The Wow Moments: Our Ombre Staircase
At Shee Properties we believe that every design deserves a bit something extra. A show stopper, if you will. From full faux plant walls that add texture, to hand painted wall art that add character, and everything in between we know a little wow goes a long way.
Our most recent adventure in the pursuit of awesome aesthetics we created an ombre staircase that is both whimsical and welcoming. And in 8 simple steps you can too.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
Sand Paper
Lint Free Rag
Painter’s Tape
5 High Gloss Sample Paints (4 different shades of a color family of your choice and a white for mixing)
(2) 2 inch Chip Brush
Paper Plate
Polyurethane Sealer
STEPS:
Give the stair risers a light sanding. This will rough up the wood a bit to assist with proper paint adhesion.
Give the staircase a good sweeping and then clean the risers with a warm damp lint free rag. Allow them to dry thoroughly before moving on to the next step.
Tape the edges of the risers. Be sure to tape all the way around the riser including the walls and the step above and below it. Good prep work makes for an easier finish, so be sure to be as precise as possible to avoid timely touch ups later.
Evenly space your selected paint samples in order of color up the stairs. Starting with the lightest shade (not including the white mixing paint) at the base of the stairs working your way up leaving a few risers past the darkest color. How many risers are in between each paint sample will be determined by how many stair risers your staircase has in total.
Now to start the fun part, the painting! We recommend a high gloss sample size Behr paint that can be purchased at Home Depot. It resists scuffs and cleans easier than lower sheen paints. Also, the sample size paint is just the right size to complete the project while having a bit extra for any touch ups down the road.
This part of the process is a bit less precise and more of a feeling. To start, add white paint to your paper plate (or piece of scrap cardboard, or anything that you have that can be used as a paint pallet will work just fine). Using the chip brush, then mix in the lightest of your color spectrum until you have a lighter tint of that shade. This will be your first riser color. As you move up the risers continue to add more of the lightest color on your spectrum to the paint mixture on the plate until you make it to the riser where the next color up on the spectrum was placed.
Repeat step five with every color on the spectrum that you selected. Add white, then more and more of the color until you get to the riser where the next color is placed. It is okay if all of the colors get mixed a bit. Again, this is not a precise science. It’s art. Once you reach the final color, complete the rest of the stair risers in the same fashion.
Once completed with the painting process remove the tape and let the paint completely dry before moving on to the next step. This will usually take a few hours.
Apply the polyurethane sealer using the second chip brush. We recommend Rust-Oleum Parks Pro Finisher 1 gal. Clear Semi-Gloss Water-Based Polyurethane for Floors. A little bit goes a long way and since it is specifically designed to seal wood floors it will stand the test of time while protecting your beautiful creation. Once dry, you are complete!
Full disclosure, we completed our stairs mid construction and were able to paint the stair risers prior to installation. However, upon admiring the final product we decided that we wanted a more dramatic ombre than our original paint job provided and painted them again while installed. You can’t get it right all the time the first time.
THIS WE LEARNED:
It is certainly easier to paint stair risers while they are not installed. So, if removal is an option for you, do it.
Don’t be afraid to go too dramatic the first time around. This is a wow moment after all.
Seal the risers as soon as possible. While the high gloss paint is durable, it is not smudge proof. We had to clean some scuffs off before we could seal.
Even when you think you have prepared for painting, check again. Tape more than you think you need to, as well.Touching up the walls is both time consuming and avoidable.
Don’t stress. Have fun. It’s art. There is no such thing as perfect. You are going to do great!