How To Paint Stairs + Life Lately

Today I am sharing how I totally transformed our staircase. I’ll show you exactly what I used, and how I did it… It’s time to learn how to paint stairs!

When we first moved into our house in 2014 mostly everything had been updated recently. The kitchen was fairly new, the walls had all been painted, and the flooring had just been replaced. The one thing that never got updated was the staircase. It was a very dark, shiny wood, and very reminiscent of the 1980s when it was “updated”. Fast forward to 2019, and I had had it with our dark, drab stairs. They made the dining room seem so heavy, and dated. I ran to the hardware store, grabbed some paint, and quickly learned how to paint stairs.

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What I used…

• Valspar Bonding Primer
• Do It Best Porch and Floor Enamel
• 2″ Paint Brush

How I did it…

In all honesty, this project was very straight forward, and simple. I was, however, scared out of my mind to do it. I had painted basically every surface in our home, but the stairs were different. They’re used every single day, multiple times a day. They HAD to be durable.

After a little research I decided to use Valspar Bonding Primer to cover over the very shiny stairs ( I LOVE the Valspar Bonding Primer. It’s all I use. It requires absolutely ZERO surface prep, even on very shiny surfaces!), and top it with the very durable Do It Best Floor Paint.

Starting at the top, I applied a couple of coats of primer to every single stair tread and kick plate. I even did the trim on the side. After everything had a couple of good coats of primer, I went over that with the floor paint. After a two coats of paint I let them “cure” for a good 48 hours before we used them. (My son was more than happy to stay with his Grammy and Papa!)

I used bright white. I was slightly concerned it would stain over the years, but I am happy to report it has not. This paint sets up very hard, and creates an enameled surface. It is highly durable, and very easy to clean. I simply wipe them off with a damp cloth.

How they’ve held up…

I am happy to report they’ve held up beautifully. They did get a few good scuffs when a mattress and box spring was scraped down them. I took 20 minutes of my day, and gave them a fresh coat of floor paint. They’re as good as new.

A few tips on how to paint stairs

• Use a good primer! This is such a necessity. Even if the paint boasts it has primer mixed in USE A PRIMER. As I said above I use Valspar Bonding Primer for everything here.
• Start at the top. For obvious reasons.
• Let them completely dry before there’s any major foot traffic. Lightly walking to the top to apply a second coat is totally fine, but if your bedrooms are upstairs you may need to plan to camp out in the living room for a night or two.

Life Lately + What I’m loving this week.

We had a good week here on the farm. I got a few projects checked off the list. That always makes me happy. I did touch up the staircase, and finally painted a small mirror I’ve had since 2019.

Last week was my birthday. Nick surprised me with this Shark Ion Robotic Vacuum. I never knew I’d love a machine so much. I run it right after breakfast. It does SUCH a great job cleaning the floors. It’s freed up so much time. I feel like I can get a lot more accomplished outside. I haven’t had my big vacuum out all week!

I’ve been eyeing this piece of artwork from Target for a good while now. If it were in stock anywhere close to here, I’d be making a Target run ASAP. I have been really loving the flowy almost abstract art. This picture is especially calming and relaxing. I’ve been thinking of a way to DIY something similar. Stay tuned for that.

I was hoping I’d have a kitchen cabinet update to share today. I picked up the paint yesterday, so soon! Hopefully next week!

As always thanks so much for stopping by the farmhouse! Have a great weekend.

Here’s an image to pin for later…