thistle vs. sisal.

Back in the late 1980s, I had peculiar ways of saying certain letters, among them: V, F, and S. The first of which is somewhat ironic since I earned a long Italian last name starting with V through marriage ;) In any case, the humor in the title of this post is that when I first said the word sisal, I said thistle. Oops! My mispronunciation doesn't discount how much I have been admiring sisal-lined stairs as of late. Maybe it is the New England influence, but I simply cannot imagine the stairs in our future home without a sturdy sisal runner. Here are a few of my favorites...

{left column: top - middle top - middle bottom - bottom | right column: top - middle - bottom}

My first eleven years were spent in a ranch style home, so stairs were a new commodity when we moved in a Cape style home in my teens. The stairs in our Cape were carpeted and I never thought of having them any other way. When I got to Georgetown, the gorgeous rowhouse I shared with five of my best friends had bare staircases. Since I noticed this commonality between the staircases I've been pinning, I realized I should re-examine what would be best for the home we're building next spring.

Tell me: do you like staircase runners? Or do you like stairs au naturel? I want your opinion here! I certainly want a crisp looking staircase, but do I want to lug a vacuum behind me a ton? No. I want to know what you think is most attractive--and easiest ;)

19 comments:

  1. I think it looks really pretty, ESP for New England! I'm sure it'll look fab in your new abode! :)

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  2. We have carpeted stairs, and I've never thought of them any other way either. I think a runner is chic, especially if you want to have kids in the future, kids might slip down the stairs bare (my nannying experience has taught me that so well!) I like it!

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  3. such a cute anecdote! i like the runner personally, it feels cozier!

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  4. definitely yay -- i love them! and you can get a mini hand-held vacuum to keep it clean and tidy :) xx

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  5. Really love this look! It definitely spruces up a staircase.

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  6. I prefer bare stairs. I just love the look of hardwood on a staircase. And if you're looking to add some spice, you could always paint the base of the steps a different color!

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  7. We have a closed-in staircase with au naturel stairs. With the 2 pets we have, it's pretty nice to have them bare as they collect tumbleweeds of hair on a daily basis. It's easy to clean. But I do believe it would feel so nice to have the runner under your feet. Just tough to clean but I bet you know how to handle that, right?!

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  8. i am a fan of the runner! it's like the best of both worlds. we have fully carpeted stairs and i wish they were a tad more stylish!

    bare stairs make me think of modern family and phil dunphy always tripping on the one wonky step. it's always funny :)

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  9. YAH! i think runners (when they are done right) look great. doo it! xo

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  10. I think the runner looks very classy. Plus, using a little dust buster or something to keep it clean is probably easier than sweeping stairs. Dust always just flies everywhere when I try to sweep stairs!

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  11. They do look so pretty! I've never really thought about it... I'm from Texas and I think most of the staircases are bare or carpeted, but the runners look so nice!

    xoxo

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  12. Yay! I think they look really pretty :)

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  13. I like the natural wood look but I did stain them a really dark brown and they are so dramatic against a white base board and banister. I found you through Jayme and Mendi and I'm super excited to sign up for Friday's Fancies. I'd love for you to check out my post today on an upcoming Summer Fashion Link Up I'm hosting.
    www.winetastegirl.com

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  14. I really like the look! I'd go for it. :)

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  15. Runners for sure - you won't slip and the wood will get less dinged up. Just beware that you can't go back to plain wood if it's in a sunny space, as the wood (like a wall behind a painting) will get discolored.

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  16. Totally yay! I think they look great if done right and with the right pattern/fabric. Love these!

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  17. I'd say that one of the biggest things to consider with carpeted stairs is whether or not you think you'll have furbabies. I have two, and I have carpeted stairs, and I'll just tell you that vacuuming up dog hair on each stair can be quite a chore. On the other hand, I always have thought of bare stairs as being a little dangerous with socked feet. ;) This one's a toss up!

    Mendi @ Her Late Night Cravings

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  18. Love this collection of awesome stairways! So beautifully unconventional and unexpected! Just wanted to let you know I featured this post in my roundup of jute craft projects here. Feel free to check it out if you want and hope you like it! : )

    -Mel the Crafty Scientist

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