Choose metal spindles combined with painted wood handrails for a sleek yet homely take on your staircase design. Neutral colours, like cool grey and shades of white, combine perfectly with stainless steel. At the same time, dark painted wood can be enhanced with bronze spindles. Choosing a staircase that suits your home Use sugar soap and a clean cloth or flat scouring pad to clean the spindles. Apply the sugar soap directly to the wood and give it a rough scrub to dislodge dirt. Then, with another clean cloth, wash off the sugar soap residue with clean water. Let it dry.

Choosing a banister made from all painted wooden elements, including the handrail, spindles, newel posts and caps, provides a timeless finish that can work well in family homes. Painted wood and glass panels To achieve the aforementioned quality finish, you’re going to want to buy something that is easy to apply – whether you’re a professional or an amateur. There’s no point buying a paint that’s ultimately going to leave runs and brush marks on the final coat.

Elisa Cirulli , an interior stylist based in Harrogate, who has just been nominated for the Livingetc Best Room 2012 Northern Design Award, and who has just done her own bedroom in Farrow & Ball Lamp Room Grey paint, has the following advice: “Don’t be afraid to go against the grain and use a dark colour even if the room doesn’t receive much natural light. When the walls are dark, the boundaries of a room tend to disappear, creating an illusion of infinite space. My favourite choice here would be a satinwood which combines durability with an attractive mid-sheen finish but ultimately the choice is yours. In some home with certain colour schemes, even a high gloss can look great. Let the first coat dry and apply a second. If you’re covering a dark colour with a light colour, you might have to apply a third coat. My favourite thing about Crown’s satin is that it’s actually more like an eggshell in finish (the white is beautiful) but has the durability of satin. So the sheen is quite low but the durability is decent, especially for banisters. Being cheap obviously helps!

Firstly, it’s worth noting that gloss paint is typically extremely durable. And in this case with the Johnstone’s non-drip gloss, that’s certainly accurate. The hard-wearing formula has been created to withstand multiple washes and should stand the test of time on your banisters. If you have a smaller space, opting for grey wood and glass helps to create an open aesthetic whilst retaining its modern design. Bespoke staircase renovations from Neville Johnson Noticed some chips in the wood? Fill them, let the filler dry and sand it down, so it’s flat with the wood. In a north-facing room try using greys with hints of yellow and brown. Playing with the different shades for walls, ceiling and skirting will create delicate contrasts and optical illusion. The key is in the accessories and artwork used to finish off the room.”Looking For An Easy Way To Make Your Wood Bannister The Star Of The Entryway Stain It Dark Then Paint Grey Walls White Trim Grey Walls Stair Railing Makeover Fortunately, the Diamond Satinwood (despite being a trade paint) comes in a relatively small size (1 litre) so will easily cover your banister with a couple of coats and you’ll likely have plenty leftover for touch ups on other woodwork within your home. As mentioned above, durability is key when it comes to banister paint as thee banister is one of the most touched objects in any home. You’ll need a paint that can withstand frequent traffic and there’s no doubt that Johnstone’s Aqua is able to. Our professional decorators voted the ever reliable Johnstone’s Aqua Satin as the best paint for banisters overall with 32% of respondents saying this is the paint they’d use if given the choice.