A stair can really make a statement. Whether the stair is old and beat up or brand new, it can look cool. A fresh coat of high gloss can turn tired and worn, into glitzy and glam – yes a stair can be a headliner. The question that I am grappling with is – do I want it to be? When I removed the stained and dirty carpet from the stair in my “new” Philly Duplex (that’s a floor and a half inside a brownstone) it revealed not just a worn stair, but one that rather looked as if it had been gnawed on by a rat. What to do with that?

After the whole thing was rebuilt it looked a lot better. It’ll get a spit shine and polish too, which made me think it might be slippery when it’s all said and done. Runners present an elegant solution to that challenge – believe me there are inelegant solutions that can be applied to the problem too. I’m not even going to discuss them because I don’t want to give you any ideas.

Runners can be quite expensive. I mean, you wouldn’t got to the Oscars in a dress meant for a barn dance would you? Likewise, if you want to be a showstopper of a stair, you have to give them something to stare at now don’t you? I picked a few I thought would draw that kind of attention. While I certainly don’t want to go careening from top to bottom every other day as if I am on some ride at the water park, I also don’t love leaving my money behind for the next owner who may or may not have an appreciation for the Oscars – if you know what I mean.

With this in mind, it may be better to buy an area carpet that I can lovingly roll up, bag and wear to the next ball. There are five more after all. I can dress it up with a new Harry Winston and no one will even know I recycled it.