DIY Painted Rainbow Stairs
If you have been to my home or follow me on social media, then you know I love a good do-it-yourself project.
So, where did my love for DIY come from?
Between being raised by a mom with frugal roots (her parents were young adults in the Depression Era), and my background in design... I think my tendency to create stylish looks that I love, at wallet-friendly prices, is a fun hobby I am excited to share with you guys.
As my mom will tell you, her father was so stingy because back then "food was scarce and outrageously expensive!" She could remember him saying to her mother, "Martha, the poor house is right around the corner!" This was the way of life back then for most, and people had to make the best of it to get by.
I am incredibly grateful to my mom for a plethora of reasons, one being her intolerance to spending money on things she could just as easily do herself. She is quite the creative lady!
I wanted to share my new favorite project (hint: whichever project I have completed most recently, is usually my favorite.)
Rainbow Ombré Stairs!
When we moved into our home in 2010, we found this beautiful staircase hidden underneath carpeting. To give them a fresh and clean unveiling, I spruced them up with white paint. Ahh.
What we found under the carpeting. So pretty!
A few years later, I was ready to take them from what eventually became "bland" white, to a punchy and bold "hello" in yellow.
How cute is this guy in his "Hello, Friend" tee on the yellow steps?"
I loved the yellow, but like most DIYers, I got bored.
Time for another color refresh!
Uh oh. What is she doing now?
This time I had it in my head that I wanted a rainbow staircase. And guess what? As my neighbors will tell you, I tend to paint my front door, A LOT. So... I have LOTS and LOTS of extra paint colors in the basement.
My husband, Kevin, went away with our three boys on a fishing weekend a few weeks ago. When he came home we had ombré rainbow stairs for our main staircase. Luckily he doesn’t mind. He just smirks and pretends he likes them 😂
"Barley, sit! Stay. Good dog."
Here are the steps:
1. I started with 3 base colors (leftover former front door colors- which I have too many of) and divided the stairs into thirds.
2. The top stair was painted solid blue (I used Casco Bay by Benjamin Moore.) Then gradually I mixed the blue with white paint as I worked my way down the blue section.
3. The last blue stair was mixed with white, and also a touch of the next color (Be Daring Yellow by Pittsburgh Paints). This gave it a beautiful warm teal tone.
4. For the yellow section I followed the same process, lightening with white I went down, then for the last yellow stair I mixed in a touch of pink (Spring Tulips by Benjamin Moore.) Do this for each of the 3 paint color transitions to achieve that ombre effect.
Easy, right?
Pro Tip: I use high gloss paint because I love the eye-catching sheen. But you can use a semi-gloss finish as well. Just don't use flat or eggshell. It will give the stairs a dingy and dull look when it dries.
Here a few other set of stairs I have painted in the past. I have a problem, but I love it!
Link in 2016 at our house in Maine. Freshly painted teal staircase!
Then in 2021, I painted them an ombre teal.
First thing I painted in our new (old!) house in Maine, the attic staircase
10 years later, these three posing on the stairs (plus appearances by Satchel and Zuzu)
If you try this DIY project, send me any questions and photos! I would love to share.
I can't end this post without saying "I love you, mom!"
And, happy #PrideMonth to all my LGBTQ friends! (How perfect are these stairs, btw!?!)
Thanks for reading, friends.
Annie xo
Original post is from June, 30, 2020