apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Like the color of the walls,stairs with the orange carpet on the stairs would just change the carpet color to black or brown.

i really dig the all-around light gray in the first pic below the jump. keeps it simple and soothing leading up to your place, and i love the idea of using those wall tiles on the door! plus, it's nice and neutral should you ever decide to hang any prints or whatnot.

Grey paint/ orange tiles.

Wow, Maxwell just invites himself? I'm sorry, I didn't like any of these combos, and the thing at the top of the stairs looks like something to trip over.

Can someone explain to me (simple language, short words) how the Flor tile thing on stairs works? Why don't they slide off?

Gray walls, orange tiles!

And actually, thats a good point, Trilobyte, because normally with Flor, the tiles are stuck together underneath, but in this case, it wouldn't work. I'm thinking double-sided tape?

the blue stairs with grey carpet is a soothing transition from the outside world to the inside of your apartment.

the grey stairs with orange carpet gives a hint of what's to come (the orange in your living room).

I like both but I prefer the blue. I think the blue on the wall you have behind the mirror is a particularly lovely shade.

I wonder if the object at the top of the landing is sort of a seating idea? We do a no shoes thing at my place and my husband would only agree to it if we put a chair near the doorway so he can sit as he puts on/removes his shoes.

I like the gray and orange as well.

They're all nice options, but having grown up in New York, I never pay much attention to entry spaces like this (and certainly don't judge people's aesthetic taste by them).

Some of the most amazing apartments I've ever seen were in buildings that seemed totally crappy from the outside or the lobby. I frankly love the theatrical, through-the-looking-glass moment of opening a door in a dingy corridor and seeing an amazing apartment inside. So don't drive yourself too crazy.

Flor carpet tiles actually stick very, very well against a hard smooth surface. We have a couple at the bottom of the stairwell and they never budge despite the foot traffic in and out. I'll likely use additional squares of the included adhesive squares just incase.

Lisa: not so hot with the dingy corridor effect. But I guess that's why I live in LA and not in New York, where I could definitely imagine the theatrical effect being striking and appropriate.

Out of these choices it is the gray wall and orange floor tiles and white wall texture. I do wish the orange floor tiles came in a bit darker shade of orange. More like dirty pumpkin or so. I would paint the stair risers a bit darker shade of that gray color used. Also please seal all the gaps with putty of sorts. It's all in the details that count!

Great idea, wish I had a staircase similar to that. Mine has rug on it.... :( BLAH.

Jen Ramos
'100% Recycled DESIGNER Cards & More'
www.madebygirl.com
madebygirl.blogspot.com

I like the grey and orange option best.

I like the gray/orange combo.

But just to complicate your life, you may want to consider getting some groovy wallpaper for the risers instead of paint.

Just saw it in a home mag and it made me wish I didn't live in a single story home!

Yet another great idea inspired by Flor! What is your lighting situation? I like the gray paint with the orange Flor tiles, but worry that it might make the entrance too dark under certain lighting conditions. Then again, you're in sunny SoCal.

The second choice from the top (blue and gray scheme) I think is best. Especially for a colorful apartment.

I like the blue tile with grey risers and lighter walls. I like how it weighs the stairs down while making the hallway seem brighter. It also seems to give the shoes more, um, gravity.

I think sealing the gaps on the stairs is going to give you the biggest improvement. I'm not so big on the grey in stairways or corridors - too much potential to look dingy and low rent despite your best intentions. I like the idea of the Flor tiles, esp. the bluish ones.

Halls are usually dark, we have one that is done in sheets of mahogany with a skylight and it is still dark! I would go with the orange flor tiles, light walls and blue door. The risers could be either gray or white to tone the orange flor tiles down a bit. It would be cheery and bright going up and down those stairs. By the way what is the name of the light fixture at the top of your stairs?

I like the blue stairs / blue walls but I was just thinking that different hues of blue on each stair might be interesting.

And yes! I love the wallpaper idea for the risers too, Modtramp.

Grey & orange wins the competition!

Unlike many others, I didn't like the grey and orange combo. It seems sort of ... dismal.

I like the blue wall and stairs best, though I'm not loving the color of the FLOR with it. Maybe if it were something more bold/colorful?

Good luck!

grey & orange are the most flattering for the space because it makes it feel the most "solid". the other colors just seem to fade away and i love that this grey space leads you towards the door. it brings attention to the space and i love the pop of orange.

We put the housepet tiles (cut in half) on our stairs so that our stair-averse greyhound wouldn't slip down the oak steps. They don't really stick well enough to the wood to be totally safe, but the solution was simple: use a craft-style hot glue gun and dab a bit of glue in each corner and some in the center. They are now stuck for good -- unless we want to pull them up for cleaning or otherwise, in which case the glue comes up without difficulty and doesn't mar the wood underneath.

Jamjaree, Liasu,
The light fixture at the top of the stairs is called 'Jack' by Tom Dixon -- one of his earliest designs. I had one 4-5 years ago and sold it last year on craigslist. You can stack them or use them as seats.

Aaaggghhhh, get the shoes off the stairs! Put them in your closet! I seem to have turned into a one-woman crusader at AT for putting shoes away!

Fill the gaps with putty (I'm surprised you didn't do it in photoshop - I've been known to Clean my entire apartment in photoshop)

I was leaning towards the gray / orange combo as well, but the wall on the side opposite the shoes seems dark. picking that color so it still seems bright and cheerful may be tricky. Keeping the door white helps. Is that textured wallpaper on the door? Love that.

