Everything You Need To Know About Stair Runners

What is a stair runner?

“A stair runner is a textile floor covering fitted to the stairs. It does not cover the width of the stairs – it usually sits 10-15 cm away from the edges, in the centre. If the textile floor covering covers the whole width of the stair, that’s a fully fitted stair carpet.” – Lorna Haigh, creative director of Alternative Flooring

When should you use one?

“If you want to make a statement with your staircase, a stair runner offers an elegant and simple solution. As a narrower width of carpet fitted to the middle of your stairs, it also leaves some of the woodwork on each side exposed, so you can paint the tread or leave it natural – offering a totally customisable look.” – Julian Downes, MD of Fibre Flooring

What material should you use?

“The textile material should be relatively hard-wearing because stairs are a high- traffic area. Nor should they be slippy – some textiles wear over time and become more slippery, especially when other textiles come into contact with them, i.e. socks or tights. Avoid a deep or loopy pile, too. Deep pile carpets can grin (when you can see the backing of the carpet between the adjoining tuft rows) on the nose of the stairs which does not look attractive; large loop pile carpets can also grin and pointed heels can get caught. Wool is a wonderful fibre: natural, renewable and easily cleaned, it retains its shape and bounce. An insulator and naturally flame retardant, it’s a super textile for floors 

“For stairs and hallways that get lots of traffic, a more tightly woven wool, such as a bouclé or Berber is preferable because it can be cleaned easily. Alternatively, go for a patterned carpet or a carpet with a fleck in it to hide a multitude of sins. Sisal is the most popular natural fibre option for medium domestic carpets because it’s so versatile. Super hardwearing, it is available in an array of weaves and natural shades. As sisal is expertly woven in different strand shades, its often has a darker fleck in the carpet. Dark flecks also hide tracked dirt in hallways and on stairs, so it’s ideal in high-traffic areas. Sisal herringbone is a popular choice for stair runners, as its linear design makes the space appear larger to the eye.” – Lorna

Should it always have a trim or border?

“If your stair runner is being cut down from broadloom or full-width carpet, you have to edge the carpet – otherwise it will fray. This can be done with a trim or border or whipping yarn.” – Lorna 

How can you use a runner to make a statement?

“Stair runners offer endless opportunities to introduce bold splashes of colours, stripes and geometric designs – or a combination of these. A runner looks nice when you are happy to see the edges of the stairs, and the treads and risers are in good condition, but I wouldn’t put a runner on very narrow stairs as it will shrink them further.” – interior designer Anna Hewitson

“Runners should not be defined as purely protective – they are also decorative in their own right and can add the perfect welcoming touch to any hall or stairway. Colour and pattern are a great way of adding vibrancy to a scheme, but stay away from light or plain colours which can be much less forgiving with stains.” – interior designer Emma Stevenson

“Think about how the stairs and landing flow into the rest of the property. A brightly coloured runner will add texture and pattern to an entrance, and will carry the colour all the way through the house. Stripe runners are especially versatile, and often work well with decorative and geometric tiles and patterned or floral wallpaper. Stairs are the transient space between rooms and a runner can be used to link interior themes throughout the house with the same colours picked out in the décor and accessories.” – Andy Guard, creative director of Roger Oates Design

What if the stairs are winding?

“A runner can work well on a winding staircase. A good flatweave runner has a woven structure with a natural selvedge edge, and can be fitted to almost any kind of staircase with any number of winders. You should also consider how you are going to treat the landings: do you want the runner to go along the landing or finish at the top of the stairs? If you have quarter or half landings, the runner can be fitted with mitres or overlays” – Andy

“Winding stairs require a skilled fitter and occasionally – depending on the angle of the step – we would advise certain designs over others because they flow better round tricky winders.” – Sophie Cooney, founder of Sophie Cooney Runners

Is there a fixed width it should be?

“We recommend a minimum margin of 5cm either side of the runner and the edge of your staircase. Our flatweave is woven in three standard widths – approximately 60cm, 70cm and 85cm. Several of the designs are woven in more than one width and designs can also be customised in extra wide or narrow widths on request. When fitting a narrow width runner, there is no material wastage and the natural woven selvedge edge requires zero additional finishing.” – Andy