9 Rustic Staircase Ideas to Spark Inspiration

February 6, 2020


The staircase is an integral part of many home designs. Frequently located in the entryway or prominent area of the home design, the staircase is often a focal point when it comes to living rooms and interior designs. In rustic homes, the staircase needs to match the rest of the home interiors to create a cohesive style. This means planning a rustic staircase design, down to the details of the rustic stair railing

There are a variety of ways that homeowners can accomplish this goal. One of the most effective ways to do this is the use of antique or reclaimed wood as part of the design. Reclaimed wood has a naturally rustic appearance to it, along with a patina and character that will instantly blend in with any country, farmhouse, or cottage home design. If you’re considering a makeover to the wood staircase in your rustic home, take a look at these 9 rustic staircase designs and decorating ideas to see how dynamic and interesting these styles can be.

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Minimal Design Staircase

Rustic Staircase Design Ideas

1. Minimal Design

Rustic design doesn’t mean that you need to use a lot of embellishments to drive the style home; sometimes the more simple designs are the most effective. This wood staircase is minimal in design, but by using antique wood, which contains its original saw marks and patina, you can quietly complement the rest of the decor.

Rich Colored Staircase

2. Rich Color

Antique wood has a rich, dark patina that gives the wood staircase a naturally rustic appearance. The color of the wood creates a beautiful contrast to the lighter colors of the walls, and picks up hints of the color from the wrought iron railings. The lighter shades in the wood help keep the stairway from getting too dark, which is easy to do in small spaces like this.

Rich Wood Variation

3. Rich Variation

One of the best things about natural wood is the way that its color can naturally vary from one piece to the next. This variation adds a lot of depth and interest to a staircase, and in the instance of a rustic design, it also helps lend the area some character. The wrought iron railings in the bannister help to pick up the darker hues in the wood, while complementing the texture left from the saw marks visible in some of the treads.

Rustic Modern Staircase

4. Rustic Modern Design

Rustic modern has been a popular home interior design style for the last few years. It blends elements of a sleek contemporary style with natural and rustic designs. This stairway helps bridge the gap nicely in this minimalist design by using a sleek tread and a white, contrasting riser. The natural appearance and variation of the wood stairs helps pick up the natural and rustic elements in the design, while the shape and edging of the treads meets the modern home sensibilities.

Unique Angled Staircase

5. Unique Angles

This curved staircase is at a unique angle to the rest of the home, possibly to accommodate the cutout in the wall. The shape of the treads and the placement of the handrail helps to play up the angle, while the open bannister lets you get a glimpse of the wood stairs beyond. The rich color of the stairs offers a nice contrast to the cool tones of the rest of the room, warming up the design and adding some character and interest to the area.

Balanced Tone Staircase

6. Balanced Tones

This curved staircase is a blend of rustic and formal design, with a graceful curve and wide, matte treads that match the flooring. The color of the wood is the ideal balance between the white used on the wall panels and the risers and the very dark wood used on the wood railing. The result is a very balanced and even staircase design that’s soothing to look at.

Open Riser Staircase

7. Open Risers

This modern staircase is wide open in more ways than one. The thick, stair treads are open where the risers should be, giving the stairway an appearance that it’s lighter and almost floating on air. The metal bannisters are also open, allowing the user to see the dynamic view from outside. The color of the stair treads perfectly matches the woodwork seen elsewhere in the room, creating a solid, cohesive rustic staircase idea

Carpeted Step Staircase

8. Carpeted Steps

There’s a lot of whitewashed stone and natural, antique wood in this stairway, as well as some very decorative wrought iron on the staircase railings. By adding a stair runner to the center of the treads, it helps soften the appearance of the stairs and makes them more inviting. By allowing the wood to peek out on either side of the runner, it helps tie the stairs in with the antique wood floor on the landing above.

Multi-Tonal Staircase

9. Classic, Multi-Tonal Design

These stairs have a lot of color and interest while remaining very simple in execution. This is due in part to the antique wood blend which uses a lot of varying colors both on the stair treads and on the flooring. The risers of the stairs are a white paint color to blend in with the walls and keep the stairs from getting too dark, while the wrought iron railings in the bannister help complete the rustic design.

Create Your Ideal Rustic Stairway

Rustic style homes have been steadily growing in popularity for several years, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. Combined with the growing trend in using reclaimed materials, these rustic stairways can help you complete any style of home.

If you’re interested in learning more, be sure to check out Elmwood Reclaimed Timber to see more about how antique and reclaimed wood can complement your home.

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