I like lining up the shoes there. As long as the shoes are colorful / clean.
I also love the idea of wallpapering the risers.
Have you considered changing the banister color?

---I'm also a toy designer/inventor BTW :-)

Modtramp - I saw that article wallpaper on the stairs too and LOVED it. One of the things I liked about it was that it seemed relatively inexpensive and labor-intensive, and so not as big a commitment as wallpapering a whole wall.

For anyone else who is intererested, here's the link: http://www.sunset.com/sunset/home/article/0,20633,1831620,00.html

I also like the wallpaper idea, but this is the one I have my eye on:

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/06/great-idea-elevating-the-mundane.html

Good luck!

i actually like the all white (with black) it is now, best ... and i LOVE the shoes on the steps.

i like the light blue paint.
not crazy about the grey carpet tiles though.
brown is my vote.

light blue/brown

grey fronts with orange or blue tiles. beautiful and fun!

Yeah, I'm with Aulaire. My first response was, "What's with the shoes?" Is that your entire collection? Do you have to go to the steps to decide what you're putting on that day?

I am liking turquoise these days. Turquoise wall definitely.

You should go the Ferm Living route and wallpaper the stairs! Check it out on their blog!

See, I just re-read this post, and I see where you are being suggested this space has some makeover potential (that's 6 whole syllables, it must be imperative!). I know you're in a hurry, but you didn't really do anything before now, since the suggestion was made. Does it bother you? Why or why not?

I don't really see as much improvement in the potential re-dos. I think that little mat is too small, and paint might make the space a little nicer, but it's still lacking something. It totally looks like you're trying to make it look better fast. It will look a little better fast, but you haven't really worked on it in the meantime. Company coming does tend to make some people make rushed decisions, but did you consider what you would do if you had more time? There's just something "not much better than it is now" about all of the proposed ideas, and concerned what benefit you seek by busting your ass over something that's sort of a minimal improvement. Even then, I would hesitate at letting a guest insist on returning after he said something a little forward about your entry way. It's yours. Don't let him make you feel self-conscious about it if you didn't see fit to change it by now.

That's just my take on it. It might need a paint job, but I would hear a totally different directive from "makeover potential," I guess.

I would use caulk not putty for the gaps on the stairs and also on the runners/sides of the stairws where there seems to be gaps. Love the orange/grey/white combo. Only change I would make would be to paint the railings the same orange as the carpet. Orange rails will tie in all in and will not show the dirt like white. Love the textured white wall at the top of the stairs. How about painting the mirror frame a bright color or put a vibrant print/painting there? Happy painting!

I like the 4th and 5th pics below the jump (gray w/ dark blue or gray w/ orange). They're more dramatic and also look cleaner and more sophisticated.

where is the sculptural light from? I vaguely recall seeing it in Domino a couple years ago...

I liked the yagi design office stair: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/inspiration/pantone-stairs-at-tamotsu-yagi-design-055865

If you only paint the risers, then you don't see anything as you enter - no impact until you leave. If you alternated the tread and risers, it would be something you could see upon entering one way and another as you exit.

I vote for the orange, and grey paint as suggested earlier by someone. A nice blue/grey. Can I invite myself to your house, winter is coming here to Canada :(

The orange and grey is the winner - its cool without being overdone. Meanwhile, ever since I saw these tiles on AT last month I've just wanted to put a staicase in our single story house.

I think single Flor tiles on stairs is an accident waiting to happen.

P2--I would have thought so too, but ended up needing something on my stairs so my pup wouldn't crash land at the bottom every other trip down. Runners were either ugly or expensive, so I bought Flor tiles. I cut them to fit, two pieces side-by-side, and adhered them with carpet tape. It is so secure, they've never budged.

Aulaire: we live in an apartment with limited space, especially storage space, so utilizing the stairways is a practical and useful decision. We're also a "take off your shoes" when entering household, so storing our footwear in the hallway not only makes this easy, but it's also a very easy way to hint to visitors to do the same. People who come over tend to really like the shoes on the stairway from the feedback we've heard, so one person's peeve can be another person's point of interest. We do try to keep our shoes nice and clean though.

KTG: the suggestion/remark didn't bother me...it only cemented what I already felt and I think the joking quality of the initial post was missed (we loved having Maxwell over as a guest!).

The changes we're planning to make are the minimum we feel like would make the biggest difference with the least amount of time and money, two factors especially important since we're not sure how much longer we're going to live in this particular rental. "Makeover potential" means a lot of things to different people, and you seem like you have a strong opinion about what is effective or not. But I'm pretty content with painting and adding the stairway carpeting for now with additions of some decorative frames/mirrors as likely post-project touches. Personally, I am almost sure those two changes will result in a huge difference in the impression of a space that's been mostly neglected.

grey walls, white stairs, blue tiles

Has anyone complemented you on your GENIUS shoe storage solution?

I like the last pic. You should do a poll. I also love the shoes where they are. :)

Don't get the shoes. Looks cluttered.

I like the first one with the light green steps and gray walls.

Hate the shoes; I agree that it looks cluttered.

Having grown up in Asian households, where shoes are removed before entering the home, it was very common to see shoes stored on or near the stairs or entryway. I'm not saying every Asian person/household likes or does this, but I think it may be more common and acceptable in certain cultures.

Gray/Grey and teal!