, wiping clean and then coating them with two coats of primer. As the primer dies work out your graduation on paper and then give each shade a corresponding number and pencil each number onto the banister so you know what colours to use when. Once dry you might wish to varnish the banisters to make the more durable to knocks and scratches. The result? A stylish colour statement for your home! What are your weekend plans, friends?

{Decor SOS: Battered Stairs Seek Kind and Caring Update}

Newly retired stairs seek hard-wearing, faithful stair-covering for a quiet and relaxing retirement.

Willing to relocate, if the pattern's right.

Earlier this week Lesley emailed me with her Decor SOS to ask for advice on how to update her stairs. Currently they are painted, with a different design on each step, but have sadly become too worn due to years of use. Fear not, as this is the perfect excuse for a revamp, Lesley! My advice would be to...

...sand back the old paint and leave the stairs rustic and worn (P.S. I love this look!)

...or, paint a stripe down the middle in a chic colour (Converse trainers an optional extra...)

...you could get all typographical, too, by adding letters or numbers

...choose a patterned carpet - like this gorgeous hexagonal design - and use as a statement runner

...perhaps stripes are more your thing? Yeah? Then the Amalia or Andrup runner rugs from IKEA would be perfect, and with prices starting at £6.99 this is a very affordable option. Plus, it's easy to sew several together if one isn't long enough.

...keep things monochrome for a chic and sophisticated look (practical at hiding dirt, too!)

Images: 1, 2, 5, 6. Living Etc; 3, 7. TT; 4. CC

...finally, if you feel like jazzing things up a little, why not stick mirrored squares to each step?

Ok, friends, what would your lovely Decor SOS advice be for Lesley and her stairs?